What SAT or ACT score do you need for South Carolina?

As of November 2026: South Carolina is test-optional for spring, summer and fall 2027 first-year applicants, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1180 to 1380. On the ACT, the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score scored 26 to 32.

South Carolina does not require a score for 2027 entry, but a strong one can still help. Here is what enrolled first-years sent, what it costs, and what we tell families to do next.

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

South Carolina is test-optional for 2027 entry. First-year applicants for spring, summer and fall 2027 do not have to send an SAT or ACT score. The policy also covers the SC Honors College and the merit scholarships awarded by the admissions office.

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

South Carolina admitted 61.5 percent of applicants. In fall 2023, 46,682 students applied and 28,709 were admitted. In our experience, a strong score helps a student stand out in a pool that large.

Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT?

The policy as the university states it on its own admissions page.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the university's words	Details	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	Policy applies to general admission, SC Honors College, and admissions-office merit scholarships. Exception: applicants from secondary schools that use written evaluations instead of grades are not eligible for test-optional and must submit scores. Undergrad enrollment 30,187 (IPEDS College Navigator).	Source

Test-optional means a score is welcome but not required.

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

Fall 2023 bands, shares and admissions figures, with current prices.

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

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class.

Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT?

No, South Carolina does not require the SAT or ACT for spring 2027, summer 2027 or fall 2027 first-year applicants to its Columbia campus. The university's own admissions page says 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.

The test-optional policy applies to general admission, the SC Honors College and the merit scholarships awarded by the admissions office. A score is still welcome if your child chooses to send one.

There is one exception families should know about. Applicants from high schools that use written evaluations instead of grades are not eligible for test-optional and must submit scores. If your child's school works that way, plan for a test date now.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at South Carolina have?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1180 and 1380. Those numbers come from the fall 2023 class, the latest federal figures.

Here is how to read that band. A quarter of the students who sent an SAT scored below 1180, and a quarter scored above 1380. The rest sat inside the band. It is not a cutoff, and it is not a minimum. It is a picture of the students who enrolled and chose to send a score.

When we look at a student's practice results, we put them next to this band first. A 1380 or higher puts your child in the top quarter of submitters. A score near 1180 sits at the low edge of the middle half.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at South Carolina have?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 26 and 32. That band also describes the fall 2023 class.

As with the SAT, a quarter of ACT submitters scored below 26 and a quarter scored above 32. A 26 is at the bottom of the middle half, and a 32 is at the top of it.

Many of our students do better on one test than the other. That is why we have them try both before they pick. Your child may send either test, so choose the one that fits.

How many South Carolina students send a score?

In the fall 2023 class, 32 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 17 percent sent an ACT. Some students may have sent both tests, so we do not add the two shares together.

These shares tell you something useful. Many enrolled students did not send a score at all. The bands describe only the students who did.

So the band shows what a sent score looked like, not what every student scored. That is the right way to compare your child's result. Hold it up against the students who chose to send a score, because that is the group your child joins when they send one.

Should my child send a score to South Carolina?

Our rule is simple: if your child's score is inside or above the 1180 to 1380 SAT band, or the 26 to 32 ACT band, send it. A score in that range looks like the scores enrolled first-years chose to send.

If the score is below the band, think hard before sending it. A score below 1180 on the SAT or below 26 on the ACT is under the middle half of submitters. In that case, more prep and another sitting may make more sense than sending the score you have.

We tell families that at a test-optional college it is nearly always good to have a score, because a strong score bolsters the odds of getting in and many merit scholarships are keyed to one. Even where a score is optional, a strong one in hand keeps every choice open for your child.

How hard is it to get into South Carolina?

South Carolina admitted 61.5 percent of its applicants in fall 2023. That year, 46,682 students applied and 28,709 were admitted.

That is a large applicant pool. The Columbia campus is a big school too, with 30,187 undergraduates.

We tell families not to read the admit rate as a promise. It is an average across every applicant, from the strongest to the weakest. Your child's own record is the part you can work on, so that is where we focus with our students.

What does it cost to apply to and attend South Carolina?

The application fee at South Carolina is $65.

The full price of a year is $31,638. The average net price after aid is $22,811. Net price is what families paid on average once grants and scholarships were taken into account.

Your family's price may be higher or lower than the average. The college publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We suggest running it with your own numbers before you settle on a college list.

What should we do this month?

Sit a free full-length mock SAT and a free full-length mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus this month. You can sign up at https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step or call us at 949.229.5359.

Then compare each result with the bands. Put the SAT score next to 1180 to 1380 and the ACT score next to 26 to 32. That tells you which test is the better fit and how far your child has to go.

Plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Prepare for the whole test every sitting, not just one section. Our students who prepare this way walk in calm and ready, and they know the score they send is one they chose.

Questions parents ask

Does South Carolina require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?
No, South Carolina does not require the SAT or ACT for spring 2027, summer 2027 or fall 2027 first-year applicants to its Columbia campus.

Does every applicant get to apply without a score?
Applicants from high schools that use written evaluations instead of grades are not eligible for test-optional and must submit scores.

What SAT score do students at South Carolina have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored between 1180 and 1380.

What ACT score do students at South Carolina have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored between 26 and 32.

Should my child send a score below the band?
If the score is below the band, think hard before sending it.

How much does it cost to apply to South Carolina?
The application fee at South Carolina is $65.

Method and sources: The policy comes from the University of South Carolina's own admissions page and applies to spring, summer and fall 2027 first-year applicants. The SAT and ACT bands describe the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent that test in fall 2023, the latest federal release, along with applicant and admit counts for that year. Prices come from the College Scorecard and are averages, so a given family's cost may differ.