Key differences on Getting in

1
U. Tennessee-Knoxville admits 42% vs. 57% at U. South Carolina-Columbia
Acceptance rate
2
U. Tennessee-Knoxville's yield is 4 pts higher than U. South Carolina-Columbia's
Yield rate
3
U. Tennessee-Knoxville's SAT midpoint is 5 points higher than U. South Carolina-Columbia's
SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate

U. South Carolina-Columbia57%

U. Tennessee-Knoxville42%Most selective

Applicants

U. South Carolina-Columbia59.6K

U. Tennessee-Knoxville59.8KMost

Admitted

U. South Carolina-Columbia33.7KMost

U. Tennessee-Knoxville24.9K

Yield rate

U. South Carolina-Columbia23%

U. Tennessee-Knoxville27%Highest

Quad's selectivity

U. South Carolina-ColumbiaSelectivefrom South CarolinaVery selectivefrom other states
U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleVery selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted

U. South Carolina-Columbia63%

U. Tennessee-Knoxville39%

Men admitted

U. South Carolina-Columbia55%

U. Tennessee-Knoxville45%

Test scores

SAT total,

U. South Carolina-Columbia

1200–1360

U. Tennessee-Knoxville

1200–1370

Axis runs 1100–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

U. South Carolina-Columbia

26–32

U. Tennessee-Knoxville

25–31

Axis runs 21–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT

U. South Carolina-Columbia32%

U. Tennessee-Knoxville24%

Submitted ACT

U. South Carolina-Columbia15%

U. Tennessee-Knoxville81%

Test policy

U. South Carolina-ColumbiaTest-optional
U. Tennessee-KnoxvilleTest scores required

How they read a record

U. South Carolina-Columbia
GPA is very important; , class rank, and tests are all important. 48% of first-years had a 3.75 or higher.
U. Tennessee-Knoxville
GPA and the high school record are required; a college-prep program is considered.

What they look at

Factor	U. South Carolina-Columbia	U. Tennessee-Knoxville
High school GPA	Very important	Required
High school record	Considered	Required
Class rank	Important	Not considered
College-prep program	Required	Considered
Recommendations	Considered	Considered
Essay	Considered	Required
Legacy status	Not considered	Not considered
Work experience	Considered	Considered
Demonstration of competencies	Not considered	Considered
English proficiency test	Required	Required
Other tests	Not considered	Not considered

All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:University of South Carolina-Columbia (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why