USD to Continue “Test Free” Admissions Policy for the 2023 Admission Cycle

After enrolling one of the most academically qualified and most diverse first year classes in its history, the University of San Diego (USD) will continue its “test free” admissions policy for the 2023 admissions cycle.  Under this policy, admissions staff do not consider SAT or ACT test scores during the admissions selection process.

USD reviewed data related to student success for the first entering class to be admitted without test scores and found no evidence that the first year students performed any differently than previous classes. “These students experienced extraordinary disruptions during their high school career,” said Steve Pultz, Assistant Vice President for Enrollment. “However, after reviewing the available student success data, there was no reason to think that having had a test score would have made any difference in the admissions decisions we made.” 

Pultz also stated that the test free policy has helped advance USD’s goal of becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI).  Applications from Hispanic students, as well as from Black and other students of color have increased by 12% in the two years since the policy was implemented.

In May 2020, the University made the permanent decision to adopt a “test-optional” approach to its admissions process, allowing students the choice of submitting either an SAT or ACT score.  However, as the pandemic affected the availability of testing sites around the world, it became clear that it was increasingly difficult for many students to take one of the tests safely.  As a result, USD went a step further and decided not to consider test scores at all.

USD’s holistic applicant review process looks at an applicant’s grades in a college-prep curriculum, extra-curricular activities, an essay, amongst other elements, allowing the admissions staff to make decisions without test scores.

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.