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#2 Best Public Universities in South Carolina

UofSC Admission Requirements

Columbia, South Carolina

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Chances of getting into University of South Carolina Columbia

Acceptance Rate

Admitted 
62%
Admission Difficulty for University of South Carolina Columbia
Measure Difficulty
Admission Standards Very High 
Applicant Competition Low 
How hard is it to get into UofSC and can I get accepted?

The acceptance rate at UofSC is 62%.  It ranks #10 in South Carolina for lowest rate of acceptance. UofSC is a moderately competitive school to get into with a strong chance of acceptance if you meet the requirements. Last year, 25,884 out of 42,045 applicants were admitted.

The school has very high admission requirements, generally admitting students who can score in the top 25 percent on standardized admission tests. University of South Carolina Columbia typically accepts and attracts "B+" average high school students with an average GPA around 3.69. Most incoming freshmen graduate in the top quarter of their high school class. 24% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school.

The UofSC application fee is $65 and applications are due by Dec 1.

Test Optional

Submission of SAT or ACT scores is not required for admission to University of South Carolina Columbia. If you submit test scores, they will be considered with your application, but they are not mandatory. 38% of students submitted SAT scores and 26% submitted ACT scores for admission for the 2021/2022 academic year..

UofSC SAT Scores

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Range 
1150-1360
Applicants Submitting SAT 
38%
SAT Scores for University of South Carolina Columbia
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 25th 580
SAT Math 25th 570
SAT Composite 25th 1150
SAT Scores for University of South Carolina Columbia
SAT Test 25th Percentile Score
SAT Reading 75th 680
SAT Math 75th 680
SAT Composite 75th 1360
Average SAT Score 1260

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to University of South Carolina Columbia?

University of South Carolina Columbia is a test optional school meaning applicants are not required to submit SAT scores with their application. The position on SAT scores from the school is "considered but not required".

Students who get into University of South Carolina Columbia score in the top 32 percent of all SAT test takers.. The SAT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 1150-1360.

Find other colleges with similar SAT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

University of South Carolina Columbia admission chances by SAT score
SAT Score (1600 scale) Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
1360 and Above Good >76%
1255 to 1360 Avg + 62%-76%
1150 to 1255 Avg - 46%-62%
1045 to 1150 Reach 31%-46%
Less than 1045 Low <31%
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UofSC ACT Scores

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Range 
26-31 
Applicants Submitting ACT 
26%
ACT Scores for University of South Carolina Columbia
ACT Test 25th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 25th 24
ACT Math 25th 24
ACT Composite 25th 26
ACT Scores for University of South Carolina Columbia
ACT Test 75th Percentile Score
ACT Reading 75th 33
ACT Math 75th 29
ACT Composite 75th 31
Average ACT Score 28

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into UofSC?

University of South Carolina Columbia is test optional. Students are not required to submit ACT scores with their application. The policy on ACT scores is "considered but not required".

UofSC regularly accepts students who score 26 and above on the ACT. These students typically score in the top 18 percent nationally. The ACT composite score range for the middle 50% of students is 26-31.

Find other colleges with similar ACT score requirements

Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

University of South Carolina Columbia admission chances by ACT score
ACT Score Competitiveness  Admission Chances 
31 and Above Good >78%
28 to 31 Avg + 62%-78%
26 to 28 Avg - 49%-62%
24 to 26 Reach 37%-49%
Less than 24 Low <37%
Calculate My Chances 

UofSC GPA

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

Avg. High School GPA 
3.69*
Typical High School Grades 
B+

What GPA do you need to get into University of South Carolina Columbia?

Applicants require very good grades in high school to get into UofSC. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at University of South Carolina Columbia was 3.69 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily B+ students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #14 in South Carolina for highest average GPA. If your high school GPA meets these requirements, there is a good chance you will be accepted as UofSC accepts 62% of students who apply.

 What do these ratings mean?

Explore more colleges with similar GPA requirements

High School GPA's for admitted University of South Carolina Columbia students
High School GPA Freshmen Within Range Competitiveness 
4.0 13.82% Good
3.75 to 3.99 30.43% Avg +
3.50 to 3.74 26.54% Avg -
3.25 to 3.49 16.69% Reach
3.00 to 3.24 7.48% Reach
2.50 to 2.99 2.74% Reach
2.00 to 2.49 0.13% Reach
1.00 to 1.99 0% Reach
less than 1.00 0% Reach

*This school has not released high school GPA data for its incoming freshmen. In these cases, CollegeSimply employs an artificial intelligence (AI) process to predict GPA based on this school's test scores and a large sample of other colleges' data. 3.69 is an estimate of the school's average incoming freshman GPA.

High School Class Rank

63% of University of South Carolina Columbia freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.

High School Class Rank for admitted University of South Carolina Columbia students
High School Class Rank Freshmen Within Range
Top 10% of class 30%
Top 25% of class 63%
Top 50% of class 93%
Data Source, Peterson's Data

Applying

Admission Statistics

University of South Carolina Columbia admission statistics
Women Men Total
Applied 25,682 16,363 42,045
Accepted 16,031 9,853 25,884
Acceptance Rate 62% 60% 62%
Enrolled 3,697 2,477 6,174
Percent of Admitted Who Enrolled (Admission Yield) 23% 25% 24%
Data Sources, IPEDS for Fall 2021 starting class

Fall 2023 Application Deadline

Applications were Due
Dec 1, 2022
Days left to Apply
None

The application deadline for Fall 2023 has passed. Applications were due on Dec 1, 2022.

Application Fee

The cost for prospective students to apply to University of South Carolina Columbia is $65.

Application Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to University of South Carolina Columbia and what student information is used for admission decisions?

University of South Carolina Columbia Application Requirements
Test Scores Considered but not required
High School GPA Required
High School Class Rank Recommended
Completion of College Preparatory Program Required
Recommendations Neither required nor recommended
Demonstration of Competencies Neither required nor recommended

Credits Accepted

High School Credits Accepted at University of South Carolina Columbia
AP Credit Yes
Dual Credit Yes
Credit for Life Experiences No
Other Colleges to Consider 

Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=218663 IPEDS survey data for University of South Carolina Columbia.

FAQs

Does University of South Carolina Columbia prefer SAT or ACT?

38% of students submit their SAT scores to UofSC. 26% of applicants send their ACT scores when applying.

What is my chance of getting into University of South Carolina Columbia?

62% of those who apply are granted admission to UofSC. Admission competition is low and the college has very high admission standards. See if your grades and scores are good enough for admission.

What SAT score is required for University of South Carolina Columbia?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have SAT scores between 1150 and 1360. 38% of students submit SAT scores when applying. See if your SAT score is good enough for admission.

What ACT score is required for University of South Carolina Columbia?

The middle 50% of addmitted applicants have ACT scores between 26 and 31. 26% of students submit ACT scores when applying. See if your ACT score is good enough for admission.