USC expects about 10% acceptance rate for 2029
The University got around 83,000 applicants for the incoming freshman class.
By CHRISTINA CHKARBOUL
USC will likely see an acceptance rate of about 10% for the incoming freshman Class of 2029, according to preliminary statistics from the Office of Admission. Last year, the University accepted roughly 9.2% of applicants.
The University received about 83,000 applicants for the incoming Fall 2025 freshman class, just over half of which were on the early action track. That’s up 1,000 applicants from last year.
(Christina Chkarboul / Daily Trojan)
USC accepted 3,500 students EA — yielding an 8.3% EA admit rate — and expects to take between 5,000 and 5,400 more from the regular decision and deferred EA pools.
The preliminary data comes as USC considers adding a binding early decision option for applicants to the undergraduate business and accounting programs in 2026. While some applicants favor early action and early decision programs for perceived higher admission rates, this cycle’s numbers don’t seem to show a statistical advantage for EA applicants over those in the regular decision pool.
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The University’s acceptance rates have hovered around the mid-teens for the graduating classes of 2020 to 2026, dropping into the single digits for the first time for the Class of 2027. A projected admit rate between 10.2% and 10.7% for the Class of 2029 is a hop back into double digits.
Final admissions data for the Class of 2029 will become available in September, a University spokesperson said.
