University of Southern California acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 10%, University of Southern California is a most selective private college in California. Because it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what University of Southern California weighs, where it ranks among California schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1530, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What is University of Southern California's acceptance rate?
University of Southern California admitted 8,094 of 80,808 first-year applicants for fall 2023, an acceptance rate of 9.8%. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 1450 to 1550 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT.
Source: IPEDS admissions survey, fall 2023. Updated October 29, 2026.
University of Southern California application deadlines, 2026-27
What do students study at University of Southern California?
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.
Will I get into University of Southern California?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into University of Southern California, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into University of Southern California?
University of Southern California admits about 10% of applicants, 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 University of Southern California in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is University of Southern California hard to get into?
University of Southern California is most selective: it admits roughly one in ten applicants or fewer, with about a 10% acceptance rate. At this level, strong grades and scores are the baseline, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
What GPA do you need to get into University of Southern California?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at University of Southern California, but admitted students almost universally present a 3.9 to 4.0 GPA earned in the most demanding courses their school offers. University of Southern California reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at University of Southern California by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at University of Southern California for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 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 University of Southern California with a 3.9 GPA and a 1500 SAT?
About 18% (Reach), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.9 unweighted GPA and a 1500 SAT, the middle of University of Southern California's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 4.0 GPA with a 1550 SAT comes out near 21%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
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/university-of-southern-california.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at University of Southern California
From University of Southern California's own 2024-25 Common Data Set (fall 2024 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
Does University of Southern California have early decision?
No. University of Southern California reported no Early Decision plan in its 2024-25 Common Data Set. It does offer Early Action.
What is the transfer acceptance rate at University of Southern California?
27.1%: 2,929 of 10,827 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2024 (University of Southern California's 2024-25 Common Data Set).
Source: University of Southern California Common Data Set 2024-25. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into University of Southern California
Built from University of Southern California'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 University of Southern California, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at University of Southern California carries about a 3.89 core GPA and a 1500 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. At this selectivity that is the entry ticket, not the deciding factor.
The admitted middle 50% is 1450 to 1550 SAT (32 to 35 ACT). Submit a score at 1500 or higher; below 1450, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
University of Southern California 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.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if University of Southern California is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm University of Southern California's exact dates at www.usc.edu.
How many students apply to University of Southern California, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, University of Southern California received 80,808 applications and admitted 8,094, an acceptance rate of 10%. 3,633 enrolled. Roughly 45% of admitted students enrolled, a typical yield for a school in this range. University of Southern California enrolls about 20,443 undergraduates in total, 52% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for University of Southern California?
Admitted students at University of Southern California post SAT scores of 1450 to 1550 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1495. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 32 to 35. A score above 1550 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1450 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. University of Southern California is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What University of Southern California looks for
What University of Southern California weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, University of Southern California leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. At this level of selectivity, the difference between admits is rarely the transcript alone; essays, recommendations, and a coherent story matter. These ratings come from University of Southern California's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at University of Southern California
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does University of Southern California cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at University of Southern California (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $90,300 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $72,097. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $32,740 a year, and it ranges from $13,516 for families earning under $30,000 to $56,116 for families earning over $110,000. 22% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
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 University of Southern California graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for University of Southern California students ten years after entry are $92,498 ($74,461 at the six-year mark). 92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 96% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $18,000; 24% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How University of Southern California compares in California
University of Southern California ranks #5 most selective of 61 schools in California in our database.
Among the 61 California schools we track, University of Southern California ranks #5 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like California Institute of Technology (3%) and Stanford University (4%) sit nearby, which makes California a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to University of Southern California
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around University of Southern California with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Claremont McKenna College, Boston University, and University of Notre Dame. 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is University of Southern California's acceptance rate?
University of Southern California admitted 8,094 of 80,808 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 10% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 45% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for University of Southern California?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1450 to 1550 on the SAT and 32 to 35 on the ACT. A score above 1550 is in the top quarter of admits. University of Southern California is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is University of Southern California test-optional?
Yes. University of Southern California reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does University of Southern California cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Southern California, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $32,740 a year against a sticker price of about $90,300. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $13,516 on average.
What do University of Southern California graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering University of Southern California are $92,498 a year among students who received federal aid, and 92% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does University of Southern California value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, University of Southern California weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does University of Southern California consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. University of Southern California's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at University of Southern California?
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 University of Southern California specifically.
Can I get into University of Southern California with a perfect GPA and test scores?
Top grades and scores are necessary but not sufficient at University of Southern California. At this selectivity most applicants are already academically qualified, so essays, recommendations, and a distinctive story are what separate admits.
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.