These Georgia public universities will start requiring ACT, SAT tests in Fall 2026

ATLANTA — The Georgia Board of Regents has approved changes for which universities will require standardized tests for admissions.

ACT or SAT tests will now be required at Augusta University, Georgia State, Kennesaw State and Georgia Southern. The changes go into effect for freshman who apply for Fall 2026 acceptance.

The University System of Georgia suspended testing requirements during the pandemic, instead relying on the students’ high school grades.

Chancellor Sonny Perdue, who was appointed in 2022, has said that he believes test scores are a better predictor of how successful a student would be in college.

“The standardized testing will be a great instrument for us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of every student coming in,” Perdue told regents Tuesday at a meeting in Atlanta.

Before Tuesday’s vote, the testing requirements had already resumed for the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia College and State University.

Other USG colleges and universities can now require test scores in 2026, but Tuesday’s vote does not include them under the updated policy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.