Acceptance Rate of University of Southern California
Last updated October 2026. Admission statistics, deadlines and policies change every year. Check USC’s admissions website for the latest figures, deadlines and requirements before you apply.
The University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles is a popular choice for Indian students, particularly for business, engineering, film and the arts. Its acceptance rate has moved in recent years, and the published figures are easy to misread, so here is what they show and what matters for an international applicant.
What Is USC’s Acceptance Rate?
- Fall 2024: about 9.8%.
- Fall 2025: about 11.2%.
- Fall 2026 (Class of 2030): reports range from about 11.7% to 12.6% (for example, about 10,000 admitted from about 79,000 applicants, in one source).
These numbers differ between sources partly because USC also admits a separate spring cohort. A “fall-only” rate is lower than an overall rate that includes spring offers. USC publishes Early Action results together with Regular Decision in its overall data, and rates differ a lot between schools and programmes, but USC doesn’t publish a rate for every programme, so treat figures quoted for specific majors (such as “Film accepts about 3%”) with caution.
What This Means for Indian and Other International Applicants
USC enrols one of the largest international student communities of any US university. According to reported Common Data Set figures, international applicants were admitted at a slightly higher rate than the overall pool for fall 2025 (about 13.7%, or roughly 2,275 of 16,615), and international students were about 19% of the fall 2026 entering class. That doesn’t mean it’s easy, because international applicants are a strong, self-selected group, but it does mean you shouldn’t assume international applicants are at a disadvantage here.
Funding is the key issue. USC’s own admissions information states that international students do not qualify for need-based financial aid, but are eligible for merit-based scholarships. So plan your funding carefully before you apply, and look at USC’s merit scholarship information and deadlines.
Application Plans and Deadlines
- Early Action (non-binding): deadline 1 November. USC opened an Early Action round for the first time for the class that entered in fall 2024, and its own admissions pages say to apply under Early Action to be considered for a merit scholarship. Decisions come in mid-to-late January.
- Regular Decision: the final deadline has been mid-January, and a priority deadline (around 1 December) has applied to some programmes. Check the exact dates for your intake.
- Early Decision (binding): reports say USC is expanding binding Early Decision to nearly all undergraduate programmes, starting with applicants for fall 2027 entry. If this applies to you, remember that a binding plan commits you to enrol if admitted. Confirm the current rules on USC’s website.
Early Action isn’t a guaranteed advantage. Reported figures show that the Early Action rate (about 9–10%) was actually lower than the Regular Decision rate in some recent years, because USC receives so many strong early applications. So apply early if your application is ready and you want merit scholarship consideration, not because early applying is easier.
Testing Policy
USC’s admissions pages say it has adopted a test-optional policy for first-year applicants for fall 2026. Test-optional means you may choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. Check USC’s current policy for your intake, because testing policies change. If you submit scores, they should be strong relative to USC’s published ranges. USC’s published data suggests that, in practice, scores can help, so a strong score is worth submitting.
How to Strengthen Your Application
- Choose your school and major carefully. You apply to a specific school (such as Marshall for business, Viterbi for engineering, Cinematic Arts or Dornsife), and each looks for different things. Read what each school asks for, including any portfolio or additional materials.
- Be specific in your essays. Instead of general praise for USC, mention a particular programme, lab, course or resource that fits your goals.
- Show real impact in your activities, with concrete details of what you did and what changed.
- Prepare English-language evidence if required, and check USC’s accepted tests and scores.
- Plan your funding first, since need-based aid isn’t available to international students.
- Apply to a balanced list of reach, target and likely universities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is USC’s acceptance rate?
About 9.8% for fall 2024 and about 11.2% for fall 2025, with fall 2026 reported between about 11.7% and 12.6% depending on how spring admits are counted.
Is it harder for international students?
Reported figures show international applicants were admitted at a slightly higher rate than the overall pool for fall 2025. The main difference is funding, because international students don’t qualify for need-based aid.
Does USC offer Early Action or Early Decision?
USC offers non-binding Early Action, and is reported to be expanding binding Early Decision from the fall 2027 cycle. Check the current plans on USC’s website.
Is USC test-optional?
For fall 2026 entry, yes, according to USC. Confirm the policy for your intake.
Can international students get scholarships?
Yes, merit-based scholarships. USC states that international students are not eligible for need-based aid. Check the merit scholarship deadlines, which are linked to Early Action and the priority deadline.
Conclusion
USC is highly selective, but an acceptance rate of around 10–12% is only a starting point. Choose your school carefully, write specific essays and plan your funding early. If you’d like help choosing where to apply, start with career counselling at Eduvisor, explore our Study in the USA pages, or see our Study Abroad service.
