University of Southern California Acceptance Rate 2025

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate 2025

Edited By Prabhjyot Kaur | Updated on Apr 23, 2025 12:16 PM IST

The University of Southern California (USC) is a leading private research university in Los Angeles, USA. The University of Southern California acceptance rate for international students 2025 is approximately 10%. In 2025, the university received more than 80,000 applications from international students for admission to different courses. The university admitted only about 8,000 applicants. The low acceptance rate of University of Southern California indicates a highly competitive admission rate for international students across the globe. According to the previous records, the University of Southern California admission rate for Indian students 2025 is lowest among the previous five years. Thus, those students who wish to study in the USA at University of Southern California in 2025 must make a strong application to be favored compared to other candidates.

This Story also Contains
  1. The University of Southern California Highlights
  2. University of Southern California Acceptance Rate 2025
  3. University of Southern California Acceptance Rate for International Students: Fall 2025
  4. University of Southern California Acceptance Rate Trends
  5. University of Southern California Acceptance Rate Transfer
  6. How to Apply to the University of Southern California?
  7. University of Southern California Eligibility
  8. Documents Required for UG Admission in University of Southern California
  9. How do I Increase My Chances of Getting into the University of Southern California?
University of Southern California Acceptance Rate 2025
University of Southern California Acceptance Rate 2025

As per the latest QS World University Rankings 2025, the University of Southern California is listed among the top 150 world universities. Thus, potential applicants must achieve the cut-off marks for the GRE, GMAT, SAT, and ACT tests to have a higher possibility of gaining admission. For candidates who speak other languages, USC requires IELTS, TOEFL, and other scores to assess their level of English for particular programs. Check out the entire article for more information about the University of Southern California acceptance rate.

Read more: Study in USA Benefits for International Students

The University of Southern California Highlights

Particulars

Details

Application Portal

Applicant Portal of the university

Acceptance Rate

10%

Establishment Year

1880

Application Fee

USD 66,000 per year

English Language Tests Accepted

IELTS / TOEFL

Standardised Test Scores (PG)

GMAT, GRE, SAT, ACT

International Application Deadlines

January 15, 2025

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate 2025

For the academic year 2025-2026, Southern California University received over 80,000 applications from all over the world. However, only 10% of applicants were accepted for different courses. In 2025, the university recorded the lowest rate of acceptance for international students admission.

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate for International Students

Particulars

Details

Fall Applicants

80,808

Fall Admits

8,094

Acceptance Rate

10%

Fall Enrolls

3,633 (44.9% yield)

Relevant Reads:

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate for International Students: Fall 2025

The University of Southern California accepts international students from different countries. Candidates from different races and ethnicities join the USC for better educational practice and employability. For fall 2025, over 12,000 applicants from different countries of the world were accepted by the USC for admission to popular courses. A detailed list of the total number of international students from different countries constituting the University of Southern California is given below.

USC Acceptance Rate

Country

Number of Applicants

China

6,035

India

2,682

South Korea

518

Taiwan

448

Canada

382

Iran

151

Indonesia

148

Saudi Arabia

129

Hong Kong

87

Mexico

79

All other countries

2,094

Total

12,753

Also Read:

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate Trends

In the 2022-2023 academic session, the university reported the highest acceptance rate for international students. Whereas, in 2023-2024, the University of Southern California acceptance rate is 10%, which is the lowest in the last five years. The same goes for 2025.

Southern California Acceptance Rate Trends

Admission Session

Acceptance Rate

2020-2021

16%

2021-2022

16%

2022-2023

18%

2023-2024

10%

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate Transfer

The USC University admits transfer students to various courses. The University of Southern California acceptance rate GPA for transfer students is 3.71 – 4.00. For fall 2023, USC reported an acceptance rate of 24.4% for incoming transfer students.

University of Southern California Acceptance Rate for Transfer Students

Particulars

Details

Applications

9,488

Admits

2,310

Admit Rate

24.4%

Transfer Class Size

1,335

Average College GPA

3.71 – 4.00

How to Apply to the University of Southern California?

