In May 2026, ACT surveyed higher education institutions across 46 states about admission testing policies and how colleges and universities are using ACT test scores. The results point to a higher education landscape that is moving beyond a simple “test required” versus ‘test optional” debate.
While test-optional policies remain widespread, institutions are increasingly finding value in test scores after admission. From course placement and scholarships to identifying students who may need additional support, scores are becoming part of a broader, more student-centered approach to using data.
The emerging question for higher education is no longer simply, “Should we require a test score for admission?” It is becoming, “How can we use assessment data to help students succeed once they arrive?”
Test-optional policies continue to prevail in the admissions landscape, with half of survey respondents disclosing that these guidelines are currently the norm at their institutions.
At the same time, the survey suggests the pendulum may be starting to move.
More than half of respondents indicated their institutions may change testing policies in the future, with even more anticipating a shift toward requiring scores than becoming test-blind altogether.
However, that doesn't necessarily signal a wholesale return to pre-test-optional admissions. Instead, it may reflect a growing recognition that test scores can serve purposes beyond deciding who gets admitted.
Increasingly, institutions are becoming test informed, meaning they may not require a score for admission, but they recognize the value of having that information available when making decisions about a student's college experience.
Survey respondents reported using ACT scores for several purposes after admission, including:
Course placement: Helping determine whether students are prepared for particular courses or may benefit from additional academic support.
Scholarships: Incorporating scores into scholarship and merit-aid decisions.
Early indicators of student success: Using score data alongside other information such as ACT College and Career Benchmarks to identify students who may need support and to better understand their likelihood of succeeding in college.
One respondent captured this shift: “Although ACT scores are not required at our institution, I believe that data from the ACT can still be valuable in identifying student readiness and supporting placement decisions.”
This makes the conversation about testing less about whether a score is ‘required’ and more about whether institutions have the tools and expertise to use assessment data responsibly and effectively
This broader use of scores represents an important evolution. Rather than viewing assessment solely as an admissions filter, institutions can use it as one piece of information in a larger, more holistic student-success strategy.
Superscoring is now widespread among institutions, but the survey found meaningful differences in how colleges apply it. Some calculate Superscores internally, while others accept ACT-reported Superscores. Institutions are also navigating how to treat the science section as they transition to the enhanced ACT.
ACT actively partners with institutions to establish clear, consistent approaches to interpreting and using ACT test scores.
Greater consistency creates opportunities for institutions to use assessment data throughout a student’s college experience — from admissions through placement and financial aid to ongoing academic support.
As colleges shift toward using assessment data for post-admission support, the reliability of that data becomes paramount. The launch of the enhanced ACT in April 2025 provides higher education institutions with an updated assessment while maintaining the core rigor schools rely on.
ACT research demonstrates that the enhanced ACT score information is just as valid as legacy scores for placement, scholarship decisions, and student-success strategies, and can confidently be used as a practical resource for student support. This gives admissions and advising teams a consistent measurement they can trust.
The results of the 2026 survey suggest that higher education may be entering a new phase in the testing conversation.
Institutions can remain test optional for admission while still using scores to inform decisions after enrollment. This shifts the conversation from whether scores should be required to how assessment data can help support each student's success.
The next step is action.
For institutions, that means asking:
ACT has a variety of resources around national score and submission trends, comprehensive research on predictive validity, practical placement guidance, and transparent information about the enhanced ACT to help answer those questions
Meeting those needs can help institutions move from simply collecting assessment data to putting it to work.
The future of college testing may be more about creating a world where a broader conversation is had around how institutions use that information to open doors, evaluate college readiness, place students appropriately, provide resources, and help more students succeed.
The question is no longer simply whether students should test. The question is what higher education can do with the information when they do.