University of Southern California (USC) admission requirements for international students are the standard US set plus a few strict extras: the Common Application with USC’s own essays and short answers, one recommendation, official transcripts and predicted or external exam results, an English test with no waivers, and a signed Financial Statement with bank proof that you can pay for at least the first year. SAT and ACT scores are optional for fall 2027 entry. USC gives no need-based aid to international students, but every international applicant who applies by the early deadline is considered for merit scholarships worth from a few thousand dollars up to full tuition.
USC is ranked No. 27 among National Universities in the U.S. News 2027 edition, and its acceptance rate was about 11% for fall 2025. The cost of attendance for 2026-27 is $103,162 for a student living on campus. For fall 2027, the Early Decision and Early Action deadline is 1 November 2026 and Regular Decision closes on 10 January 2027. I checked the details below on USC’s own admission and financial aid pages on 29 October 2026.
USC ranking and headline numbers
| Measure | USC |
|---|---|
| U.S. News National Universities (2027 edition) | No. 27 |
| U.S. News National Universities (2026 edition) | No. 28 |
| Cost of attendance 2026-27, living on campus | $103,162 |
| Need-based aid for international students | None |
| Merit scholarships for international students | Yes, if you apply by the early deadline |
USC acceptance rate and class profile
USC’s Common Data Set 2025-2026, released in October 2026, reports roughly 83,500 first-year applications for fall 2025 and an admit rate of about 11.2%, with about 3,760 first-years enrolling. Those figures come from a transcription of the CDS; check the original PDF on USC’s institutional research site for the exact count.
| Measure (fall 2025) | Figure |
|---|---|
| First-year applications | about 83,500 |
| Acceptance rate | about 11.2% |
| Enrolled first-years | about 3,760 |
| SAT middle 50% (enrolled students who sent scores) | 1470 to 1540 |
| ACT middle 50% (enrolled students who sent scores) | 32 to 35 |
| Testing policy | Test-optional |
USC does not publish a separate international acceptance rate. What it does say is that admitted students usually score well above its English minimums: the average TOEFL iBT for admits is above 111.
USC is one of the most applied-to private universities in the US, so early application matters more here than at many peers. Early applicants are the only ones guaranteed merit scholarship consideration for most majors.
USC tuition for international students in 2026-27
International students pay the same tuition as US students. The official 2026-27 budget for a full-time undergraduate taking 12 to 18 units a semester is:
| Item (2026-27) | Living on campus | Living off campus |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $75,384 | $75,384 |
| Fees | $1,952 | $1,952 |
| Housing | $13,510 | $13,140 |
| Food | $8,442 | $8,442 |
| Books and supplies | $670 | $670 |
| Transportation | $1,188 | $1,188 |
| Personal and miscellaneous | $2,016 | $2,016 |
| Total | $103,162 | $102,792 |
A one-time new student fee of $450 is added in your first semester. Health insurance is not part of this estimate, so add it separately. This is also the amount USC expects you to prove you can pay when you file your Financial Statement.
USC’s new tuition-free option for families earning $80,000 or less applies to US families only.
USC scholarships for international students
USC’s international page states it does not offer need-based financial aid to international applicants. That leaves merit scholarships.
- Who is eligible: every international applicant who applies by the scholarship deadline. There is no separate scholarship application and no minimum score.
- Deadline: apply Early Decision or Early Action by 1 November 2026 (most majors), or by 1 December 2026 for performing arts majors.
- Value: from a few thousand dollars up to full tuition. Over 1,000 admitted students received $10,000 or more a year in the last cycle, and 18% of the fall 2024 first-year class held a USC Merit Scholarship.
- Limit: no USC scholarship covers the full cost of attendance, and USC tells you not to rely on a possible scholarship when proving funds.
- CSS Profile: not needed for international students, since there is no need-based aid.
- Need-blind or need-aware: because USC gives international students no need-based aid, it does not ask for an aid application at admission.
In practice, even a full-tuition award leaves about $27,800 a year in living costs and fees to cover yourself. For universities that meet full need for international students, see our list of the best American scholarships for international students, or the Yale and Duke guides.
