Rutgers SAT Scores and Test Policy for Fall 2027

Rutgers does not require the SAT or ACT at New Brunswick, but about half of the first-years who enrolled in fall 2025 still sent an SAT score. Here is the policy campus by campus, the latest score ranges, and what to do before the December 1 Regular Decision deadline.

Rutgers University-New Brunswick is test optional for fall 2027 applicants, and among first-year students who enrolled in fall 2025 and submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 660 to 730 on SAT Reading and Writing, 660 to 760 on SAT Math and 29 to 34 on the ACT composite, according to the Rutgers-New Brunswick 2025-26 Common Data Set. The university says it "maintains test-optional and test-blind policies through 2027" on its first-year applicant page. In that enrolled class, 49% submitted an SAT score and 5% submitted an ACT score.

Rutgers sets its testing rule campus by campus, so this guide starts there. Then it covers the New Brunswick score ranges for enrolled and admitted students (two different groups, kept apart), Rutgers' own advice on when to send a score, and the fall 2027 deadlines.

Rutgers' Testing Policy for Fall 2027, Campus by Campus

The policy is set per campus. Rutgers' first-year page states it in one sentence each: New Brunswick "is test optional," Camden is test optional too, and Newark "is test blind."

For New Brunswick, the page adds that if you are unable to send a score or choose not to, "you will still receive full admission consideration." Its FAQ goes further: students who do not submit "will not be disadvantaged" in the review.

The 2025-26 Common Data Set, which Rutgers filed for the New Brunswick campus, describes the fall 2027 policy with slightly different words. In section C8 it checks "Recommended" for the SAT or ACT, and its note reads: "SAT/ACT scores are recommended by December of Senior year but are not required." Read the two together: a score is welcome and counts if you send it, and it is not a requirement.

If you are building a list that mixes test-optional, test-required and test-blind schools, our list of what schools require the SAT in 2026-27 shows each listed school's policy for this cycle.

Rutgers-New Brunswick SAT and ACT Scores

These figures come from section C9 of the Rutgers-New Brunswick 2025-26 Common Data Set. They describe enrolled first-year students who entered in fall 2025 and submitted scores, not admitted students and not all applicants.

Three details matter when you read this table:

• There is no SAT total range. Rutgers left the SAT composite row blank in this Common Data Set and reported the two sections only. Percentiles do not add, so do not sum the section numbers into a total. The admitted-student profile in the next section does give total ranges.
• The SAT is the common choice. 49% of the enrolled class (4,038 students) submitted an SAT score and 5% (384 students) submitted an ACT score.
• Submitters cluster high. Of SAT submitters, 49.85% scored 700 to 800 on Reading and Writing and 61.79% scored 700 to 800 on Math. Of ACT submitters, 73.70% had a composite of 30 to 36.

The same Common Data Set shows the size of the fall 2025 class at New Brunswick in section C1:

That rate covers the whole campus. Each school inside New Brunswick admits its own class, and their admitted score ranges differ, which is why the next table matters more.

Admitted Student Score Ranges by School at New Brunswick

You apply to a specific school or college at Rutgers-New Brunswick, and each one admits its own class. Rutgers publishes an admissions profile on its How We Make Decisions page with the approximate middle 50% ranges of students "regularly admitted to Rutgers for fall 2026." This is a different group from the table above: admitted students, one year later, by school.

Rutgers adds that it "conducts a holistic review" that weighs many factors beyond test scores and GPA, and that 25% of admitted students scored above these ranges and 25% below. The same profile lists high school GPA ranges, from 3.6-4.1 at Mason Gross School of the Arts to 4.0-4.3 at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy.

Admitted ranges tend to run a little higher than enrolled ranges, since some admitted high scorers enroll elsewhere. Use the table for your own school when you decide whether to send a score.

Should You Submit Your Scores to Rutgers?

Rutgers answers this itself in the FAQ on its first-year page. If your scores fall "within or above the 50th percentile" for the school you are applying to, as shown in the admissions profile, Rutgers says it "highly encourage[s]" you to submit them. The profile prints middle 50% ranges rather than a single median, and Rutgers does not define the phrase further, so the middle of your school's range is the closest stand-in. For the School of Arts and Sciences, the middle of the admitted SAT range is about 1450; for Engineering and Pharmacy it is higher. Our rule of thumb, which is our estimate and not a Rutgers rule:

• At or above the midpoint of your school's admitted range: send it. That is the clearest case of what Rutgers describes.
• Inside the range but below the midpoint: Rutgers' wording may cover you too. Send it if your Math or your Reading and Writing section is a clear strength, or if grades are not already your strongest evidence.
• Below the range: usually apply without scores. Rutgers says you will not be disadvantaged.

