Which States Give the SAT or ACT Free in School? (2026-27)

By Jeremy M. Fine, Founder of ConnectPrep · Updated October 2026

Last verified October 16, 2026 against state education agency websites, state statutes, and College Board state policy pages (linked in every row and in Sources and method). Next review January 2027.

Count summary: SAT, ACT, choice and none

Counts cover the 50 states plus the District of Columbia (51 rows) for the 2026-27 school year. A state is counted under the SAT or ACT when the state gives that test to all public school juniors during the school day.

The SAT count is 10 states plus DC. Georgia is counted under none because it funds only the PSAT in grade 10. Minnesota funds a test only for students eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

State by state table: school-day SAT and ACT, 2026-27

Each row links to the official source we checked. “State administered” means the state agency runs the test for all juniors; we only say “state funded” where a state or College Board source says the state pays. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.

PSAT, PreACT and ACT Aspire entries in the Grade column show the earlier tests a state also gives, where the source lists them.

Recent changes, 2024 to 2027

• Illinois, 2024-25: ISBE moved grade 11 testing from the SAT to the ACT, with PreACT 9 Secure and PreACT Secure in grades 9 and 10. Spring 2027 ACT test events run March 23 to April 30, 2027. ISBE
• Massachusetts, November 2024: Voters passed Question 2, which ended MCAS as a diploma requirement. DESE says students must still take MCAS because state and federal law require participation. DESE
• Ohio, spring 2025: Parents and guardians can now opt a student out of the state-funded ACT or SAT, starting with the Class of 2026. Ohio DEW
• Kentucky, 2025 to 2026: KDE chose College Board in 2025, and juniors took the SAT from March 2 to April 10, 2026, replacing the ACT. Senate Bill 197 (passed April 15, 2026) then required a new competitive procurement, so the 2026-27 school year began without a decision on the spring 2027 exam. KDE
• Louisiana, October 2025: BESE cut high school state tests from six to four, starting with students who enter grade 9 in 2026-27. The grade 11 ACT stays on the 2026-27 calendar. LDOE
• South Dakota, spring 2026: The ACT replaced the grade 11 state assessment, taken during the school day at state cost. SD DOE
• Virginia, 2026: HB 410 (2026 Acts chapter 388) requires every school board to take part in SAT School Day and offer each student the SAT at least once in grade 11 or 12. Students cannot be required to take it, and the statute does not say the state pays. Code of Virginia
• Michigan, 2026-27: No switch. The SAT remains part of the Michigan Merit Examination for grade 11. MDE
• Texas, 2027-28: House Bill 8 repeals and replaces STAAR starting in 2027-28 and drops the English II end-of-course exam as a graduation requirement then. It does not add a state SAT or ACT. TEA

Definitions

School-day test (SAT School Day, state ACT): An official SAT or ACT given at the student's own high school on a weekday, usually in spring of grade 11, as part of a state or district contract.

State funded: A state source or the College Board's state policy page says the state pays for the test. State administered: The state runs the test for all juniors but the source we found does not describe the funding.

District or student choice: The state pays for a test (in whole or in part) but districts or families decide whether it is the SAT, ACT or another option such as the CLT or, in Texas, the TSIA.

Accountability test: The test a state uses to meet federal requirements for measuring high schools. It is different from a graduation requirement, which applies to each student.

PSAT and PreACT: Shorter practice and readiness tests, given in grades 8 to 11. They do not produce scores colleges use for admission. The PSAT/NMSQT in grade 11 is the National Merit qualifying test.

School-day vs. weekend tests: what changes

The school-day SAT or ACT is an official sitting. ACT describes school-day testing as removing barriers that keep students from having college-reportable scores. ACT research brief Here is what families should check.

Score sends

Kentucky's 2026 SAT School Day instructions told students to choose four free score sends during the Student Readiness Check. College Board Kentucky newsletter Ask your school when the free-send window closes, since sends added later may cost money.

Superscoring

Superscoring is set by each college, not by the state or the testing company. Before counting on a school-day section score in a superscore, check each college's current testing policy.

Accommodations

State programs handle two kinds of requests: College Board-approved accommodations and state-allowed accommodations. College Board Ask the school testing coordinator which kind your child will get and whether the score will be college reportable. Apply early, because state deadlines come months before test day.

Sections and timing

Some states add sections. Illinois gives the ACT with Science and Writing, and Alabama, Arizona, Montana and Wisconsin list the ACT with Writing. State windows are fixed by the state, for example Colorado (April 12 to 23, 2027) and Illinois (March 23 to April 30, 2027), so the date may not match your child's ideal prep timeline. Weekend dates stay open as a second or third attempt; see our SAT and ACT test dates.

