All seven Oregon public universities (University of Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State, Western Oregon, Southern Oregon, Oregon Tech, Eastern Oregon) have been test-optional since 2020, and Southern Oregon and Reed College have gone further to test-blind for Fall 2027 applicants; Willamette remains test-optional. No four-year Oregon school requires the SAT or ACT for Fall 2027 admission. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 8 colleges Oregon 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 Oregon families can earn: Oregon State University Presidential Scholarship and University of Oregon Presidential Scholarship.
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reed College | 1320-1490 · enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26) | 29-34 | 29.2% · fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26: 2, 804 admitted of 9, 606 applicants) | Test-blind for Fall 2027 applicants (scores not considered even if submitted) |
| Willamette University | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional |
| University of Oregon | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional (public university, policy since 2020) |
| Oregon State University | 1160-1390 · enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25) | 24-31 | Not reported | Test-optional (public university, policy since 2020) |
| Portland State University | 1100-1290 · enrolled, fall 2023 (CDS 2023-24) | 19-27.5 | 90.9% · fall 2023 (CDS 2023-24: 8, 070 admitted of 8, 877 applicants) | Test-optional (public university, policy since 2020) |
| Oregon Institute of Technology | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional; scores never required, may help admission or Presidential Scholarship consideration |
| Western Oregon University | not published | not published | Not reported | Test-optional (submission of ACT or SAT is optional for freshman applicants) |
| Southern Oregon University | not considered | not considered | Not reported | Test-blind: SAT and ACT scores are not considered for admission even if submitted |
| Oregon State University Presidential Scholarship | not required | See program rules | ~$40,000 over 4 years | $10,000 per year for up to 4 years; Oregon resident high school seniors with a minimum 3.85 unweighted or 4.20 weighted GPA, awarded through holistic review of the admission application |
| University of Oregon Presidential Scholarship | not required | See program rules | ~$36,000 over 4 years | $9,000 per year for up to 4 years; Oregon residents graduating from an Oregon high school, minimum 3.85 cumulative GPA, plus demonstrated leadership/volunteer history; renewal requires a 3.25 college GPA |
Cohort notes: Reed: 61% of enrolled Fall 2025 students still submitted an SAT score even though Reed does not use it in admission decisions. Oregon State: Only about 10% of OSU's enrolled Fall 2024 first-years submitted an SAT score; the composite range is the 25th-75th percentile of just that group. Portland State: Only 2.15% of PSU's enrolled Fall 2023 first-years submitted an SAT score, among the lowest submission rates of any Oregon public university. Oregon Tech: Oregon Tech's own admissions-criteria page confirms test scores are optional and never penalize an applicant; the specific SAT range is a secondary aggregation, not pulled directly from Oregon Tech's CDS. Southern Oregon: SOU admits on a holistic review with a minimum 2.5 GPA; test scores play no role at all, not even as an optional boost. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreReed reports a 1320 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26)). It admitted 29.2% of 9,606 applicants (fall 2025 (CDS 2025-26: 2, 804 admitted of 9, 606 applicants)). The matching ACT range is 29-34. Testing for fall 2027: Test-blind for Fall 2027 applicants (scores not considered even if submitted). 61% of enrolled Fall 2025 students still submitted an SAT score even though Reed does not use it in admission decisions.
Willamette does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional.
Oregon does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (public university, policy since 2020).
Oregon State reports a 1160 to 1390 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). The matching ACT range is 24-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (public university, policy since 2020). Only about 10% of OSU's enrolled Fall 2024 first-years submitted an SAT score; the composite range is the 25th-75th percentile of just that group.
Portland State reports a 1100 to 1290 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2023 (CDS 2023-24)). It admitted 90.9% of 8,877 applicants (fall 2023 (CDS 2023-24: 8, 070 admitted of 8, 877 applicants)). The matching ACT range is 19-27.5. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (public university, policy since 2020). Only 2.15% of PSU's enrolled Fall 2023 first-years submitted an SAT score, among the lowest submission rates of any Oregon public university.
Oregon Tech does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional; scores never required, may help admission or Presidential Scholarship consideration. Oregon Tech's own admissions-criteria page confirms test scores are optional and never penalize an applicant; the specific SAT range is a secondary aggregation, not pulled directly from Oregon Tech's CDS.
Western Oregon does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (submission of ACT or SAT is optional for freshman applicants).
Southern Oregon does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-blind: SAT and ACT scores are not considered for admission even if submitted. SOU admits on a holistic review with a minimum 2.5 GPA; test scores play no role at all, not even as an optional boost.
Oregon has no statewide SAT-cutoff scholarship; its best-known competitive merit awards, the University of Oregon and Oregon State Presidential Scholarships, are GPA and holistic-review based with no SAT requirement for 2026-27.
Oregon State University Presidential Scholarship: Not required. $10,000 per year for up to 4 years; Oregon resident high school seniors with a minimum 3.85 unweighted or 4.20 weighted GPA, awarded through holistic review of the admission application.
University of Oregon Presidential Scholarship: Not required. $9,000 per year for up to 4 years; Oregon residents graduating from an Oregon high school, minimum 3.85 cumulative GPA, plus demonstrated leadership/volunteer history; renewal requires a 3.25 college GPA.
Both awards require applying for admission by an early-February priority deadline; neither lists an SAT or ACT component in its published eligibility criteria. Oregon's state-funded aid programs (Oregon Promise for community college, Oregon Opportunity Grant) are need-based on the FAFSA/ORSAA Student Aid Index, not GPA- or test-tied.
Reed, Willamette, Oregon and Oregon 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. Oregon Tech still require a score. A strong score is one more reason for a school to say yes, and a weak one can simply stay home.
None. Oregon has no statewide SAT-cutoff scholarship like Florida's Bright Futures. The state's two flagship public universities award their top scholarships, the University of Oregon and Oregon State Presidential Scholarships, purely on GPA and a holistic review of the application, with no SAT or ACT requirement for 2026-27.
No. The University of Oregon has been test-optional since 2020, along with all of Oregon's public universities. Students may submit a score if they think it helps their application, but none is required to apply or to be considered for admission.
Among Reed's enrolled Fall 2025 class, the middle 50% who submitted an SAT scored 1320 to 1490, with a median of 1410. That said, Reed is test-blind for Fall 2027 applicants, meaning it will not consider a submitted score in the admission decision at all going forward.
Most are test-optional, meaning a score can be submitted and may be considered, but is not required. Southern Oregon University and Reed College are stricter: both are test-blind, stating outright that a submitted SAT or ACT score plays no role in the admission decision.
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: Reed, Willamette, Oregon, Oregon State, Portland State, Oregon Tech, Western Oregon, Southern Oregon, Oregon State University Presidential Scholarship, University of Oregon Presidential Scholarship. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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