University of Southern California
CA · Private · West · National university · Top 50 tier · 20,609 undergraduates (large)
Admission rates
Latest admit rates
† 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 2020–Fall 2025
Admission rates
Early plans
Fall 2027 applicants
Testing
Testing policy
Superscoring
What this means:
- SAT
- Superscores
- ACT
- Superscores
Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026
Test-optional. USC admission blog: "we need all scores from all sittings, not just a superscore" when uploading. Also stated at https://ask.usc.edu/s/article/000001827
How to send scores
Official scores required when you apply
Have the College Board or ACT send official scores when you apply.
School’s words: “No, we require official test scores for applicants choosing to have their testing considered. ... Official test scores must be sent directly from the testing agency to our office.”
Source ↗ · checked Nov 3, 2026
Students submitting scores
‡ Est. % submitting scores adds the share of enrolled first-years who submitted the SAT to the share who submitted the ACT.
Score ranges (middle 50%)
Enrolled first-years who submitted scores, Fall 2025. A quarter scored below the range and a quarter above.
Trends, Fall 2020–Fall 2025
Share of enrolled students submitting scores
SAT composite, middle 50%
ACT composite, middle 50%
Year-by-year data, Fall 2020–Fall 2025
| CDS year | Admitted | Admit rate | ED rate | Est. % submitting | % SAT | % ACT | SAT mid-50 | ACT mid-50 | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | Common Data Set not found online | ||||||||||
| 2020-21 | 9,618 | 16.1% | Not reported | 100% | 69% | 41% | 1360-1510 | 30-34 | |||
| 2021-22 | 8,884 | 12.5% | Not reported | 73% | 47% | 26% | 1330-1520 | 30-34 | |||
| 2022-23 | 8,304 | 12% | Not reported | 50% | 34% | 16% | 1460-1540 | 32-35 | |||
| 2023-24 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | 46% | 32% | 14% | 1450-1530 | 32-35 | |||
| 2024-25 | 8,050 | 9.8% | Not reported | 42% | 30% | 12% | ERW 710-760, Math 740-790 | 32-35 | |||
| 2025-26 | 9,345 | 11.2% | Not reported | 45% | 33% | 12% | 1470-1540 | 32-35 | |||
Waitlist admit rate
Share of students who stayed on the waitlist and were later admitted, by entering class.
Test policy in each Common Data Set
History only. The current policy is under Testing above.
- Fall 2027 Test-optional2025-26 CDS
- Fall 2026 Test-optional2024-25 CDS
- Fall 2025 Not reported2023-24 CDS
- Fall 2024 Test-optional2022-23 CDS
- Fall 2023 Test-optional2021-22 CDS
- Fall 2022 Test-optional2020-21 CDS
- Fall 2021 CDS not available2019-20 CDS