500 UC Professors Urge SAT/ACT Math Reinstatement After 1 in 8 Freshmen Fell Below Middle School Level
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 28
500 UC Professors Urge SAT/ACT Math Reinstatement After 1 in 8 Freshmen Fell Below Middle School Level
7 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 28
More than 500 University of California faculty signed a letter urging regents to restore SAT/ACT math requirements for the 2027 admissions cycle, saying instructors are re-teaching middle school material to incoming students.
A 2025 UC San Diego admissions report found roughly 1 in 8 entering students from 2020 to 2025 fell below middle school math levels, reinforcing faculty claims of severe preparation gaps in STEM-track courses.
The professors warned the widening split between underprepared and well-prepared students is weakening course rigor, lengthening prerequisite pathways and threatening graduation rates, time to degree and STEM completion.
UC stopped considering SAT and ACT scores after a 2019 lawsuit over bias against low-income students of color and students with disabilities; Academic Senate chair Ahmet Palazoglu said the admissions board was asked in March to review college-readiness concerns.
UC dropped the SAT for equity, but did this create an unforeseen crisis in student math preparedness?
Is the SAT a necessary tool for college readiness or a flawed metric masking K-12 education inequality?