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

Every school on this list is test optional for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry) except the University of Pennsylvania, which reinstated the SAT/ACT requirement starting with the Class of 2030 (fall 2026 entry); Bucknell's test-optional pilot runs through the 2027-28 cycle but still requires a score before a student enrolls. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.

The table covers 9 colleges Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania families can earn: Lehigh University National Merit Scholarship and Pitt Rees-Chancellor's Scholars Program.

Pennsylvania college score profiles and cohort notes

Cohort notes: Carnegie Mellon: CMU admitted 3,959 of 33,941 applicants for fall 2024; 52.6% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score and scored 1510-1560 (25th-75th percentile). Swarthmore: Swarthmore admitted 975 of 13,065 applicants for fall 2024; only 39% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score, and those scored 1500-1550. Penn: Penn's first class admitted after reinstating required testing; applications fell from over 72,000 to 61,264 the same cycle. Villanova: Villanova admitted 6,274 of 23,256 first-time first-year applicants for fall 2024. Lehigh: Lehigh admitted 5,289 of 20,396 applicants for fall 2024; only a third of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. Pitt: Pitt's official 2024-2025 Common Data Set left its SAT/ACT percentile fields blank; figures here are Dietrich (Arts & Sciences), Pitt's largest school, from its own admitted-class profile page, a different cohort/year than the CDS acceptance rate. Bucknell: Bucknell admitted 3,291 of 11,377 applicants for fall 2024; 68% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. Penn State: Penn State admitted 46,605 of 85,957 University Park applicants for fall 2023; only 33% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. Temple: Temple admitted 32,838 of 40,817 applicants for fall 2024; only 17.7% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score. These are not interchangeable measures.

School by school

Carnegie Mellon University: 1510 to 1560

Carnegie Mellon reports a 1510 to 1560 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 11.7% of 33,941 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 34-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (considered if submitted) for Fall 2024; not using an essay component. CMU admitted 3,959 of 33,941 applicants for fall 2024; 52.6% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score and scored 1510-1560 (25th-75th percentile).

Swarthmore College: 1500 to 1550

Swarthmore reports a 1500 to 1550 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 7.5% of 13,065 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 33-35. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional for the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry); not penalized for not submitting. Swarthmore admitted 975 of 13,065 applicants for fall 2024; only 39% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score, and those scored 1500-1550.

University of Pennsylvania: 1440 to 1550

Penn reports a 1440 to 1550 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, Class of 2030 (fall 2026 entry)). The matching ACT range is 33-35. Testing for fall 2027: Required for the Class of 2030 (fall 2026 entry) and after; Penn reinstated SAT/ACT after several test-optional cycles. Penn's first class admitted after reinstating required testing; applications fell from over 72,000 to 61,264 the same cycle.

Villanova University: 1410 to 1490

Villanova reports a 1410 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 27.0% of 23,256 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 32-34. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Villanova admitted 6,274 of 23,256 first-time first-year applicants for fall 2024.

Lehigh University: 1380 to 1490

Lehigh reports a 1380 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 25.9% of 20,396 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 31-34. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional, indefinitely. Lehigh admitted 5,289 of 20,396 applicants for fall 2024; only a third of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

University of Pittsburgh (Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences): 1280 to 1440

Pitt reports a 1280 to 1440 middle 50% SAT (admitted middle 50%, fall 2025 (Dietrich School class profile)). It admitted 58.1% of 60,898 applicants (fall 2024, university-wide). Testing for fall 2027: Test optional (not required, considered if submitted). Pitt's official 2024-2025 Common Data Set left its SAT/ACT percentile fields blank; figures here are Dietrich (Arts & Sciences), Pitt's largest school, from its own admitted-class profile page, a different cohort/year than the CDS acceptance rate.

