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South Carolina acceptance rate

University of South Carolina · Columbia, South Carolina · Public · 29,820 undergraduates

60.2%
accepted, fall 2024
52,703
applications
31,701
offers of admission
7,272
enrolled (23% of those admitted)

The rate slipped from 65% in 2014 to 60% in 2024, while the typical four-year college moved the other way (up about 6 points). Applications more than doubled between 2014 and 2024, reaching 52,703. Women applying for fall 2024 had better odds than men: 63% were admitted, against 55% of men.

Acceptance rate since 2001

0%20%40%60%80%2001200320052007200920112013201520172019202120242001 70%2002 70%2003 70%2004 70%2005 67%2006 68%2007 63%2008 59%2009 58%2010 64%2011 70%2012 63%2013 61%2014 65%2015 65%2016 68%2017 72%2018 63%2019 69%2020 68%2021 62%2022 64%2023 61%2024 60%
Share of first-time, first-year applicants offered admission, by fall term.
Show the numbers by year
FallAppliedAdmittedRateEnrolled
202452,70331,70160.2%7,272
202346,68228,70661.5%7,319
202242,18827,02264.1%6,574
202142,04525,88461.6%6,174
202034,95723,89468.4%5,742
201931,26821,46468.6%6,286
201830,88919,48063.1%5,854
201726,01518,81172.3%5,879
201625,05717,07368.1%5,110
201525,74016,61164.5%5,199
201423,34215,21965.2%4,983
201323,42914,19960.6%4,625
201221,31113,45163.1%4,637
201118,48512,91469.9%4,468
201017,69511,26263.6%3,917
200917,0189,95458.5%3,967
200814,9948,90859.4%3,813
200713,9468,78263.0%3,697
200613,0238,81267.7%3,734
200512,3798,34467.4%3,403
200412,0048,44270.3%3,491
200312,0168,44670.3%3,561
200211,1767,78869.7%3,287
200111,1767,78869.7%3,298

Applications and offers

020k40k60k20012004200720102013201620192024AppliedAdmitted2001 Applied: 11k Admitted: 8k2002 Applied: 11k Admitted: 8k2003 Applied: 12k Admitted: 8k2004 Applied: 12k Admitted: 8k2005 Applied: 12k Admitted: 8k2006 Applied: 13k Admitted: 9k2007 Applied: 14k Admitted: 9k2008 Applied: 15k Admitted: 9k2009 Applied: 17k Admitted: 10k2010 Applied: 18k Admitted: 11k2011 Applied: 18k Admitted: 13k2012 Applied: 21k Admitted: 13k2013 Applied: 23k Admitted: 14k2014 Applied: 23k Admitted: 15k2015 Applied: 26k Admitted: 17k2016 Applied: 25k Admitted: 17k2017 Applied: 26k Admitted: 19k2018 Applied: 31k Admitted: 19k2019 Applied: 31k Admitted: 21k2020 Applied: 35k Admitted: 24k2021 Applied: 42k Admitted: 26k2022 Applied: 42k Admitted: 27k2023 Applied: 47k Admitted: 29k2024 Applied: 53k Admitted: 32k
First-year applications received and offers made, by fall term.

Acceptance rate for women and men

Fall 2024AppliedAdmittedRate
Women32,04120,32463.4%
Men20,66211,37755.1%

SAT, ACT and test policy

Test scores in admission
Considered if submitted (test-optional)
SAT reading and writing
600 to 680 (middle 50% of enrolled students)
SAT math
580 to 680
ACT composite
26 to 32

Colleges similar to South Carolina

The six public four-year colleges closest to South Carolina in acceptance rate and undergraduate enrollment.

CollegeAcceptance rateUndergraduatesAvg net priceEarnings after 10 yrs
UMass Amherst
Amherst, MA		60%23,671$22,857$80,486
Rutgers
New Brunswick, NJ		58%37,751$24,897$80,490
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA		55%30,923$25,808$88,716
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH		61%45,638$17,269$67,080
Texas A&M
College Station, TX		57%59,615$21,527$78,159
Pitt
Pittsburgh, PA		58%20,370$29,362$73,113

Admissions counts are first-time, first-year applicants reported by South Carolina to IPEDS for each fall term (2001 to 2024), read from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Test score ranges and policy come from the College Scorecard. College Scorecard data updated November 2, 2026. How these figures are built · South Carolina on College Scorecard