As a very reputable and one the top universities in USA, University of Southern California admissions caters to academically elite applicants. The university considers GPA an important factor while making admission decisions. Around 13,056 international students constitute the multicultural student body of University of Southern California. In the Fall intake of 2022, around 69,062 applications were received, and out of those only 8,304 were accepted for admissions. The average GPA for Fall 2022 admissions was recorded as between 3.82-4.00.
- Student Enrollment: The university observed a total enrollment of 49,500. About 21,000 students pursue UG courses and 28,500 students pursue graduate courses at University of Southern California. There are 13,056 international students enrolled at USC with the highest being Chinese students (6,513). Students from India are the second highest among international students with 2,590 students across all undergraduate and graduate courses.
- Acceptance Rate: With an acceptance rate of 12%, University of Southern California admissions are regarded as highly competitive.
- Application Portal: Undergraduate students can apply through the Common Application Portal. While PG students can apply through the respective schools.
- Eligibility Criteria: Home to international applicants from over 135 countries, language proficiency plays a significant role in University of Southern California admission. USC admissions require applicants to submit standardised tests required to study in the USA. Admission interviews are not a requirement for getting into USC. Prospective students can reach out to their counsellors if they have any questions or clarifications to make.
Check: University of Southern California Student Reviews
University of South California Admission Deadlines
The admission process at USC begins during the Fall season. The following table shows the deadlines for international students to adhere for application submission:
| Course | Deadlines |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate Early Action | November 1, 2022 (closed) |
| Undergraduate Regular Decision | January 15, 2023 |
| LLM Applications | Spring 2023 [ November 1, 2022] Fall 2023 [June 1, 2023] |
| Transfer Students | December 1, 2022 February 15, 2023 |
Application deadlines vary for many graduate programs. International applicants are suggested to check their respective departmental deadlines.
University of Southern California Graduate Admission
At USC, there are 19 graduate schools that offer more than 400 graduate courses at University of Southern California. Each course has different requirements and application processes.
How to apply for USC Graduate admissions?
There are different portals to apply for the desired course. The applications are filed through the respective school’s website.
| Courses | Application Portal | Fee (USD) | Fee (INR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most USC graduate programs | USC Graduate Application | 90 | 7,341 |
| Marshall School of Business | Liaisoncas Portal | 155 | 12,643 |
| Programs through USC International Academy | International Student Academy Portal | 175 | 14,275 |
Admission Requirements
- 4 years Bachelor's degree
- GPA required: 3.0 or above
- English language proficiency
- TOEFL-iBT: 6.5 - 7.0
- IELTS: 90 - 100
- Test Scores (Valid up to 3-5 years)
- GMAT: 715+
- GRE: 310+
Documents Checklist
- Personal Statement or Essays
- Academic or professional letter of recommendation
- Resume or CV
- Passport copy
- Financial Evidence
- Admission letter
Program-specific Admission to Popular Graduate Courses at University of Southern California:
| Programs | Application Fees | Admission Requirements | GMAT/GRE Scores | ELP Scores | Documents required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MS in Finance | 155 USD | Bachelor’s degree equivalent to 4 year degree | GMAT score of 714 | TOEFL: 100 | IELTS: 7.0 | 1-2 LORs | 2 essays in 300 words each |
| Master of Accounting | 90 USD | 4 year's Bachelor's degree with GPA of 3.2 or better | GMAT: 650 | TOEFL: 100 | IELTS: 7.0 | Personal Statement | Professional Resume | Essay(optional) | |
| MS in Business Analytics | 155USD | 4 year's Bachelor's degree in competitive GPA | GMAT Score of 712 | TOEFL: 100 | IELTS: 7.0 | Essay Questions | Resume | Work Experience proof (preferred but required) |
| MS in Computer Science | 90 USD | Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field | GRE: 151+ [Verbal] | 155+ [Quant] (not required for 2023 admissions) | TOEFL: 90 | IELTS: 6.5 | Personal Statement | Resume/CV | academic or professional LORs |
| MS in Mechanical Engineering | 90 USD | Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or related disciplines like mechanical design, mechatronics, physics and aerospace engineering | GRE: 151+ [Verbal] | 155+ [Quant] (not required for 2023 admissions) | TOEFL: 90 | IELTS: 6.5 | Personal Statement | Resume/CV | academic or professional LORs |
| MS in Civil Engineering | 90 USD | Bachelor's degree in civil engineering or related field | GRE: 151+ [Verbal] | 155+ [Quant] (not required for 2023 admissions) | TOEFL: 90 | IELTS: 6.5 | Personal Statement | Resume/CV | 2 academic or professional LORs |
| MS in Electrical Engineering | 90 USD | Bachelor's degree in computer science or related field | GRE: 151+ [Verbal] | 155+ [Quant] (not required for 2023 admissions) | TOEFL: 90 | IELTS: 6.5 | Personal Statement | Resume/CV | LORs (optional) |
| MS in Chemical Engineering | 90 USD | Bachelor's degree in chemical engineering or relevant discipline such as pharmaceuticals, chemistry, material science, etc | GRE: 151+ [Verbal] | 155+ [Quant] (not required for 2023 admissions) | TOEFL: 90 | IELTS: 6.5 | 3 LORS | Personal Statement | Resume |
University of Southern California MBA Admission
MBA in University of Southern California is a full-time program offered through the USC Marshall School of Business. The program is STEM certified and focused on entrepreneurial skills and solving business problems. International students can extend their program with a 12 months OPT after completion of course. Details of admission to the University of Southern California MBA are as follows:
Application Portal: USC Graduate Application Portal, Application Fee: Not required
Admission Requirements:
- 4 year UG degree or equivalent, transcripts
- GPA required: 3.58 GPA (87%)
- English proficiency test scores
- TOEFL-IBT: 103
- IELTS: 7.5
- Standardised test scores
- GMAT: 732
- GRE: 321
- Two essays with one in 100 words and other in 600 words
- Resume (updated)
- 5 years of professional experience (recommended)
- Interview (on invitation)
MBA Admission Deadline:
| Round | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | October 15, 2022 |
| Round 2 | January 5, 2023 |
| Round 3 | March 1, 2023 |
| Round 4 | April 15, 2023 |
| Round 5 | Rolling Admission |
MBA Class Profile for the Class of 2024:
| Class Size | 190 |
| International Students | 41% |
| Female Students | 46% |
| Average GMAT Score (Middle 80%) | 732 |
| Average GRE Score (Middle 80%) | 321 |
| Average GPA (Middle 80%) | 3.58 |
| Average Work Experience | 66 months (5.5 years) |
| Average Age | 29 years |
University of Southern California Undergraduate Admission
More than 20,000 students are enrolled in a number of undergraduate programs offered by USC. There are around 150 majors at the undergraduate level. The students must submit the required test scores, documents, and application fee within the given time limit to be considered for admissions. Undergraduate students have an average GPA of 3.82 on a 4.0 scale (~90-92%).