Bucknell University: 1170 to 1380

Bucknell reports a 1170 to 1380 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 28.9% of 11,377 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 26-32. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional pilot through the 2027-28 cycle; enrolled students must still submit a score before starting. Bucknell admitted 3,291 of 11,377 applicants for fall 2024; 68% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

Pennsylvania State University, University Park: 1280 to 1410

Penn State reports a 1280 to 1410 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 (University Park)). It admitted 55.3% of 106,547 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 (University Park)). The matching ACT range is 27-29. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Penn State admitted 46,605 of 85,957 University Park applicants for fall 2023; only 33% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

Temple University: 1130 to 1358

Temple reports a 1130 to 1358 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024 (CDS 2024-25)). It admitted 80.4% of 40,817 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 24-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test optional. Temple admitted 32,838 of 40,817 applicants for fall 2024; only 17.7% of enrolled students submitted an SAT score.

Where the SAT helps with Pennsylvania scholarships

Lehigh University National Merit Scholarship: Tied to National Merit Finalist status (determined by the PSAT/NMSQT), not a Lehigh-set SAT cutoff. $1,000 or $2,000 per year to National Merit Finalists who name Lehigh their first-choice school; no separate application.

Pitt Rees-Chancellor's Scholars Program: SAT/ACT considered if submitted, alongside weighted GPA, curriculum rigor, class rank, and essay; no published score cutoff. Full tuition plus average room and board for up to 64 students per cohort through the Frederick Honors College, funded by a $30 million gift; first cohort enrolls fall 2027.

Neither award uses a raw SAT score cutoff: Lehigh's follows PSAT-based National Merit Finalist status, and Pitt's new program is a holistic, competitive review.

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

Carnegie Mellon, Swarthmore, Villanova and Lehigh 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. Penn 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.

Quick answers

What SAT score do you need for a scholarship in Pennsylvania?

No Pennsylvania state scholarship is tied to an SAT score. PHEAA's Pennsylvania State Grant, the state's main aid program, is based on financial need with no test-score component. Score-tied money in Pennsylvania instead comes from individual colleges, and most of it follows National Merit Finalist status (set by the PSAT, not the SAT) rather than a university's own SAT cutoff, since nearly every selective school in the state is test optional.

Does Penn State require the SAT?

No. Penn State University Park is test optional, including for the 2026-27 admissions cycle. In its most recently published Common Data Set (fall 2023 enrolled class), only 33% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT score at all, and those scored between 1230 and 1310 (25th-75th percentile).

Does Pennsylvania give the SAT for free at school?

No. Pennsylvania's statewide required assessments are the Keystone Exams, not the SAT, and the state does not fund a statewide free SAT School Day. A Pennsylvania student can use an SAT score of 1010 or higher (or an ACT of 21+, or PSAT of 970+) as an alternate path to meet the Keystone graduation requirement, but still has to register for and take that test on a regular administration.

What SAT score do you need to get into Carnegie Mellon or Penn?

Carnegie Mellon's enrolled fall 2024 class scored between 1510 and 1560 on the SAT (25th-75th percentile) and 34-35 on the ACT; CMU is test optional. Penn's Class of 2030 (fall 2026 entry) scored between 1440 and 1550 on the SAT and 33-35 on the ACT; unlike CMU, Penn now requires SAT/ACT scores after several test-optional years.

Can a Pennsylvania student use the SAT instead of the Keystone Exams to graduate?

Yes, as one option. Under the state's Act 158 alternative-assessment pathway, a Pennsylvania student who has not reached proficiency on all three Keystone Exams (Algebra I, Literature, Biology) can instead qualify for graduation with an SAT total score of 1010 or higher, an ACT composite of 21 or higher, or a PSAT/NMSQT total of 970 or higher (10th or 11th grade only).

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 Pennsylvania families

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

Sources

University and state sources: Carnegie Mellon, Swarthmore, Penn, Villanova, Lehigh, Pitt, Bucknell, Penn State, Temple, Lehigh University National Merit Scholarship, Pitt Rees-Chancellor's Scholars Program. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.