The applicants must follow the given steps to apply to the University of Southern California.

  • Visit the University of Southern California official website.

  • Click on the Menu tab given on the top right of the Home page.

  • Click on Admission and Aid, and then select the Undergraduate Admission.

  • The Undergraduate Admission page will open.

  • Click on the ‘Apply’ link given at the bottom right.

  • Now, sign in to create an account as a new applicant.

  • Login credentials will be sent via the registered email of the applicant.

  • Use the credentials to log into the common application portal and fill out the application.

  • Upload all the supporting documents.

  • Pay the application fee and apply.

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Know more: How to Apply for US Universities from India?

University of Southern California Eligibility

The common USC eligibility criteria for Indian applicants across various degree programmes are listed below. The requirements can vary depending on the choice of course and mode of study.

  • Students must have completed Senior Secondary School (class 12th) with a minimum aggregate score of 80% (primarily A1 and A2 grades).

  • 4-year Bachelor's degree or Master’s degree (for 3-year Bachelor's degree holders) from an institution recognised by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

  • Minimum GPA requirements may vary.

  • SAT or ACT are optional for the 2025-26 session.

  • GMAT or GRE score requirements are course-specific.

  • The English language proficiency requirements must be fulfilled.

University of Southern California English Language Requirements

Tests/Minimum Overall Scores

Bachelor’s

Master’s

TOEFL iBT

100

90

IELTS Academic

7.0

6.5

PTE Academic

68

61

Duolingo English Test (DET)

130

-

SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section

650

-

ACT English section

27

-

Documents Required for UG Admission in University of Southern California

International students are required to upload the following documents to send their candidature as an international aspirant:

  • Secondary School (class 10th) and Higher Secondary School (class 12th) Certificates from CBSE/ICSE Boards.

  • Academic Transcripts of all high schools.

  • Letter of Recommendation (LOR)

  • SAT or ACT scorecard (optional).

  • English Proficiency test scores.

  • Personal Statement of Purpose

  • GRE or GMAT scorecard as per the programme requirement.

  • Other documents as per the requirement of the selected degree programme.

Also Check: Important Documents to Take for Studying Abroad

How do I Increase My Chances of Getting into the University of Southern California?

The University of Southern California acceptance rate is around 10% for international students. Due to its low rate of acceptance, students need to support their application with a good GPA to demonstrate their eligibility. The enrolment process is completely based on academic excellence and standardised test qualification. Therefore, students with a good academic record are the top contenders for USC admission 2025.

Additionally, non-EU students need to score high IELTS or TOEFL scores to apply for English programmes. The university provides definite cutoff scores every year for international admission. Students need to clear the minimum cutoff to send their application to the university. For master's programmes scores on ACT, GRE, GMAT, and SAT are considered by USC to evaluate subject knowledge and understanding of the field of study.

Read about:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What GPA do you need to get into USC?

The minimum GPA required to get into the University of Southern California ranges between 3.79-4.00. The GPA requirement is peculiar for different courses and the range may differ between international students and domestic candidates. Students can check the specific GPA requirements for their selected programme.

2. How can I get into USC from India?

To get into USC from India, students should demonstrate a strong academic profile, high cutoff scores for GRE or GMAT, and qualify for the English proficiency exams such as the TOEFL or IELTS. Additionally, students should also prepare a personal statement, recommendation letters, and admission essay to improve their chances of admission.

3. Is USC or UCLA harder to get into?

Both the University of Southern California and University of California, Los Angeles are highly competitive to get admission for international students. However, UCLA acceptance rate is slightly lower than the University of Southern California for international students in 2025. Therefore, UCLA is comparatively harder than USC to get into.

4. Is Southern California University hard to get into?

The acceptance rate of Southern California University is around 10% for international students. Which indicates that 10 out of 100 international students are selected by the university for various courses. Considering the low rate of acceptance we can say that USC is hard to get into for international students.

5. Is 3.7 a good GPA for USC?

Yes, 3.7 is a good GPA for USC for international students. The minimum University of Southern California GPA requirement ranges between 3.79-4.00. However, some specific courses require a higher GPA for admission.  

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