Texas Public Universities Authorized to Use Classic Learning Test (CLT) in Admissions

Texas public universities may now consider scores from the Classic Learning Test (CLT) for admissions, a major policy shift that introduces a third standardized testing option alongside the SAT and ACT for the state's large public system. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board confirmed the change in late July, as reported by Higher Ed Dive and The Texas Tribune.

The new policy, effective immediately, primarily applies to students who do not qualify for automatic admission under the state's Top 10% Rule. For Texas residents, graduating in the top 10% of their high school class guarantees admission to a public university in the state, though not necessarily to a specific major or campus. For the remaining applicant pool—a critical group for selective flagships like the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University—admissions offices can now evaluate CLT scores. According to Houston Public Media, universities can consider CLT scores "for any applicants who fall outside the top-10% automatic admissions window."

The CLT is a newer, conservative-aligned entrance exam that emphasizes classical texts and has gained traction in some private and homeschool circles. Its inclusion marks a notable diversification of acceptable standardized tests within a major state university system. The policy does not require universities to use the CLT but permits them to do so. It remains to be seen how individual campuses, particularly the most selective ones, will incorporate the exam into their holistic review processes for the upcoming application cycle.