Application Portal: Apply through the Common Application
Required Documents:
- Transcripts
- GPA required: of 3.0 (~83-86%)
- Academic records sent directly from school and translated if, in a language other than English
- English proficiency requirements
- TOEFL: 100
- IELTS: 7.0
- External exam results/predicted results
- Statement of Purpose
- Essays
- Letter of Recommendations
University of Southern California Admission Decisions
Applicants will be notified via email when their decision has been posted. For First-Year applicants, admission decisions are available on the USC Applicant Portal in late March. Transfer Applicants usually get updates by May 31. USC sees its peak admission period from November to May. Graduate program applicants must allow at least 15 business days for their application review after their application package has been received by USC.
Time required to make these decisions vary with programs as well as the size of the applicant pool. Usually, Fall term applicants get a decision by June while those who have applied for the Spring term receive it by December.
The below table displays admission decision dates for top programs at University of Southern California:
| Program | Round/Intake | Decision Dates |
|---|---|---|
| MBA | Round 1 | December 31, , 2022 |
| Round 2 | March 31, 2023 | |
| Round 3 | May 15, 2023 | |
| Round 4 | June 15, 2023 | |
| Round 5 | Variable | |
| MS in Finance | Round 1 | May 31, 2023 |
| Round 2 | ||
| MS in Business Analytics | Round 1 | January 1, 2023 |
| Round 2 | March 1, 2023 | |
| Round 3 | April 1, 2023 | |
| Round 4 | May 1, 2023 | |
| Round 5 | June 1, 2023 |
Check out Complete review of University of Southern California
University of Southern California Admissions: Selection Criteria
The University of Southern California acceptance rate is 12%, making it one of the highly selective universities in California. Coming to the selection criteria, the university prefers highly qualified applicants with strong academic standings, professional experience, leadership skills. The average GPA for undergraduate applicants is seen to be around 3.82 for the 2022 admissions. On the other hand, the applicants accepted for MBA and MAcc programs recorded an average undergraduate GPA of 3.58. This shows applicants must target a GPA equal or higher than 3.5 to be considered for admissions at University of Southern California.
Students Profile and Diversity
| Total Enrollment | 49,500 |
| International Students | 13,056 |
| International Students Percentage | 26.6% |
| Asian Students | 19.3% |
| Indian Students | 2,590 |
| Chinese Students | 6,513 |
Admission into USC is based on a number of factors. The school considers academic performance, feedback from faculties for admission into some specific majors, the personal characteristics of the applicant is among the utmost consideration of the university as it seeks to admit a diverse group of students who have wide perspective and passions which would set up a competitive atmosphere inside and outside the classroom.
FAQS
Ques. What GPA do you need to get into USC?
Ans. There are no minimum GPA requirements at University of Southern California, but a majority of the applicants applying for admission generally have a 3.79 or above. Hence, prospective applicants are advised to maintain a good academic standing with a competitive GPA to make their application stand out.
Ques. How hard is it to get into USC?
Ans. University of Southern California is one of the highly competitive universities with an acceptance rate of only 12%. Which means out of 70,000 applicants, only 8,500 are accepted for admission making it amongst the hardest universities to get into. The low acceptance rate also concludes that admission is not guaranteed even if one possesses a high GPA or test scores.
Ques. What SAT score is required for USC?
Ans. Due to the higher level of competition, USC requires an SAT score with less than 25% of students scoring around 1360 and less than 75% of applicants scoring below 1530.
Ques. Can I get into USC without SAT?
Ans. Yes, a candidate can be considered for admission without submission of SAT scores based on what they present including overall academic performance, involvement in extracurricular activities, and other skills that demonstrate their eligibility.
Ques. What are the top 3 majors at USC?
Ans. The top majors that the majority of the students prefer at USC include Management, Business, and Marketing. Apart from this, students may also choose from majors like Communication, Social Science, Journalism, Computer & information system,s and Engineering.
Ques. Does USC give full-merit scholarships?
Ans. USC does offer merit-based scholarships for all students on the basis of academic performance, leadership skills, and other skills.
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