USC Acceptance Rate and How to Stand Out

Last updated: November 5, 2026

The USC acceptance rate is 12.6% for students who entered in fall 2026: USC admitted 10,006 of 79,331 first-year applicants, according to its First-Year Student Profile. That is USC's newest official figure. For fall 2025, USC's Common Data Set shows about 11.2%. Below you will find USC's own numbers for early and regular applicants, the GPA and test scores of the newest class, the transfer rate, what USC says it looks for, and how to stand out.

USC looks for "enthusiastic partners in learning and research." Become one before you apply, one-on-one with a PhD mentor. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

USC acceptance rate for fall 2026

USC's First-Year Student Profile for 2026–27 reports the class that entered in fall 2026, USC's 147th entering class:

Applicants: 79,331
Admitted: 10,006
Enrolled: 3,766 (3,648 at the Los Angeles campus and 118 at the Washington, D.C. campus)
Acceptance rate: 12.6% (our calculation: 10,006 ÷ 79,331 = about 12.61%)
Yield: 37.6% of admitted students enrolled

That works out to about 1 admitted student for every 8 applicants.

About the class:

21% are the first in their family to go to college.
15% are children of USC alumni. USC calls them scions.
149 are National Merit Scholars, and 380 received USC merit scholarships.
19% are international students.

How the USC acceptance rate changed

USC's Common Data Set (CDS) for 2025–26, section C1, reports the class that entered in fall 2025: 83,488 applicants and 9,345 admitted, about 11.2%. For fall 2026, applications fell by 4,157, about 5.0%, and USC admitted 661 more students. Both changes pushed the rate up, from about 11.2% to 12.6%.

The fall 2026 class is about the same size as the fall 2025 class: 3,766 against 3,759. Yield fell from about 40.2% to 37.6%, so USC admitted more students to fill the same number of seats.

What this means for you: a rate near 12% still means about seven of every eight applicants are not admitted. The rate moves with the number of applicants. Your own chances depend on your application.

USC admits about 1 in 8 applicants. Stand out with what few applicants have: a research project you carried from question to paper. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

USC Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision

USC offers three ways to apply: Early Decision (binding), Early Action (nonbinding) and Regular Decision. For fall 2026, USC reports the early plans together:

Early Decision and Early Action: 41,202 applicants. USC admitted 3,840 in the early round, about 9.3%. It deferred others to Regular Decision and later admitted 2,068 of them.
Regular Decision: 38,129 applicants. USC admitted 4,098, about 10.7%.

All told, USC admitted 5,908 of its 41,202 early applicants, about 14.3%, once the deferred students are counted (our calculation). More than half of all applicants, about 51.9%, applied early.

The early rate is only a little higher than the regular rate, and the early pool is self-selected. Apply Early Decision when USC is your clear first choice and your family is ready to commit. For how the plans compare, see early decision vs early action.

For the 2026–27 cycle, the Early Decision and Early Action deadline was November 1, 2026. Check USC's First-Year Student Profile for the Regular Decision dates.

USC GPA and test scores

USC is test-optional. USC says applicants decide whether to submit scores and that those without scores "will not be disadvantaged/penalized" in admission or scholarship review. 48% of fall 2026 enrolled students submitted scores.

Middle 50% figures from USC's fall 2026 profile:

Unweighted GPA, 4.00 scale: applicants 3.67 to 4.00, admitted students 3.89 to 4.00, enrolled students 3.81 to 4.00
SAT (superscored): applicants 1450 to 1540, admitted students 1490 to 1550, enrolled students 1470 to 1540
ACT (superscored): applicants 32 to 35, admitted students 33 to 35, enrolled students 32 to 35

USC's one fixed course requirement: a grade of C or better in at least three years of high school math, including Algebra II. Beyond that, USC says students it admits "typically pursue the most rigorous program available to them." It pays "careful attention" to preparation for your intended major.

To see where your own scores fall, use the SAT score calculator or read what is a good SAT score. The high school GPA calculator shows your weighted and unweighted GPA.

What USC looks for

USC's CDS (section C7) shows where the weight falls:

Very important: course rigor, GPA, the application essay, recommendations and character
Important: extracurricular activities and talent
Considered: test scores, first-generation status, alumni relation, volunteer work and work experience
Not considered: class rank, interviews, where you live, religion and your level of interest

The last line matters. USC does not consider demonstrated interest, so campus visits and emails do not count toward admission. Your essays and recommendations count far more.

