SAT Scores for Minnesota Colleges, School by School (2026-27)

Every school on this list, from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities down to the Minnesota State campuses, is test optional for 2026-27 applicants; none require the SAT or ACT to apply, though submitting a score can still help with admission review and with the merit scholarship grids several schools run off GPA plus test score. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.

The table covers 11 colleges Minnesota families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers. The bottom rows show the score-based money Minnesota families can earn: Winona State Outstanding Academic Honors Award and Winona State President's Honor Scholarship (top tier).

Minnesota college score profiles and cohort notes

Cohort notes: Carleton: Only 39.4% of Carleton's enrolled fall 2025 class submitted an SAT score, so this range reflects a minority self-selected group, not the whole class. Macalester: Only 30% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score and 28% submitted an ACT score; most Macalester students send neither. St. Olaf: St. Olaf is test optional; this range is the middle 50% of the minority of enrolled students who chose to submit an SAT score. U of M Twin Cities: The U of M's own site says nearly 50% of fall 2025 admits submitted no test score at all; only 8.2% of the fall 2024 enrolled class submitted an SAT score (CDS 2024-2025). Gustavus Adolphus: Gustavus's own catalog gives only an ACT middle-50% (25-30) and an average combined SAT near 1300, not a published SAT 25th-75th range. St. Thomas: St. Thomas publishes this range on its own Quick Facts page for the fall 2025 entering class; it does not break out submission rate. UMN Duluth: Figures are College Board BigFuture's published range; UMD's own admissions site confirms it is test optional but does not post a numeric SAT range. MN State Mankato: Mankato's own admissions page states plainly it is test optional and does not publish a middle-50% SAT or ACT range for admitted or enrolled students. St. Cloud State: St. Cloud State's own site says it is "completely test optional" and asks only for transcripts and a 2.5 GPA; it does not publish a test score range. Winona State: Winona State's own admissions page says it does not require ACT or SAT scores; scores are used only for course placement and some scholarships. These are not interchangeable measures.

School by school

Carleton College: 1460 to 1530

Carleton reports a 1460 to 1530 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025). It admitted 21.8% of 6,796 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 32-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional for 2026-27. Only 39.4% of Carleton's enrolled fall 2025 class submitted an SAT score, so this range reflects a minority self-selected group, not the whole class.

Macalester College: 1350 to 1480

Macalester reports a 1350 to 1480 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26)). The matching ACT range is 30-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional for 2026-27. Only 30% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score and 28% submitted an ACT score; most Macalester students send neither.

St. Olaf College: 1320 to 1440

St. Olaf reports a 1320 to 1440 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26)). The matching ACT range is 28-32. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional for 2026-27. St. Olaf is test optional; this range is the middle 50% of the minority of enrolled students who chose to submit an SAT score.

University of Minnesota Twin Cities: 1350 to 1490

U of M Twin Cities reports a 1350 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (admitted, fall 2026 (current cycle)). It admitted 79.7% of 41,496 applicants (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-2025)). The matching ACT range is 27-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional through fall 2029 applicants. The U of M's own site says nearly 50% of fall 2025 admits submitted no test score at all; only 8.2% of the fall 2024 enrolled class submitted an SAT score (CDS 2024-2025).

Gustavus Adolphus College: Not published

Gustavus Adolphus does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 61.8% (latest cycle). The matching ACT range is 25-30. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Gustavus's own catalog gives only an ACT middle-50% (25-30) and an average combined SAT near 1300, not a published SAT 25th-75th range.

University of St. Thomas (Minnesota): 1170 to 1360

St. Thomas reports a 1170 to 1360 middle 50% SAT (entering first-year, fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 23-29. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. St. Thomas publishes this range on its own Quick Facts page for the fall 2025 entering class; it does not break out submission rate.

University of Minnesota Duluth: 1180 to 1340

UMN Duluth reports a 1180 to 1340 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). It admitted 89.1% of 8,536 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 23-28. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Figures are College Board BigFuture's published range; UMD's own admissions site confirms it is test optional but does not post a numeric SAT range.

University of Minnesota Morris: Not published

UMN Morris does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 74.9% (latest cycle). The matching ACT range is 20-26. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional.

