Every UW System campus, including the flagship UW-Madison, is test-optional through at least spring 2028 under a UW Board of Regents waiver, and Wisconsin's selective private colleges (Marquette, Lawrence, Beloit, Ripon) are also test-optional, so no college that families in Wisconsin aim for currently requires the SAT or ACT for fall 2027 admission. Published score ranges describe a cohort; they are not admission cutoffs.
The table covers 9 colleges Wisconsin families apply to most, from the most selective to the large public universities. Read each cohort note before comparing numbers.
| School | SAT profile / cohort | ACT | Acceptance rate | Testing, fall 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | 1400-1490 · enrolled, fall 2025 | 29-33 | 40.8% · fall 2025 | Test-optional through spring 2028 |
| Marquette University | 1230-1360 · enrolled, fall 2025 (2025-26 CDS) | 26-30 | 78.0% · fall 2025 (2025-26 CDS) | Test-optional |
| Lawrence University | 1240-1420 · enrolled, fall 2024, CDS 2024-25; 21% submitted an SAT | 24-31 | 64% · fall 2024 | Test-optional |
| Beloit College | 1110-1400 · enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 | 24-30 | 70.4% · fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 | Test-optional |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | 1050-1280 · enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 (only 23 enrollees submitted SAT) | 22-28 | Not reported | Test-optional (scores not required) |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse | Not published | Not published | Not reported | Test-optional |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Not published | 18-25 | 78.2% · fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 | ACT/SAT optional; only considered if submitted |
| Ripon College | Not published | Not published | 83.9% | Test-optional |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater | Not published | 18-24 | 93-96% | Test-optional; UW-Whitewater at Rock County has 100% acceptance for new freshmen |
Cohort notes: UW-Madison: Enrolled middle-50% SAT was 1400-1490 and ACT 29-33 among students who submitted scores; UW-Madison does not superscore. Marquette: Pulled directly from Marquette's own 2025-26 CDS (not the prior-year file): 20,002 applied, 15,606 admitted, SAT 1230-1360 and ACT 26-30. Marquette's acceptance rate has fallen from 87.5% to 78.0% in three cycles as its applicant pool grew. Lawrence: A small Appleton liberal arts college; 73% of early-decision applicants were admitted the same cycle. Beloit: figures are from College Board's BigFuture profile, not Beloit's own Common Data Set; confirm against Beloit's institutional research page before publishing. UW-Eau Claire: SAT/ACT range sourced from College Board's BigFuture profile; UW-Eau Claire's own admitted-student profile should be confirmed before publishing. UW-Milwaukee: SAT/ACT range sourced from College Board's BigFuture profile, not UWM's own Common Data Set; confirm before publishing. Ripon: figures are from College Board's BigFuture profile; confirm against Ripon's own institutional data before publishing. These are not interchangeable measures.
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Find my teen's target scoreUW-Madison reports a 1400 to 1490 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025). It admitted 40.8% (fall 2025). The matching ACT range is 29-33. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional through spring 2028. Enrolled middle-50% SAT was 1400-1490 and ACT 29-33 among students who submitted scores; UW-Madison does not superscore.
Marquette reports a 1230 to 1360 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025 (2025-26 CDS)). It admitted 78.0% of 20,002 applicants (fall 2025 (2025-26 CDS)). The matching ACT range is 26-30. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. Pulled directly from Marquette's own 2025-26 CDS (not the prior-year file): 20,002 applied, 15,606 admitted, SAT 1230-1360 and ACT 26-30. Marquette's acceptance rate has fallen from 87.5% to 78.0% in three cycles as its applicant pool grew.
Lawrence reports a 1240 to 1420 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2024, CDS 2024-25; 21% submitted an SAT). It admitted 64% of 3,270 applicants (fall 2024). The matching ACT range is 24-31. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. A small Appleton liberal arts college; 73% of early-decision applicants were admitted the same cycle.
Beloit reports a 1110 to 1400 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). It admitted 70.4% of 4,674 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 24-30. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. figures are from College Board's BigFuture profile, not Beloit's own Common Data Set; confirm against Beloit's institutional research page before publishing.
UW-Eau Claire reports a 1050 to 1280 middle 50% SAT (enrolled, fall 2025, CDS 2025-26 (only 23 enrollees submitted SAT)). The matching ACT range is 22-28. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional (scores not required). SAT/ACT range sourced from College Board's BigFuture profile; UW-Eau Claire's own admitted-student profile should be confirmed before publishing.
UW-La Crosse does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional.
UW-Milwaukee does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 78.2% of 19,465 applicants (fall 2025, CDS 2025-26). The matching ACT range is 18-25. Testing for fall 2027: ACT/SAT optional; only considered if submitted. SAT/ACT range sourced from College Board's BigFuture profile, not UWM's own Common Data Set; confirm before publishing.
Ripon does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 83.9% (latest cycle). Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional. figures are from College Board's BigFuture profile; confirm against Ripon's own institutional data before publishing.
UW-Whitewater does not publish a composite SAT range for its latest class. It admitted 93-96% (latest cycle). The matching ACT range is 18-24. Testing for fall 2027: Test-optional; UW-Whitewater at Rock County has 100% acceptance for new freshmen.
UW-Madison, Marquette, Lawrence and Beloit 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.
No, not strictly. UW-Madison is test-optional for applicants through at least spring 2028, and applicants who don't submit a score are not disadvantaged in the review. Enrolled students who did submit scores had a middle-50% SAT of 1400 to 1490, so a strong score still helps make the case for a student near that range.
Yes, the state gives every 11th grader the ACT with writing for free as part of Wisconsin's required statewide testing program, run through the Department of Public Instruction. It's an in-person test that districts can give on paper or online.
Wisconsin leans ACT because the state gives every junior a free ACT with writing, so most Wisconsin students have an ACT score by default. The SAT still counts the same as the ACT at every UW System campus and at Marquette, Lawrence, Beloit, and Ripon, since all of them are test-optional and accept either score.
No. Wisconsin's state merit award, the Academic Excellence Scholarship, goes to the top-GPA senior at each high school and does not use an SAT or ACT cutoff at all. Score-linked aid in Wisconsin comes from individual colleges' own scholarship competitions, not a statewide test-score program.
Admitted Marquette applicants in the 2025-26 cycle had a middle-50% SAT of 1230 to 1360. Marquette is test-optional, so a score in or above that range strengthens an application but isn't required to apply.
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: UW-Madison, Marquette, Lawrence, Beloit, UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse, UW-Milwaukee, Ripon, UW-Whitewater. Reviewed October 9, 2026. Cohorts and entry terms differ; confirm current requirements with each admissions office.
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