Apply by 1 November for scholarships
Regular Decision applicants for most majors (10 January deadline) are not listed by USC for merit scholarship consideration. If you need a scholarship, submit Early Decision or Early Action by 1 November 2026.
USC admission requirements for international students: the application parts
- Common Application: with the main personal essay and activities.
- USC writing supplement: essays and short answers (see below).
- Recommendation: one letter from your school counsellor or a teacher; some programmes ask for more.
- Transcripts: official records from every secondary, pre-university and college institution, sent by the school, with certified English translations.
- External exams or predictions: for example IGCSE, WAEC or national results, predicted IB or A-level grades, or ATAR.
- English test: required for non-native speakers, with no waivers.
- Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support: signed form, bank proof and a passport copy, uploaded within two weeks of your deadline.
- Portfolio, résumé, writing sample or audition: for programmes in architecture, art and design, cinematic arts, dance, dramatic arts, music, the Iovine and Young Academy, and the World Bachelor in Business.
Use your passport name throughout, and give a non-P.O. box address outside the US even if you currently live in the US.
Testing policy: optional
SAT and ACT scores are optional for students entering in 2027-28. If you send them, they must be official scores from the testing agency; USC does not accept self-reported scores. It takes your highest section scores across dates. International applicants who use the SAT or ACT to meet the English requirement will have those scores read for admission too, so only use them if they help.
English requirements
| Test | USC minimum |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT (taken before 21 January 2026) | 100, at least 20 in each section |
| TOEFL iBT (taken on or after 21 January 2026) | 5, at least 4 in each section |
| IELTS (or IELTS Indicator) | 7 |
| Duolingo English Test | 130 |
| PTE Academic | 68 |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced | 185, at least 169 per skill |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | 650 |
| ACT English | 27 |
USC says it does not grant waivers under any circumstances, even for students already in the US. Applicants below the minimum can still be admitted, but at lower rates. If you are admitted on a Duolingo score alone, you will sit USC’s International Student Exam after you enrol. Official scores must arrive within two weeks of your application deadline.
USC deadlines for fall 2027 entry
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Merit consideration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision (binding), most majors | 1 November 2026 | Mid-December 2026 | Yes |
| Early Action (non-binding), most majors | 1 November 2026 | Late January 2027 | Yes |
| Regular Decision, performing arts (dance, drama, music) | 1 December 2026 | By 1 April 2027 | Yes |
| Regular Decision, most majors | 10 January 2027 | By 1 April 2027 | Not listed |
Performing arts programmes do not offer Early Decision or Early Action. The World Bachelor in Business takes applications only by the 1 November deadline. Financial Statements and official test scores are due within two weeks of whichever deadline you use. USC’s admission page lists these dates without years; the years come from USC Viterbi’s fall 2027 post and USC’s 2026-27 financial aid deadlines.
How to write the USC supplemental essays
For the 2026-27 cycle, USC’s supplement has:
- A required essay of about 250 words on how you plan to pursue your academic interests and why at USC specifically, including your first and second choice of major.
- An optional essay of about 250 words on a time you disagreed with someone about something important to you.
- A gap essay only if you missed a fall or spring term of school.
- Ten quick takes, such as three words that describe you, your dream job, and a class you would teach.
For the academic essay, USC wants specifics: courses, minors, research programmes and the way its schools let students combine fields. USC asks about your second-choice major too, so connect the two choices in a way that makes sense. For the disagreement essay, choose a real conversation with someone you know, show both views fairly, and say what changed in how you think. The quick takes are where your personality shows, so answer honestly and briefly.
Sample opening for the academic interests essay, for illustration only:
“Every Saturday I translate my grandfather’s radio shows from Yoruba into English captions for my cousins abroad. It started as a favour; now I want to study how media carries a language across borders, and USC’s mix of communication and computer science is where I want to learn to do it properly.”
The opening moves from a personal habit to a field of study within two sentences, which leaves room for USC-specific detail.
What happens after you apply
- Portal: use the USC Applicant Portal to upload your Financial Statement and check documents.
- Portfolios and auditions: arts applicants complete these on their programme’s timeline; some schools also interview.
- Decisions: Early Decision results arrive in mid-December, Early Action in late January, and Regular Decision by 1 April.