ConnectPrep analysis: what this means for choosing the SAT or ACT

Frequently asked questions

Which states give the SAT free in school in 2026-27?

Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island and West Virginia give the SAT to public school juniors during the school day, and Washington, DC offers it free to juniors and seniors. Florida, Ohio and South Carolina also offer the SAT as one of several choices. Virginia now requires every high school to offer a school-day SAT, but students can decline it.

Which states require the ACT for juniors?

In 2026-27 the ACT is the statewide grade 11 test in 18 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin and Wyoming. In Hawaii schools opt in, and in Nevada the score does not affect graduation, but participation does. Tennessee requires every student to take the ACT or SAT to earn a regular diploma.

Did Michigan switch from the SAT to the ACT?

No. The Michigan Department of Education still lists the SAT as a core part of the Michigan Merit Examination for grade 11, along with work skills tests and M-STEP science and social studies. Michigan also funds the PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10 in earlier grades.

Did Illinois switch from the SAT to the ACT?

Yes. Illinois moved to the ACT beginning in the 2024-25 school year. Juniors now take the ACT with Science and Writing, and students in grades 9 and 10 take the PreACT. Spring 2027 test events run from March 23 to April 30, 2027.

What test will Kentucky juniors take in spring 2027?

As of October 16, 2026, Kentucky has not announced it. State law still requires a college admissions exam in grade 11, and juniors took the SAT in spring 2026. Senate Bill 197, passed in April 2026, required a new competitive procurement, and KDE lists the spring 2027 test window as coming soon.

Does Virginia pay for the SAT now?

Virginia law now requires every school board to participate in SAT School Day and offer each student the SAT at least once in grade 11 or 12. Students cannot be required to take it. The statute does not say the state pays, so families should ask their division how the cost is covered.

Do school-day SAT and ACT scores count for college admissions?

Yes, a school-day SAT or ACT is an official score that students can send to colleges. Kentucky students taking the 2026 SAT School Day chose four free score sends before test day. Students who test with state-allowed accommodations should ask the school whether their score will be college reportable.

Is the state SAT or ACT a graduation requirement?

Usually not. Tennessee requires students to take the ACT or SAT, and Nevada requires participation in the ACT but not a particular score. In New Jersey, SAT or ACT scores can substitute for the state graduation assessment, and in Washington they are one of several graduation pathways.

Does Texas give the SAT or ACT free in school?

Texas does not give a statewide school-day SAT or ACT. TEA reimburses districts for one SAT, ACT or TSIA per student, taken in the spring of junior year or during senior year. House Bill 8 replaces STAAR starting in 2027-28 but does not add a state SAT or ACT.

Should my child take the test my state gives?

Your child should sit for the free school-day test, but it should not decide your main test. Colleges accept both the SAT and the ACT, so a diagnostic on both is the better guide. Many students prepare for one test and treat the other as a low-stakes extra sitting.

Related resources

• SAT vs. ACT comparison: format, timing and scoring side by side
• SAT and ACT test dates: weekend dates for retakes
• Service areas: our 20-state comparison table with National Merit cutoffs and state averages
• SAT tutoring and ACT tutoring
• Free SAT and ACT assessments

Sources and method

We built this table between September and October 16, 2026. For each state and DC we opened the state education agency's current assessment page, testing calendar, statute or news release, and checked it against the College Board's state policy and funding page. Where a 2026-27 document was posted we used it. Where a state had not yet posted 2026-27 details, we used its most recent official page and say so below. We do not estimate. If a source does not state who pays, we say “state administered” instead of “state funded.”

Gaps to note: Mississippi's 2026-27 calendar on mdek12.org would not open for us, so that row relies on MDE's November 2025 release. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Idaho, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Nevada and North Carolina had not posted 2026-27 specifics on the pages we checked, so those rows reflect the most recent official guidance.

• College Board, State Policy and Funding (all 50 states and DC)
• Illinois State Board of Education, 2026-27 assessment dates
• Michigan Department of Education, MME
• Kentucky Department of Education, College Admissions Exam
• Code of Virginia 22.1-79.10 (HB 410)
• Massachusetts DESE, competency determination update
• Minnesota Statutes 120B.30
• North Carolina DPI, ACT reports
• Connecticut SDE, SAT School Day
• Texas Education Agency, HB 8 overview
• Florida DOE, 2026-27 statewide assessment schedule
• South Carolina DOE, college entrance exams
• South Dakota DOE, ACT replaces grade 11 assessment
• College Board, Kentucky SAT Suite newsletter, March 2026
• ACT, School Day ACT Administration research brief (2023)
• Every other state source is linked in its table row.

Date checked: October 16, 2026. Found an error or a change in your state? Tell us through our contact page and we will review it.