Bates
Bates SAT and ACT Requirements
Bates is test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle. The middle 50% of enrolled first-year students scored 1420 to 1530 on the SAT and 31 to 34 on the ACT.
2026-27 policy
Test-Optional
SAT middle 50%
1420–1530
ACT middle 50%
31–34
Acceptance rate
13%
Bates SAT scores by section
| Section | 25th percentile | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | 710 | 750 |
| Math | 710 | 780 |
| Total | 1420 | 1530 |
| ACT Composite | 31 | 34 |
The total is the sum of the section percentiles, the standard way to estimate a middle 50% for the combined score.
Where your score puts you
- Below 1420: lower than three quarters of enrolled students. A retake has the most upside here, and at a test-optional school you can also leave the score off.
- 1420 to 1530: in line with the class. The rest of your application decides it.
- Above 1530: higher than three quarters of enrolled students. Testing is no longer what holds the application back.
Keep these numbers
Frequently asked questions
Does Bates require the SAT or ACT?
Bates is test-optional for the 2026-27 cycle. Test-optional since 1984, one of the longest-running test-optional policies in the country ('national leader in the test-optional movement for over four decades'). English-proficiency test scores are required for applicants whose native/secondary-instruction language is not English. Self-reported scores allowed; official scores required upon enrollment.
What SAT score do you need for Bates?
The published range is not a cutoff. Among enrolled first-year students, a quarter scored below 1420, half scored between 1420 and 1530, and a quarter scored above 1530. A score at or above 1530 puts you ahead of most of the class on testing; a score below 1420 works against you.
What ACT score do you need for Bates?
The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 31 to 34 on the ACT. On the official conversion table that is an SAT 1400 to 1500.
Score ranges: College Scorecard API — U.S. Department of Education (api.data.gov) and Editorial overrides layer (overrides.json) — Common Data Set & institutional sources. They describe students who enrolled, not everyone admitted. Test policy: Bates admissions, verified for 2026-27.
