Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

As of November 2026: South Carolina is test-optional: it will not require SAT or ACT scores from spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants, and that is the published policy as of November 2026. The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1180 and 1380.

South Carolina does not require a score for fall 2027. Here is what its bands say and how we help families decide whether to send one.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

South Carolina is test-optional for fall 2027. The university will not require SAT or ACT scores from spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants. That is the published policy as of November 2026.

The middle SAT band is 1180 to 1380. That is the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT in fall 2023. On the ACT, the band is 26 to 32.

Only 32 percent sent an SAT. Of enrolled first-years, 32 percent sent an SAT and 17 percent sent an ACT. The admit rate that fall was 61.5 percent.

Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT?

This is South Carolina's published test policy for students applying in the 2026-27 school year.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Source
University of South Carolina-Columbia	Test-optional	spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants (page text)	Students seeking freshman admission to the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores	Source

Test-optional means South Carolina reads a score if one is sent. As of November 2026.

South Carolina: score bands, who sends a score, how many get in, what it costs

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023. Prices are for a full year.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	46682
admits, fall 2023	28709
admit rate, percent	61.5
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1180
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1380
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	26
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	32
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	32
share who sent an ACT, percent	17
application fee, dollars	65
full price of a year, dollars	31638
average net price after aid, dollars	22811

Score bands are the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score, not a cutoff.

Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT in 2027?

No -- the University of South Carolina-Columbia is test-optional for spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants, and that is the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated. In the university's own words, students seeking freshman admission to the Columbia campus "will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores." That covers high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027.

Test-optional means sending a score is your family's choice, and South Carolina reads a score if one is sent. The same policy covers general admission, the SC Honors College, and the merit scholarships awarded by the admissions office.

There is one exception. Applicants from high schools that use written evaluations instead of grades must submit scores.

For the full score picture, read our companion page, What SAT or ACT score do you need for South Carolina?, at https://www.prepgurus.com/blog/sat-act-score-for-university-of-south-carolina.

Could the policy change before fall 2027?

South Carolina has already published its test-optional rule for spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants, so seniors applying this school year know where they stand.

Colleges usually announce changes for the next cycle in the spring. South Carolina's policy carries no end date, but it does not state a rule for later years either. If your child is a junior, the rule that matters is the one for fall 2028 entry, and South Carolina has not stated it yet.

Our advice for juniors is to plan as if a score will help, and to check the admissions page yourself each spring. A score your child already holds keeps every door open, whatever the rule turns out to be.

What scores do enrolled first-years carry?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to South Carolina scored between 1180 and 1380, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored between 26 and 32. These numbers come from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal count.

A quarter of those submitters scored below the band. So the band is not a cutoff. It is a picture of the students who enrolled and chose to send a score.

Not everyone sent one. Of enrolled first-years, 32 percent sent an SAT and 17 percent sent an ACT.

That fall, 46,682 students applied and 28,709 were admitted, an admit rate of 61.5 percent. The full price of a year is $31,638, and the average net price after aid is $22,811. The application fee is $65. South Carolina publishes a net price calculator, so your family can see its own figure.

Should my child send a score to South Carolina?

Our rule is simple: an SAT of 1180 or higher, or an ACT of 26 or higher, sits inside or above South Carolina's band and is one to send.

A score below the band is one to think hard about. Sometimes the rest of the application tells the story better without it. Other times more prep moves the score into the band, and that is the better path.

We tell families that at a selective test-optional college like South Carolina it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one. We keep that in mind here, since South Carolina's test-optional policy also reaches the SC Honors College and admissions-office merit scholarships.

If your child attends a high school that uses written evaluations instead of grades, there is no choice to make. A score must be sent.

What should we do this month?

This month, have your child sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus, then compare each result with South Carolina's bands of 1180 to 1380 on the SAT and 26 to 32 on the ACT.

Pick the test where your child starts stronger. We plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Look at the calendar now and work back from your application date.

Our students prepare for the whole test every sitting. We prepare every section, every time, so no part of the score is left to chance.

To book the free mock SAT or the free mock ACT, call us at 949.229.5359 or go to https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step. We will go over the results with you and help you choose a test and a date.

Questions parents ask

Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT in 2027?
No -- the University of South Carolina-Columbia is test-optional for spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants, and that is the published policy as of November 2026, with no end date stated.

What SAT and ACT scores do South Carolina students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to South Carolina scored between 1180 and 1380, and the middle half who sent an ACT scored between 26 and 32.

Should my child send a score to South Carolina?
We tell families that at a selective test-optional college like South Carolina it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and most merit scholarships are keyed to one.

Who still has to send scores to South Carolina?
Applicants from high schools that use written evaluations instead of grades must submit scores.

How long should my child prep before the SAT or ACT?
We plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts.

Ready to plan the next test date? Free mock SAT and free mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus, then a plan built on the result: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step or 949.229.5359.

Method and sources: The policy is South Carolina's own admissions page, which names spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants as the term it covers. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years who submitted that test in fall 2023, the latest federal file, along with applicant, admit, and score-sending figures from IPEDS. Prices come from the College Scorecard.