- Enrolment: Early Decision admits must enrol and withdraw other applications; others reply by the standard date.
- I-20 and visa: USC uses your Financial Statement to issue the I-20 you need for the F-1 visa interview. Bank documents must be recent; the current requirement is dated August 2026 or later.
Common mistakes international applicants make
- Applying Regular Decision when you need a scholarship.
- Uploading tax returns, salary letters or property valuations as proof of funds; USC does not accept them.
- Submitting a provisional or in-principle loan letter; only approved loans count.
- Assuming you can work part-time to cover costs; USC does not count work income.
- Expecting an English waiver because your school taught in English.
- Treating the second-choice major as an afterthought.
- Sending SAT scores that are lower than your English test shows, since they will also be read for admission.
Costs scholarships do not cover
Even a full-tuition award leaves you paying for:
- Housing and food, about $22,000 on campus.
- Fees, books, transport and personal costs, about $5,800.
- The $450 new student fee.
- Health insurance.
- Flights, the SEVIS fee and the visa application fee.
- Higher costs each year over four years.
USC majors, campus and city
USC has a large set of professional and arts schools alongside the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. It is best known for film and television through the School of Cinematic Arts, communication and journalism through Annenberg, business through Marshall, engineering and computer science through Viterbi, and music, dance and drama through Thornton, Kaufman and the School of Dramatic Arts. Many students add a minor in a different school.
The University Park Campus is just south of downtown Los Angeles, and the Health Sciences Campus is a few miles east. Los Angeles is expensive and spread out, but it gives students direct access to entertainment, media, technology and international business. The weather is mild all year, which matters if you are coming from a warm country.
USC graduate admissions for international students
Graduate applications go to each school, with separate deadlines, test rules and English minimums. Many USC master’s programmes in engineering, business and communication enrol large numbers of international students, and most are self-funded. Doctoral funding is set by each programme. For external funding for US graduate study, see our Fulbright Scholarship guide.
USC compared with similar universities
| University | U.S. News 2027 rank | International aid |
|---|---|---|
| USC | No. 27 | Merit only, from a few thousand dollars to full tuition |
| Carnegie Mellon | No. 14 | No aid for international undergraduates |
| UCLA | No. 20 | No need-based aid; limited merit |
| Boston University | No. 34 | Limited need-based and merit aid |
| Northeastern | No. 42 | Limited aid |
If you need full funding, need-blind universities such as MIT are a better fit than USC.
Who should apply to USC
Apply if you want film, media, business, engineering or the arts in a large city, you can apply by 1 November, and your family can cover the remaining cost if a scholarship does not come through. Strong students from systems with predicted grades or national exams can compete without the SAT.
Think carefully if you cannot afford about $100,000 a year without help. Scholarships are competitive and never cover everything.
FAQ on USC admission requirements for international students
What is the USC acceptance rate for international students?
USC does not publish one. Its overall acceptance rate for fall 2025 was about 11%, from roughly 83,500 applications.
Does USC give scholarships to international students?
Yes, merit scholarships only. All international applicants who apply by 1 November 2026 (1 December for performing arts) are considered, with awards up to full tuition, but USC offers no need-based aid.
How much is USC tuition for international students?
Tuition for 2026-27 is $75,384, and the full on-campus cost of attendance is $103,162, plus a $450 new student fee and health insurance.
Does USC require IELTS or TOEFL for international students?
Yes, if English is not your native language, and USC grants no waivers. Minimums are IELTS 7, TOEFL iBT 100 (or 5 on the new scale) and Duolingo 130.
Sources and updates
Checked on 29 October 2026 against USC’s international students admission page, the first-year applicants and deadlines page, the merit scholarships and financial aid pages, the Financial Aid Office 2026-27 cost of attendance, and USC Viterbi’s fall 2027 application plan post. Acceptance figures are from USC’s Common Data Set 2025-2026 as transcribed by a third party; the original sits on USC’s Office of Institutional Research site. Essay prompts follow published 2026-27 supplement guides; confirm the wording in the Common App. U.S. News ranks are from the 2027 Best Colleges edition as reported in published rank tables, because the U.S. News profile could not be loaded.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
