Admissions · United States

USC Acceptance Rate: Admissions Statistics and English Requirements

USC admitted 10,006 of 79,331 first-year applicants for fall 2026 (the Class of 2030), an acceptance rate of 12.6%.

The University of Southern California publishes its first-year and transfer admission numbers in an annual student profile and in its Common Data Set. Below are the last three cycles, the early-round, international and transfer figures USC has released, and the TOEFL and IELTS minimums for international applicants.

Figures read from official sources on 3 October 2026 · LingoLeap Admissions Research

University of Southern California acceptance rate by year

University of Southern California applicants, admits and acceptance rate by admission cycle
Cycle	Applicants	Admitted	Acceptance rate
Fall 2026 (Class of 2030)	79,331	10,006	12.6% source
Fall 2025 (Class of 2029)	83,488	9,345	11.2% source
Fall 2024 (Class of 2028)	82,027	8,050	9.8% source

USC acceptance rate by round, international and transfer

University of Southern California acceptance rate by admission round, college or applicant group
Group	Cycle	Rate	Detail
Early Decision & Early Action (combined)	Fall 2026	9.3%	3,840 of 41,202 admitted in the early round. USC reports ED and EA together; a further 2,068 deferred early applicants were admitted in Regular Decision. source
Regular Decision	Fall 2026	10.7%	4,098 of 38,129 RD applicants admitted (excludes the 2,068 admitted after deferral). source
International applicants	Fall 2025	13.7%	2,275 of 16,615 first-year applicants with an international address admitted. source
Transfer	Fall 2026	26.1%	3,004 of 11,508 transfer applicants admitted. source
Transfer	Fall 2025	27.1%	2,929 of 10,827 transfer applicants admitted. source
Transfer	Fall 2024	21.6%	2,381 of 11,019 transfer applicants admitted. source

What the numbers mean

USC's acceptance rate has risen two cycles in a row: 9.8% for fall 2024, 11.2% for fall 2025 and 12.6% for fall 2026. Applications fell from 83,488 to 79,331 in the latest cycle while admits rose to 10,006, and the entering class was 3,766 students.

For fall 2026 USC reported its early rounds together: 41,202 Early Decision and Early Action applicants, 3,840 admitted in the early round and 2,068 more admitted after being deferred to Regular Decision. Early Decision was new that year as a two-year pilot for the Marshall School of Business (business administration and accounting); USC's 2025–26 Common Data Set lists no university-wide ED plan and a non-restrictive Early Action plan. USC does not publish separate admit rates for Marshall, Viterbi or any other school.

USC was SAT/ACT optional for the Class of 2030: applicants chose whether to submit scores, 44% of applicants did, and USC states that applicants without scores are not disadvantaged in admission or scholarship decisions.

International students made up 19% of the fall 2026 entering class. For fall 2025, 2,275 of 16,615 international applicants were admitted (13.7%), slightly above the overall rate that year. Non-native English speakers must submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or Duolingo English Test results.

University of Southern California TOEFL and IELTS requirements

Minimums for international applicants from the university's own pages. Since 21 January 2026 TOEFL iBT reports a 1–6 band score; the notes give the older 0–120 equivalent where the university states one. Convert TOEFL and IELTS scores.

Undergraduate (university-wide)

TOEFL iBT: 5 overall (1–6 scale)

USC requires a minimum TOEFL of 5.0 overall on the 2026 scale for undergraduate admissions.

Official page · checked 22 March 2026

Master's (university-wide)

TOEFL iBT: 4.5 overall (1–6 scale)

These scores are the threshold for ISE (International Student Exemption) eligibility. PhD programs require 5.0 overall and 4.0 in each section. TOEFL MyBest/superscores not accepted.

Official page · checked 19 March 2026

Check your score against University of Southern California

Take a free 2026-format TOEFL mock test for a 1–6 band estimate, then compare it with the minimum above and with other universities' requirements.

Free TOEFL mock test

FAQ

What is USC's acceptance rate for 2026?

For fall 2026 entry (the Class of 2030) USC admitted 10,006 of 79,331 first-year applicants, an acceptance rate of 12.6%, according to the USC Office of Admission's first-year student profile.

Has USC's acceptance rate changed?

Yes, it has gone up. USC's Common Data Sets show 9.8% for fall 2024 (8,050 of 82,027) and 11.2% for fall 2025 (9,345 of 83,488); the fall 2026 profile shows 12.6%. Applications fell by about 4,000 in the latest cycle while USC admitted more students.

What is the USC ED and EA acceptance rate?

USC publishes Early Decision and Early Action as one figure. For fall 2026, 3,840 of 41,202 early applicants were admitted in the early round (9.3%), and another 2,068 deferred early applicants were admitted later in Regular Decision. USC has not published separate ED and EA rates.

What is the USC Marshall acceptance rate?

USC does not publish an admit rate for the Marshall School of Business. Marshall's Early Decision option for business administration and accounting launched as a two-year pilot for fall 2026 entry, and Marshall has not released ED applicant or admit counts. The 17% of the Class of 2030 enrolled in Marshall and Leventhal is a share of the entering class, not an acceptance rate.

What is the USC Viterbi (engineering) acceptance rate?

Viterbi has not published a final admit rate. Before fall 2026 decisions were final, the Viterbi admission blog described about 13,500 first-year applicants and about 450 first-year students. Viterbi students were 12% of USC's fall 2026 entering class.

What is USC's transfer acceptance rate?

USC admitted 3,004 of 11,508 transfer applicants for fall 2026 (26.1%). The rate was 27.1% for fall 2025 and 21.6% for fall 2024, according to USC's Common Data Sets.

What TOEFL score does USC require?

USC requires a minimum TOEFL iBT of 5.0 overall on the 2026 1–6 scale for undergraduate admission. For graduate programmes, 4.5 overall is the threshold for the International Student Exemption, and PhD programmes require 5.0 overall with 4.0 in each section; USC does not accept MyBest scores.