Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes ofwebsite accessibility

UW permanently removes SAT/ACT requirement for incoming students


University of Washington campus in Seattle (KOMO Photo)
University of Washington campus in Seattle (KOMO Photo)
Facebook Share IconTwitter Share IconEmail Share Icon

SEATTLE -- Standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT will no longer be required for incoming students, the university announced Thursday.

The requirement was already removed for the class set to begin in the fall of 2021 due to lack of available testing sites from COVID-19, but now the change is permanent.

UW officials say they've studied years of admissions and found standardized test scores bore little correlation to success at the UW, especially in-state residents.

“Careful analysis and research showed that standardized testing did not add meaningfully to the prediction of student success that our holistic admission process already provides," UW President Ana Mari Cauce said in a statement announcing the policy change.

Admissions officials said their research also indicates that requiring test scores for admissions can "create barriers, both real and perceived, for students from low-income backgrounds, students of color and women at a time when it is critical that access to higher education is expanded to all."

It's part of a growing movement with universities across the nation to no longer rely on those standard tests. The University of California system recently announced it was suspending all standardized test requirements for admissions through 2024 to explore creating its own test and if one can't meet their criteria, they would permanently remove the standardized testing requirements.

Loading ...