Understanding Yield Rates: Expert Insights for Your Admissions Strategy
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Class of 2028 Acceptance Rate
Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
Early Action Acceptance Rate
Key Trends
Who gets into USC?
Officials at USC anticipate a record-low acceptance rate of 9.2% for the Trojan’s Class of 2028. This admissions statistic marks a four-year trend of shrinking admission rates, with the number of people seeking admission having jumped much higher as of last year — 80,790 presented applications for the Class of ‘27 vs. 69,000 for the Class of ‘26. This year an astounding 82,000 students applied (for the Class of 2028), with only about 7,550 offers anticipated.
As one of the top private universities on the West Coast, USC has a long history of academic excellence and a reputation for producing successful graduates in a variety of fields. So it’s hardly surprising that recently announced USC admissions statistics reveal a second consecutive year of record-low overall acceptance rates, and increasing applicant pools.
This year, USC officials anticipate more than 82,000 total applications. This figure is only slightly higher (by 1.25%) than last year’s record pool of 80,808 applicants, but amounts to a soaring 18.8% increase when compared to figures from just two years ago.
Meanwhile, the overall acceptance rate dropped to its lowest ever, 9.2%, beating last year’s previous record low of 9.9%.
As USC grows more competitive each year, the school’s admissions trends mirror those at other leading US colleges and universities, with the most competitive schools in the US typically experiencing ever-lower acceptance rates.
USC’s shrinking acceptance rate figures highlight how challenging it can be for applicants to get offers to the most attractive institutions. Given USC’s reputation, high rankings, exceptional academic and athletic programs, and great California climate, it’s probably little wonder that more and more students are applying each year.
Number of Applications | Accepted Students | Acceptance Rate | |
---|---|---|---|
Early Action | 41,000 | 2,952 | 7.2% |
Regular Applications | 40,000 | 4,598 | 11.5% |
Total Applications | 82,000 | 7,550 | 9.2% |
For at least the second year in a row, the Regular Decision (RD) acceptance rate (11.5%) for aspiring Trojans was higher than the Early Action rate (7.2%).
USC received about 40,000 applications for its RD round, roughly the same as last year, and anticipates admitting about 4,600 from that group.
While the 11.5% RD acceptance statistic for the Class of 2028 is higher than both the overall rate of 9.2% and the Early Action rate of 7.2%, it still signals a very competitive admissions arena for would-be Trojans.
When some USC student reporters caught up with an applicant who was fortunate enough to receive an offer letter, the applicant had this to say about today’s admissions trends:
There’s so many talented people applying. And sometimes it’s just like throwing darts at a board until you hit a target and find one talented person out of a bunch because you can’t take them all.
Last year was the first year USC offered an Early Action admissions round (for the Class of 2027), creating more nuanced admissions statistics for this year and last, compared to prior years.
Here’s how RD acceptance rates look for this year and last year:
Class of | RD Applications | RD Accepted | RD Acceptance Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Class of 2028 | 40,000 | 4,600 | 11.5% |
Class of 2027 | 40,190 | 5,598 | 13% |
USC’s Early Action (EA) admissions statistics for the Class of 2028 spotlight how selective the process has become at USC.
For the Class of 2028, some 41,000 Trojan hopefuls applied in the EA round, increasing about 1.2%, from about 40,600 EA applicants last year.
The number of EA applicants admitted this year rose slightly, to just under 3,000 EA admits, compared to only 2,400 for the Class of 2027. As a result the EA acceptance rate was only 7.2% for the Class of 2028, but still up from a 5.9% EA acceptance figure for the Class of 2027.
With so many people applying for Early Action, slightly more than those applying in RD rounds, applying early may not give you a big boost at USC. With USC averaging a yield rate of about 45%, it means that only about 20 to 30% of EA applicants will enroll and the EA acceptance rate is lower than both the overall rate (9.2%) and the RD rate (11.5%).
Class of | EA Applications | EA Accepted | EA Acceptance Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Class of 2028 | 41,000 | 2,952 | 7.2% |
Class of 2027 | 40,600 | 2,400 | 5.9% |
The University of Southern California has seen an increasingly competitive admissions landscape over the past decade. Let's take a look at some of the important trends and what they mean for prospective applicants.
Class of | Total Applications | Total Accepted | Total Acceptance Rate | RD Acceptance Rate | EA Acceptance Rate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2028 | 81,800 | 7,550 | 9.2% | 11.5% | 7.2% |
2027 | 80,790 | 7,998 | 9.9% | 13% | 5.9% |
2026 | 69,000 | 8,200 | 11.88% | - | - |
2025 | 71,000 | 8,804 | 12.4% | - | - |
2024 | 60,000 | 9,500 | 15.83% | - | - |
2023 | 66,000 | 7,260 | 11% | - | - |
2022 | 64,256 | 8,258 | 12.85% | - | - |
2021 | 56,000 | 8,980 | 16% | - | - |
2020 | 54,100 | 8,920 | 16.5% | - | - |
2019 | 51,800 | 9,050 | 17.47% | - | - |
These trends indicate that USC's admissions process has become more selective over time, with an increasing number of highly qualified applicants vying for a limited number of spots.
It's clear that admission to the University of Southern California is highly competitive, so students applying to the school will typically present an exceptional GPA and a record of rigorous academic achievements and a profile with some outstanding extracurriculars.
According to admissions officials at USC, "incoming first-year students demonstrate superior academic performance," typically ranking in the top 10 percent of their graduating class, and with median SAT/ACT test scores — if submitted — in the top 5 percent.
In addition, prospective USC students will typically have ambitious intellectual and professional goals, interdisciplinary interests, and look at issues from a global perspective.
USC's acceptance rates are lower now than ever, highlighting how challenging it has become to gain entry into top universities. In this highly competitive landscape, seeking guidance from experienced college admissions advisors can offer a significant advantage. Advisors offer personalized support informed by experience and insight, taking chance and guesswork out of the application process and helping you:
Crimson Education has a track record of helping students achieve their admissions goals. This year alone, over 200 Crimson students were accepted to top US universities in the early round. Here's a breakdown of our early-round numbers:
If USC is your dream school, Crimson can help you get there! Our strategists include former Ivy League graduates who can help you put together a solid application that stands out from the crowd! Learn more about our Admissions Support program.