California Dropped Math Readiness Standards. Students Are Paying For It.
The University of California eliminated SAT/ACT scores from admissions in the name of equity. The result: a surge in students admitted to STEM programs they aren't prepared to complete. School boards across California can go on record and ask UC to fix it.
The Problem, in the University's Own Data
Since UC went fully test-blind for the 2023–24 admissions cycle, the preparation gap hasn't closed. It moved into the classroom.
Increase in incoming UC San Diego freshmen requiring math remediation since 2020 — from about 0.5% of the class to nearly 12% by Fall 2025.
Source: UCSD Senate–Administration Workgroup Report, Nov. 2025
Of students placed into UCSD's most remedial math course had earned a perfect 4.0 high school math GPA — grades alone didn't predict readiness.
Source: UCSD Senate–Administration Workgroup Report, Nov. 2025
UC faculty — including 7 of 9 UC Mathematics Department Chairs — have signed open letters calling for reinstatement of math score requirements.
Source: 2026 UC Faculty STEM & cross-disciplinary letters
UC instructors now report reteaching middle-school math concepts alongside college-level coursework. MIT reinstated its own standardized test requirement in 2022 after research confirmed math scores meaningfully improve the assessment of college readiness — and College Board research shows SAT math scores improve prediction of first-year STEM GPA by 38% beyond high school GPA alone.
Real Equity Means Matching Students to Programs They Can Complete
The test-blind policy was adopted to improve equity. The outcome data shows it hasn't. Admitting a student into a STEM program without a verified math foundation isn't a favor — it's a setup for course failure, accumulated debt, and departure without a degree. Every seat filled by a student who isn't prepared is a seat unavailable to a student who is.
UC's own Regents Policy 2102 states that admissions standards must "ensure that all eligible students are adequately prepared for University-level work." The current test-blind policy for STEM admissions has demonstrably failed that standard.
What We're Asking For
Reinstate SAT or ACT math score requirements as a component of UC's undergraduate STEM admissions process, beginning with the 2027–28 admissions cycle — the timeline UC faculty have proposed. This is not a call to eliminate test-blind admissions broadly. It's a narrow, evidence-based fix for STEM programs specifically, where the readiness gap is measurable and growing.
Districts That Have Acted
School boards are already putting this on the record.
San Dieguito Union High School District
Passed on August 6, 2026
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Murrieta Valley Unified School District
Passed on August 11, 2026
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Capistrano Unified School District
Passed on August 13, 2026
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Piedmont Unified School District
Passed on September 9, 2026
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State Legislators Are Weighing In
On August 20, 2026, California State Senators Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh and Roger Niello wrote directly to UC President James Milliken, Board of Regents Chair Maria Anguiano, and Academic Senate Chair Ahmet Palazoglu, backing the more than 3,000 UC faculty who have called for reinstating the SAT/ACT requirement for STEM admissions.
Bring the Resolution to Your District
The kit below has everything a board member needs: a model resolution, a one-page data brief, an anticipated-questions FAQ, full source citations, and a sample op-ed — all free, all ready to adapt to your district.
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