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Accessible2026-2027 admissions cycle

South Carolina State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in

With an acceptance rate near 83%, South Carolina State University is an accessible public university in South Carolina. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.

Your odds at South Carolina State University
Three numbers, no account, the same published model the full calculator runs.

Use this page to see what South Carolina State University weighs, where it ranks among South Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 990, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.

Acceptance rate
83%
Accessible
Admitted SAT (75th pct)
990
of admitted students
Type
Public
Orangeburg, SC
Average net price
$18,097
per year after aid

What do students study at South Carolina State University?

Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.

Family and Consumer Sciences · 36 (13.4%)Business, Management and Marketing · 36 (13.4%)Education · 24 (9%)Biological and Biomedical Sciences · 23 (8.6%)Engineering Technologies · 20 (7.5%)Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting · 18 (6.7%)Health Professions and Related Programs · 18 (6.7%)Psychology · 17 (6.3%)Computer and Information Sciences · 15 (5.6%)Engineering · 12 (4.5%)

Will I get into South Carolina State University?

Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into South Carolina State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.

What are my chances of getting into South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University admits most qualified applicants (around 83%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for South Carolina State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.

Is South Carolina State University hard to get into?

South Carolina State University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 83% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.

What GPA do you need to get into South Carolina State University?

There is no hard GPA cutoff at South Carolina State University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. South Carolina State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.

What SAT score do you need for South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 990. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at South Carolina State University.

Calculate your chances at South Carolina State University →

Your chances at South Carolina State University by GPA and SAT

Estimated chance of admission at South Carolina State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).

What are my chances at South Carolina State University with a 3.1 GPA and a 930 SAT?

About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 930 SAT, the middle of South Carolina State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 990 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.

Estimated admission chance at South Carolina State University by unweighted GPA (rows) and SAT score (columns)
GPASAT 86025th pctSAT 930middleSAT 99075th pctNo testtest-optional
2.558%Likely72%Safety82%Safety61%Likely
2.884%Safety91%Safety94%Safety89%Safety
3.195%Safety98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety
3.498%Safety98%Safety98%Safety98%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/south-carolina-state-university.

How to get into South Carolina State University

Built from South Carolina State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.

Here is how to get into South Carolina State University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.

Step 1
Match the typical admit on the transcript

CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at South Carolina State University carries about a 3.09 core GPA and a 940 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.

Step 2
Build the file around what South Carolina State University weighs

South Carolina State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.

Step 3
Apply in the round that helps

Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by South Carolina State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at scsu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.

See your odds and your top moves at South Carolina State University →Add it to your college list →Official site: scsu.edu ↗

How many students apply to South Carolina State University, and how many get in?

For the fall 2023 entering class, South Carolina State University received 9,830 applications and admitted 8,034, an acceptance rate of 81.7%. 1,079 enrolled. Only about 13% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. South Carolina State University enrolls about 2,934 undergraduates in total, 55% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1.

Applied
9,830
fall 2023
Admitted
8,034
81.7% of applicants
Enrolled
1,079
13% yield
Undergraduates
2,934
Orangeburg, distant town

Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.

What SAT and ACT scores do you need for South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores, so admission turns on your transcript, rigor, and the rest of the file.

Test scores
Neither required nor recommended
admissions policy

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.

What South Carolina State University looks for

What South Carolina State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.

In its review, South Carolina State University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from South Carolina State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.

Rigor of secondary school record
Very important
Academic GPA
Very important
Class rank
Considered
Standardized test scores
Important
Character / personal qualities
Considered
First-generation status
Considered

SAT score positioning at South Carolina State University

How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.

SATWhere it sits at South Carolina State University
1600Above the admitted 75th percentile
1500Above the admitted 75th percentile
1400Above the admitted 75th percentile
1300Above the admitted 75th percentile
1200Above the admitted 75th percentile
1100Above the admitted 75th percentile
Colleges for a 990 SAT →Colleges for a 18 ACT →See colleges by GPA →

How much does South Carolina State University cost after financial aid?

The full sticker price at South Carolina State University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $30,015 a year. Tuition and fees are $11,060 for SC residents and $21,750 for out-of-state students, a $10,690 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $18,097 a year, and it ranges from $16,846 for families earning under $30,000 to $24,523 for families earning over $110,000. 70% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.

Sticker price
$30,015
per year, before aid
Average net price
$18,097
after grants and scholarships
In-state tuition
$11,060
$21,750 out of state
Pell recipients
70%
of undergraduates
Family incomeAverage net price per year
$0 to $30k$16,846
$30k to $48k$16,968
$48k to $75k$20,449
$75k to $110k$22,587
Over $110k$24,523

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.

What do South Carolina State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?

Median earnings for South Carolina State University students ten years after entry are $38,262 ($30,064 at the six-year mark). 37% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 56% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $31,000; 67% of undergraduates take federal loans.

Median earnings
$38,262
10 years after entry
Graduation rate
37%
within six years
Retention
56%
return for year two
Median debt
$31,000
at graduation, borrowers

Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.

How South Carolina State University compares in South Carolina

South Carolina State University ranks #24 most selective of 32 schools in South Carolina in our database.

Among the 32 South Carolina schools we track, South Carolina State University ranks #24 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Clemson University (38%) and Furman University (43%) sit nearby, which makes South Carolina a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.

Clemson University
38%acceptance · SC
Furman University
43%acceptance · SC
Morris College
50%acceptance · SC
Voorhees University
50%acceptance · SC
Wofford College
52%acceptance · SC
Anderson University (SC)
55%acceptance · SC
Bob Jones University
58%acceptance · SC
College of Charleston
60%acceptance · SC
See all South Carolina schools →

Similar to South Carolina State University

Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.

Build around South Carolina State University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as UMass Lowell, Angelo State University, and Eastern Connecticut State. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.

UMass Lowell
83%acceptance · MA
Angelo State University
83%acceptance · TX
Eastern Connecticut State
83%acceptance · CT
Grand Valley State University
83%acceptance · MI
Arkansas State University
82%acceptance · AR
Kansas State University
82%acceptance · KS

Frequently asked questions

What is South Carolina State University's acceptance rate?

South Carolina State University admitted 8,034 of 9,830 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 81.7% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 13% of admitted students enrolled.

Is South Carolina State University test-optional?

South Carolina State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores.

How much does South Carolina State University cost after financial aid?

The average net price at South Carolina State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $18,097 a year against a sticker price of about $30,015. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $16,846 on average.

What do South Carolina State University graduates earn?

Median earnings ten years after entering South Carolina State University are $38,262 a year among students who received federal aid, and 37% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).

What does South Carolina State University value most in applicants?

Based on its admissions profile, South Carolina State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.

Does South Carolina State University favor in-state applicants?

As a public university, South Carolina State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.

How can I improve my chances at South Carolina State University?

Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at South Carolina State University specifically.

How does residency affect admission to South Carolina State University?

As a public university, South Carolina State University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.

What are the admission requirements for South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.

Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.