Test-optionalEA

University of South Carolina

SC · Public · South · National university · 29,820 undergraduates (large)

Admission rates

Latest admit rates

Overall admit rate60.2%
Early roundNot reported by roundEarly-round counts not in the CDS
Regular round†Not reported by roundEarly-round counts not in the CDS

† Not reported by round: this school publishes an overall admit rate but not applicant and admit counts for each round, so early and regular rates can’t be shown.

Trends, Fall 2024–Fall 2024

Admission rates

Overall
0%35%70%'2460.2%

Early plans

Fall 2027 applicants

Early Action (Oct. 15) · School admissions page ↗What this means:

Testing

Testing policy

Fall 2027
Test-optionalSchool testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026
Fall 2028
Fall 2028 policy not yet announced.School testing page ↗ · checked Nov 2026

Superscoring

What this means:

SAT
Superscores
ACT
Superscores

Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Test-optional for fall 2027 entry.

How to send scores

Self-report accepted; official scores only after admission/enrollment

School’s words: “We require official scores only if you enroll in USC. ... If a student is electing to have test scores considered, only official test scores sent through a testing agency or self-reported test scores through the USC Admissions Portal will be reviewed.”

Source 1 ↗ · Source 2 ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026

Students submitting scores

Est. % submitting scores‡44%SAT 29% + ACT 15%

‡ Est. % submitting scores adds the share of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT to the share who submitted the ACT.

Submitted SAT29%
2,141 students
Submitted ACT15%
1,096 students

Score ranges (middle 50%)

Enrolled first-years who submitted scores, Fall 2024. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above.

SAT composite
1190–1350 median 1270
10001600
SAT Reading & Writing
600–680 median 640
500800
SAT Math
580–680 median 630
500800
ACT composite
26–32 median 29
2036

Trends, Fall 2024–Fall 2024

Share of enrolled students submitting scores

SAT + ACT (est.)SATACT
0%50%100%'2444.0%29.0%15.0%

SAT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
160014001200'241190–135013501190

ACT composite, middle 50%

25th–75th percentile, enrolled students (labels show both values)
363228'2426–323226

Waitlist admit rate

Share of students who stayed on the waitlist and were later admitted, by entering class.

  • 2024: 17%

What is a waitlist? How is it different from a deferral?

Test policy in each Common Data Set

History only. The current policy is under Testing above.

  1. No CDS found CDS not available2025-26 CDS
  2. Fall 2026 Test-optional2024-25 CDS
  3. No CDS found CDS not available2023-24 CDS
  4. No CDS found CDS not available2022-23 CDS
  5. No CDS found CDS not available2021-22 CDS
  6. No CDS found CDS not available2020-21 CDS
  7. No CDS found CDS not available2019-20 CDS

Sources