University of South Carolina: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

The University of South Carolina is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 69%. Located in the state capital of Columbia, the University of South Carolina is the flagship campus of the South Carolina university system. With 324 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in 15 colleges, the University of South Carolina offers wide-ranging academic opportunities to students. UofSC is nationally known for its pioneering work with first-year college students. The university has a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society for its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, and it is also home to one of the country's top honors colleges for high-achieving undergraduates. In athletics, the University of South Carolina Gamecocks compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference.

Considering applying to the University of South Carolina? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, University of South Carolina had an acceptance rate of 69%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 69 students were admitted, making UofSC's admissions process somewhat competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

The University of South Carolina requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 65% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of University of South Carolina's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to UofSC scored between 600 and 680, while 25% scored below 600 and 25% scored above 680. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 580 and 690, while 25% scored below 580 and 25% scored above 690. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1370 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at the University of South Carolina.

Requirements

The University of South Carolina does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that UofSC participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject tests are not required for admission to UofSC.

ACT Scores and Requirements

The University of South Carolina requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 35% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of University of South Carolina's admitted students fall within the top 22% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to UofSC received a composite ACT score between 25 and 31, while 25% scored above 31 and 25% scored below 25.

Requirements

Note that University of South Carolina does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. UofSC does not require the optional ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA of University of South Carolina's incoming freshman class was 4.0, and 80% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to UofSC have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to University of South Carolina. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

University of South Carolina, which accepts approximately two-thirds of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. Admission is based primarily on high school courses, grades, and standardized test scores. Minimum course requirements include four units of English and math, three units of laboratory science and social studies, two units of the same foreign language, one unit of fine arts, and two units of academic electives. UofSC only requires letters of recommendation from applicants to the South Carolina Honors College.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Most students who got in had high school averages of "B" or better, combined SAT scores of 1100 or higher (ERW+M), and ACT composite scores of 22 or better. The higher those numbers, the better your chances of acceptance. Very few students with "A" averages and strong test scores were rejected from UofSC.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and University of South Carolina Undergraduate Admissions Office.