USC's What We Look For page describes the students it wants:

Curious and willing to stretch. USC students "are willing to venture outside their comfort zones."
Impact. USC looks for "your potential to make an impact: willingness to go beyond the requirements, to dig deeply into texts, to explore ideas and become a lifelong learner."
Research. "Ultimately, we look for students who will become enthusiastic partners in learning and research."

USC also has a clear policy on AI. It says you may use AI tools "thoughtfully and appropriately," but "the words and thoughts you share are yours."

For the broader picture, see what colleges look for.

USC wants students who "go beyond the requirements" and "explore ideas." That is what research with a PhD mentor gives you. Learn how the program works →

How to stand out in a USC application

Choose your school and major with care. USC pays careful attention to your preparation for your intended major. In fall 2026, 41% of new students entered the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and 12% entered the Viterbi School of Engineering.
Take the hardest courses you can handle. USC rates rigor and GPA as very important. Admitted students' unweighted GPAs ran from 3.89 to 4.00.
Write essays that sound like you. USC rates the essay as very important. Your Common App essay goes to USC with your USC short answers. See the Common App essay prompts.
Give your recommenders something specific. USC rates recommendations as very important. It says your letter "reflects your values and personal characteristics."
Show depth in what you do outside class. USC rates activities and talent as important, and it asks you to show "willingness to go beyond the requirements."

A research project supports steps 3, 4 and 5 at once. It gives you a real story for your essays, gives a mentor something concrete to describe, and shows that you go beyond what school asks. For more, see whether research helps college admissions.

USC transfer acceptance rate

Transfers are a large part of USC. For fall 2026, USC reports:

Transfer applicants: 11,508
Admitted: 3,004
Admit rate: 26.1%
Enrolled: 1,543
Middle 50% college GPA: 3.70 to 3.97

54% of USC's new transfer students came from California community colleges. Transfers made up about 29.1% of USC's new undergraduates in fall 2026 (our calculation: 1,543 of 5,309).

How USC compares

On the same measure, the Common Data Set for fall 2025:

Cornell: about 8.4% (6,077 of 72,523)
NYU: about 9.1% (10,340 of 114,125). See the NYU acceptance rate.
USC: about 11.2% (9,345 of 83,488)

For the most selective schools, see the Ivy League schools and the Stanford acceptance rate.

USC asks for "enthusiastic partners in learning and research." Explore the STEM field you love one-on-one with a PhD mentor from a top-20 university. See if you qualify for the STEM Research Program →

USC cost and financial aid

USC lists a 2026–27 cost of attendance of $103,162 a year, including $77,336 in tuition and fees, before aid. USC says:

Need-blind admission. Your ability to pay has no bearing on your admission.
Tuition-free for many families. Admitted first-year students from U.S. families with an annual income of $80,000 or less, with typical assets, attend tuition-free.
Full need met. USC fully meets the USC-determined need of undergraduates.
Wide aid. About two-thirds of the fall 2026 first-year class received some form of financial help, and about 10% received a merit scholarship.

Frequently asked questions

What is USC's acceptance rate? 12.6% for fall 2026: USC admitted 10,006 of 79,331 first-year applicants. For fall 2025 it was about 11.2%.

What GPA do you need to get into USC? USC sets no minimum GPA. The middle 50% unweighted GPA of admitted students in fall 2026 was 3.89 to 4.00.

What SAT score do you need for USC? USC is test-optional. Enrolled students who submitted SAT scores in fall 2026 had a middle 50% range of 1470 to 1540.

What is USC's Early Decision acceptance rate? USC reports Early Decision and Early Action together. For fall 2026, it admitted 3,840 of 41,202 early applicants in the early round, about 9.3%, and admitted 2,068 more after deferral, for about 14.3% in total.

What is USC's transfer acceptance rate? 26.1% for fall 2026: 3,004 of 11,508 transfer applicants.

Does USC consider demonstrated interest? No. USC's Common Data Set lists the level of applicant interest as "not considered."

Is USC an Ivy League school? No. The Ivy League has eight members: Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Penn, Princeton and Yale.

How much does USC cost for four years? USC lists $103,162 for one year in 2026–27, before aid. Four years at that rate would be $412,648 before aid and before any increases. Many families pay much less: U.S. families earning $80,000 or less with typical assets pay no tuition.

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