The "do colleges accept the digital SAT" question is essentially settled — they all do. The harder 2026 question is which colleges have returned to test-required after the 2020-era test-optional wave. This guide tracks that. For the test format see the digital SAT complete guide.
Test-required (2026)
MIT, Dartmouth, Brown, Yale, Caltech, Georgetown, Purdue, University of Florida, University of Tennessee, University of Texas at Austin (some programs), University of Georgia, and several others have explicitly returned to test-required for fall 2025+.
Test-optional (2026)
Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Columbia, UPenn, Cornell, NYU, Northwestern, UChicago, and most UC and CSU campuses remain test-optional for 2026 applicants.
Should you submit your SAT score if optional?
Submit if your score is at or above the school's published 25th percentile for admitted students. Below that, the score is more likely to hurt than help.
Frequently asked questions
Is the digital SAT accepted by all US colleges?
Yes. All colleges that accept the SAT now accept the digital format.
Are international colleges accepting the digital SAT?
Yes — UK, Canadian, and most European universities that have used the SAT continue to accept the digital version.
Where can I find each college's testing policy?
Check each school's admissions page directly. FairTest also maintains a regularly updated list of test-optional schools.