The University of California Under Pressure — Why the SAT/ACT May Be Coming Back, and How You Can Be Ready
Key points:
UC’s Current Policy: The University of California (UC) has a test-free admissions policy, meaning SAT/ACT scores are not considered at all through Spring 2025.
Origins of the Policy: UC dropped standardized tests in 2020 following concerns about bias, inequity, and their limited value in predicting college success. A lawsuit settlement in 2021 cemented this policy.
Renewed Debate: UC’s Board of Admissions (BOARS) began reevaluating the test-free policy in late 2024 due to concerns over grade inflation and academic preparedness, especially in math.
Legal Pressure: A February 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter from the U.S. Department of Education argues that removing tests to promote diversity violates federal law under Title VI and recent Supreme Court precedent.
Federal Investigations: The Department of Justice launched investigations into admissions policies at UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Irvine for potential violations of anti-discrimination laws.
Possible Reinstatement: Due to internal deliberations and external legal pressure, there is a real possibility UC will reinstate the SAT/ACT in future admissions cycles.
The University of California (UC) currently follows a test-free admissions policy—SAT and ACT scores are not considered at all in undergraduate admissions decisions.
However, the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration recently issued a so-called “Dear Colleague” letter to colleges and universities where it stated that race-based admissions policies are unlawful under the Equal Protection Clause. Even facially neutral policies (like dropping the SAT) violate the law if motivated by racial considerations.
What does this mean for the future of test-free college admission at the UC?
Background on How the UC’s Became Test-Free
At a meeting of the UC Board of Regents Meeting in May 2020, the Regents voted to phase out the SAT/ACT as admissions requirements. Public testimony overwhelmingly opposed standardized testing, citing bias, inequity, and correlation with race and income. Furthermore, critics argued that SATs disadvantaged low-income, Black, and Latino students and did not effectively predict success. President Napolitano and student leaders supported removing the tests to promote equity, inclusion, and access.
Subsequently, in May 2021, the UC reached a settlement in a 2019 lawsuit entitled Kawika Smith v. Regents of the University of California, where the University agreed to not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admission process through Spring 2025:
“For students applying for entry between Fall 2021 and Spring 2025, no University of California (“UC”) campus will consider SAT or ACT scores in determining whether to offer admission. SAT and ACT scores, if submitted by students, will not be provided to admissions readers.”
Are the UC’s Considering Bringing Back the SAT/ACT?
As stated in its bylaws, UC Board of Admissions and Relations with Schools (BOARS) advises the UC President and the Academic Senate on matters relating to admissions of undergraduate students and recommends the admissions criteria for undergraduate status.
At its meetings in December 2024 and January 2025, BOARS began reevaluating standardized testing amid concerns over grade inflation and academic readiness, especially in math. Some faculty favored exploring reinstatement of the SAT/ACT to better assess student preparation. Just as significantly, UC Berkeley stated that it formed a task force to analyze the issue.
The “Dear Colleague” Letter from the U.S. Department of Education
Then, in a letter to colleges and universities dated February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights stated that race-based admissions and the use of proxies for race are unlawful under Title VI. Citing the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard Coll., 600 U.S. 181 (2023), the letter asserts that diversity and equity are not compelling government interests justifying the use of race and using proxies for race, such as removing standardized testing to increase racial diversity, is prohibited.
“Relying on non-racial information as a proxy for race, and making decisions based on that information, violates the law. That is true whether the proxies are used to grant preferences on an individual basis or a systematic one. It would, for instance, be unlawful for an educational institution to eliminate standardized testing to achieve a desired racial balance or to increase racial diversity.”
The critical legal test under the “Dear Colleague” letter is intent. If any documents or communications show that diversity was a primary motive, even a facially neutral policy like test-blind admissions could be legally challenged.
The University of California’s test-blind policy, while facially neutral, was openly justified as a tool to promote racial equity, especially in 2020. Arguably, this position directly conflicts with the Trump administration’s February 2025 “Dear Colleague” letter, which prohibits removing tests to improve diversity, bans racial balancing through proxies, and warns institutions will face loss of federal funding for non-compliance.
To underscore this point, on March 27, 2025, the United States Department of Justice announced “compliance review investigations into admissions policies” at Stanford University and three University of California campuses: Berkeley, Los Angeles, and Irvine. Citing Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellow of Harvard College, the Department of Justice stated that “colleges and universities are prohibited from using DEI discrimination in selecting students for admission, and the Department of Justice is demanding compliance.”
Conclusion
Based on recent legal decisions, deliberations within key governing bodies at the University, and investigations instituted by the Trump Administration, there is a real possibility that the UC Regents will respond to pressure both internally and externally by bringing back standardized tests as a requirement in the college admission process.
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