Minnesota State University, Mankato: Not published

MN State Mankato does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (ACT/SAT not required for admission or to enroll). Mankato's own admissions page states plainly it is test optional and does not publish a middle-50% SAT or ACT range for admitted or enrolled students.

St. Cloud State University: Not published

St. Cloud State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. St. Cloud State's own site says it is "completely test optional" and asks only for transcripts and a 2.5 GPA; it does not publish a test score range.

Winona State University: Not published

Winona State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: SAT/ACT not required for admission. Winona State's own admissions page says it does not require ACT or SAT scores; scores are used only for course placement and some scholarships.

What an SAT score pays at Minnesota colleges

Minnesota has no statewide SAT or ACT cutoff scholarship; the state's primary aid program, the Minnesota State Grant, is strictly need-based with no test score component, so score-tied money in Minnesota comes from individual universities' own automatic merit grids.

Winona State Outstanding Academic Honors Award: 1420 (ACT 32). $3,500 per year for up to 8 consecutive semesters; requires top 5% class rank or a 3.90 GPA, plus a 32 ACT or 1420 SAT.

Winona State President's Honor Scholarship (top tier): 1260 (ACT 28). $2,500 per year, renewable with a 3.50 cumulative GPA; requires top 5% class rank and a 3.90 GPA, plus a 28 ACT or 1260 SAT.

Winona State's awards renew for 8 consecutive semesters only if the student stays full-time (12+ credits/semester), keeps a 3.50 cumulative GPA, and (for the two highest tiers) lives on campus the first two years; the test score and class-rank thresholds are an either/or, not a strict single cutoff.

The misconception: test optional means the SAT does not matter in Minnesota

Carleton, Macalester, St. Olaf and U of M Twin Cities are test optional for fall 2027, so many families assume the score is irrelevant. The ranges above come from the students who chose to send one, and they sit well above the overall class. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.

Quick answers

Does Minnesota give every student a free SAT or ACT in school?

No, not through one statewide program for the SAT. Minnesota's own numbers show only 3% of the class of 2025 took the SAT in high school, and any school-day test is arranged district by district, with many districts choosing the ACT instead. Check with your own high school counselor for your district's testing day.

What SAT score do you need to get into the University of Minnesota Twin Cities?

The university's own site lists a middle 50% SAT range of 1350 to 1490 for its fall 2026 admitted freshmen, with ACT 27 to 33. A score at or above 1490 places in the top quarter of admits; a score below 1350 does not disqualify you, since nearly half of fall 2025 admits submitted no test score at all.

Is there a Minnesota state scholarship tied to an SAT or ACT score?

No. Minnesota's main financial aid program, the Minnesota State Grant, is awarded purely on financial need with no test score requirement, and the state's newer North Star Promise program is based on family income, not test scores. Score-tied scholarship money in Minnesota comes from individual colleges, such as Winona State's SAT/ACT-indexed Honors Scholarships, not from a state program.

What SAT score do you need for Carleton College or Macalester College?

Carleton's enrolled fall 2025 class that submitted an SAT score had a middle 50% of 1460 to 1530; Macalester's was 1350 to 1480. Both numbers are test optional schools, and in Carleton's case fewer than 40% of enrolled students even sent a score, so these ranges describe a self-selected group, not the full class.

Why do so few Minnesota colleges publish a detailed SAT range?

Because Minnesota is an ACT-leaning state where SAT participation is low, most Minnesota colleges, public and private, have gone test optional and many of their enrolled students never submit an SAT score. Smaller private colleges like Carleton, Macalester, and St. Olaf do publish an SAT range in their Common Data Set, but it only reflects the minority who chose to send a score, while the Minnesota State campuses (Mankato, St. Cloud State, Winona State) publish no SAT range at all.

Are these ranges cutoffs?

No. A middle 50% describes the central half of the reported group, not an admission cutoff. Some rows describe enrolled students or score submitters only, as labeled. A position within a range does not guarantee admission or merit aid.

More for Minnesota families

• SAT prep in Minnesota
• Minnesota SAT test dates for 2026-27
• Find your teen's target score

Sources

University and state sources: Carleton, Macalester, St. Olaf, U of M Twin Cities, Gustavus Adolphus, St. Thomas, UMN Duluth, UMN Morris, MN State Mankato, St. Cloud State, Winona State, Winona State Outstanding Academic Honors Award. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.