Before you send anything, know the Rutgers-New Brunswick rules, because they are stricter than at many test-optional schools:

• Official scores only. All SAT and ACT scores must come directly from the testing agency, and "Unofficial test scores cannot be accepted." Use SAT code 2765 or ACT code 2592. Our guide on how to send SAT scores to colleges walks through the College Board steps and free score reports.
• Anything you send is considered. New Brunswick and Camden review every score that reaches them, and once shared a score becomes "a permanent part of your application." If you do not want a score considered, do not have it sent.
• You can change your mind once. Contact Rutgers within one week of submitting the application to switch your testing choice, in either direction.
• Rutgers superscores both tests. New Brunswick and Camden use your highest section scores across test dates for the SAT and for the ACT, but never combine the two tests. Our ACT superscore guide shows how a superscore is built.
• The new ACT composite counts. Rutgers notes that the composite now includes English, math and reading only, and that Science is optional.
• A late score can only help. After you are admitted, a new score will not affect the decision, but it may be considered for honors or merit-based scholarships if it helps you earn one.
• Scores also skip a placement test. Enrolling students with an SAT Reading and Writing score of 650 or higher, or an ACT Reading score of 28 or higher, are exempt from the English placement exam, but only if the scores were sent to Rutgers.

Rutgers-New Brunswick Deadlines for Fall 2027

These dates are from the New Brunswick dates and deadlines page for fall/September 2027 entry.

December 1 is the date that matters now. You must apply by December 1 "to be considered for honors and merit-based scholarships." Applications after that date are considered on a rolling, space-available basis and get a decision only after Early Action and Regular Decision applicants have been notified. Mason Gross School of the Arts runs on its own clock because of portfolio reviews and auditions, with first-year decisions by April 1.

Early Action at Rutgers does not stop you from applying elsewhere and its decisions are not binding. Early Action applicants hear one of four outcomes by January 31: admitted, not admitted, wait list, or deferred to Regular Decision. Deferred students get a final answer by the end of February, and Rutgers encourages them to add senior-year grades to their STARS record by the first week of February. For how this compares with binding plans elsewhere, see our early action vs early decision guide.

Which SAT Dates Still Fit

Per College Board's score release calendar, if you took the November 7 SAT, your scores come out on November 20, before the December 1 deadline. The December 5 SAT, the last one of 2026, releases scores on December 18, after it. The Common Data Set's note that scores are "recommended by December of Senior year" points to fall testing. If you are not sure a December score will arrive in time to matter for your file, plan around the scores you already have. A score that arrives after admission can still be considered for honors or merit awards, as described above.

Applying to other test-optional schools in the Northeast too? See our Northeastern SAT and ACT guide, where submitters score higher than at Rutgers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Rutgers SAT and ACT Scores

Is Rutgers test optional for 2027?

Yes at New Brunswick and Camden, where SAT and ACT scores are optional for fall 2027 applicants. Rutgers-Newark is test blind for most programs. The exceptions are the Camden BS/DO and Newark 7-year BA/MD programs, which require a score.

What SAT score do you need for Rutgers?

No minimum is published. Among enrolled fall 2025 New Brunswick first-years who submitted, the middle 50% scored 660 to 730 on Reading and Writing and 660 to 760 on Math. The middle 50% of students admitted to the School of Arts and Sciences for fall 2026 scored about 1380 to 1520 in total.

What ACT score do you need for Rutgers?

The middle 50% ACT composite for enrolled fall 2025 New Brunswick first-years who submitted was 29 to 34, with a median of 32.

Does Rutgers superscore the SAT and ACT?

Yes at New Brunswick and Camden, for both tests, using your highest section scores across test dates. Rutgers does not combine SAT and ACT scores.

Can I self-report SAT scores to Rutgers?

No. Rutgers says all SAT and ACT scores must be sent directly from the testing agency and that unofficial scores cannot be accepted.

When is the Rutgers Regular Decision deadline?

December 1, 2026 for fall 2027 first-year applicants at New Brunswick, with decisions by February 28, 2027. It is also the deadline for honors and merit-based scholarship consideration.

If your score sits just under your Rutgers school's midpoint, short daily practice on your weaker section is the fastest way to close the gap. Larry Learns has 30,000+ SAT and ACT practice questions on web, iPhone and Android, a score estimate that tracks your progress, and 3 free quizzes a day. Try a free practice quiz, or create a free account to keep a streak going until test day.