Neither UNR nor UNLV, Nevada's two research universities, requires the SAT or ACT for Fall 2027 applicants; both are test-optional, and Nevada State University and the state's four two-year colleges use no test score at all. The Nevada System of Higher Education has no 4-year institution that currently requires the SAT or ACT. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 7 colleges Nevada 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 Nevada families can earn: Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (GPA path) and Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (test-score path).
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Nevada, Reno | 1070-1270 · enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25) | 19-26 | 73.7% · fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25: 13, 032 admitted of 17, 679 applicants) | Test-optional |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas | 1030-1240 · enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26) | 18-24 | 84.6% · fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25: 12, 242 admitted of 14, 472 applicants) | Test-optional |
| Nevada State University | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional; does not require or recommend SAT/ACT for admission |
| College of Southern Nevada | not used | not used | open admission | Open admission; no SAT/ACT used |
| Truckee Meadows Community College | not used | not used | open admission | Open admission; no SAT/ACT used |
| Western Nevada College | not used | not used | open admission | Open admission; no SAT/ACT used |
| Great Basin College | not used | not used | open admission | Open admission; no SAT/ACT used |
| Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (GPA path) | not required | See program rules | up to $10,000 lifetime (undergraduate cap) over 4 years | $80 per credit hour, up to 15 credit hours per semester; requires a 3.25 GPA (weighted or unweighted) and the required core curriculum (4 English, 4 Math including Algebra II+, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies) |
| Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (test-score path) | 1070 | See program rules | up to $10,000 lifetime (undergraduate cap) over 4 years | Same $80/credit hour, 15-credit/semester rate; qualifies a student who does not meet the 3.25 GPA cutoff with a 1070 SAT or 21 ACT instead, plus the same core curriculum and Nevada residency requirement |
Cohort notes: UNR: Only 14% of UNR's enrolled Fall 2024 first-years submitted an SAT score; 59% submitted an ACT score instead, reflecting Nevada's ACT-leaning culture. UNLV: Only 10% of UNLV's enrolled Fall 2025 first-years submitted an SAT score (453 students); the CDS 2025-26 table reports a direct SAT Composite line (1030-1240), not a summed-section estimate. Acceptance rate above is still the fall 2024 figure since the 2025-26 CDS was not checked for an updated C1 admit/applicant count. Nevada State: Nevada State does not require or recommend standardized test scores for admission; no official SAT/ACT composite range was located on a Nevada State institutional-research page. CSN: Nevada System of Higher Education two-year college; open admission, SAT/ACT play no role in acceptance. TMCC: NSHE two-year college in Reno/Sparks; open admission. Western Nevada: NSHE two-year college serving Carson City and the rural west; open admission. Great Basin: NSHE two-year college serving rural northeastern Nevada; open admission. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreUNR reports a 1070 to 1270 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 73.7% of 17,679 applicants (fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25: 13, 032 admitted of 17, 679 applicants)). The matching ACT range is 19-26. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Only 14% of UNR's enrolled Fall 2024 first-years submitted an SAT score; 59% submitted an ACT score instead, reflecting Nevada's ACT-leaning culture.
UNLV reports a 1030 to 1240 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26)). It admitted 84.6% of 14,472 applicants (fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25: 12, 242 admitted of 14, 472 applicants)). The matching ACT range is 18-24. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Only 10% of UNLV's enrolled Fall 2025 first-years submitted an SAT score (453 students); the CDS 2025-26 table reports a direct SAT Composite line (1030-1240), not a summed-section estimate. Acceptance rate above is still the fall 2024 figure since the 2025-26 CDS was not checked for an updated C1 admit/applicant count.
Nevada State does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional; does not require or recommend SAT/ACT for admission. Nevada State does not require or recommend standardized test scores for admission; no official SAT/ACT composite range was located on a Nevada State institutional-research page.
CSN does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted open admission (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Open admission; no SAT/ACT used. Nevada System of Higher Education two-year college; open admission, SAT/ACT play no role in acceptance.
TMCC does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted open admission (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Open admission; no SAT/ACT used. NSHE two-year college in Reno/Sparks; open admission.
Western Nevada does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted open admission (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Open admission; no SAT/ACT used. NSHE two-year college serving Carson City and the rural west; open admission.
Great Basin does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted open admission (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Open admission; no SAT/ACT used. NSHE two-year college serving rural northeastern Nevada; open admission.
Nevada's statewide Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship has a genuine test-score path: students who do not meet the 3.25 GPA threshold can still qualify with a 1070 SAT or 21 ACT, covering credit hours at any NSHE school up to a $10,000 lifetime cap.
Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (GPA path): Not required. $80 per credit hour, up to 15 credit hours per semester; requires a 3.25 GPA (weighted or unweighted) and the required core curriculum (4 English, 4 Math including Algebra II+, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies).
Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (test-score path): 1070 SAT. Same $80/credit hour, 15-credit/semester rate; qualifies a student who does not meet the 3.25 GPA cutoff with a 1070 SAT or 21 ACT instead, plus the same core curriculum and Nevada residency requirement.
Must graduate from a Nevada high school and be a Nevada resident for at least two years of high school. No separate application; eligibility is determined automatically from state records. The scholarship expires six years after high school graduation or when funds run out, whichever is first. To keep it in college: at least a 2.75 semester GPA and 12 credit hours completed each funded semester; remedial courses don't count toward funding but may count toward the 12-credit minimum.
UNR, UNLV and Nevada State 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. And Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (test-score path) is awarded on the SAT or ACT whatever the admissions policy.
A 1070 SAT (or 21 ACT) qualifies a Nevada high school graduate for the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship if their GPA falls short of the 3.25 GPA threshold. Either path leads to the same award: $80 per credit hour, up to 15 credits a semester, capped at $10,000 total over an undergraduate career.
No. Both of Nevada's public research universities, the University of Nevada, Reno and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, are test-optional for Fall 2027 applicants. A score can be submitted to help an application, but it is not required to apply or be admitted.
No, but the ACT is. Nevada's Department of Education uses the ACT, not the SAT, as its official statewide College and Career Readiness assessment, given free to every 11th grader during the school day. Families who want an SAT score need to register and test separately.
Among UNR's enrolled Fall 2024 first-year class, the middle 50% who submitted an SAT scored 1070 to 1270, with a median of 1165. Only 14% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score at all; most used the ACT instead.
Because Nevada's statewide free junior-year test is the ACT, not the SAT, most students already have an ACT score before they ever think about college admissions, and both UNR and UNLV are test-optional. That combination means the SAT shows up far less often in Nevada's own admissions data than in states that give a free SAT in school.
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.
University and state sources: UNR, UNLV, Nevada State, CSN, Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship (GPA path). Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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