Colleges that Require the ACT Writing Test

Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.

If you're trying to decide whether you should take the ACT with Writing or just the regular ACT, the list below can help you make your decision. It includes all of the colleges and universities in the 50 United States that require the ACT writing section, listed by state.

Realize, however, that there are hundreds of colleges that recommend the ACT Plus Writing without requiring it. So unless you know for sure that the schools you're applying to don't care about the writing section, it may be wise to spend the extra half an hour and $16.00 to take the ACT Plus Writing.

Note that the number of colleges requiring the ACT with Writing continues to decrease since the SAT dropped the required writing section from its exam in March of 2016. Some schools had required the ACT Writing Test to put the SAT and ACT on equal footing, but now that writing is optional for the SAT, many schools have decided to make it optional for both exams.

Schools Requiring the ACT Writing Test

The schools on the list were identified using ACT's search tool. Colleges change their requirements frequently, so be sure to double-check with the schools for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Click on a school's name here to get more information including acceptance rates and typical ACT and SAT scores for admitted students.