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Office of Undergraduate Admissions

International Transfer Applicants

We're excited you want to learn more about applying to USC as a international transfer student. Our team is here to help guide you throughout the process.

Complete the transfer application if you currently attend or have attended a post-secondary institution other than the University of South Carolina Columbia and would like to earn a bachelor's degree from USC Columbia, complete the transfer application. 


Required Materials

All international transfer applicants must submit the following credentials: 

Submit the transfer application by the deadline for the term you would like to enroll at USC.

You must pay the $100 application fee (non-refundable).

Exam
Minimum
Score
TOEFL Internet Based
77
TOEFL Paper Based
550
IELTS
6.5
PTE
53
Duolingo
115
SAT
560 
(Evidence-Based 
Reading Writing Subscore)
ACT
22 
(English Subscore)

English proficiency scores are not required for students from countries on our exempt list nor from graduates of high schools in the United States.

English proficiency exempt list:

  • American Samoa
  • Anguilla
  • Antigua
  • Australia
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Bermuda
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Canada (note: residents of Quebec students must take the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE)
  • Dominica
  • Gambia
  • Ghana
  • Gibraltar
  • Grenada
  • Grand Cayman
  • Guam
  • Guyana
  • Ireland
  • Jamaica
  • Kenya
  • Lesotho
  • Liberia
  • Montserrat
  • New Zealand
  • Nigeria
  • Sierra Leone
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Swaziland (Eswatini)
  • Tanzania
  • Trinidad/Tobago
  • Turks and Caicos Islands
  • Uganda
  • United Kingdom
  • US Virgin Islands
  • Zambia
  • Zimbabwe

Please note: If you are unable to obtain a minimum English proficiency score, our English Programs for Internationals  might be an option. Undergraduate students interested in conditional admission should complete the undergraduate admissions application and indicate their interest in both English Programs for Internationals (USC's intensive English program) and conditional admission. Students will also need to contact English Programs for International (EPI) to submit the EPI application.

You may also be interested in learning about the University of South Carolina's International Accelerator Program, a one year transition program for international students that leads to a four-year degree at the University of South Carolina.

Official secondary transcripts must be from all secondary schools if less than 30 semester hours of college-level work attempted.

If your transcript is not in English, you must submit a certified transcript translated into English by a school official.

If you apply for admission before graduating from high school, you must submit an official (or attested copy) of all final transcript(s) after you graduate from high school.

A document is considered official if it comes from an original source and is not opened prior to arriving at the university. Stamped and sealed envelopes that we receive from your school, a credential evaluation company, or a test center are considered official. Official documents submitted via email by a verifiable school is also acceptable.

All official documents can be sent to:

University of South Carolina                                                    
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
902 Sumter Street/Lieber College
Columbia, SC 29208

Official post-secondary transcripts must be submitted from each institution attended.

If your transcript is not in English, you must submit a certified transcript translated into English by a school official.

If coursework is attempted outside the United States you will be asked to submit a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from a NACES approved company. An admissions decision will not be made until the evaluation and all transcripts are on file.

A document is considered official if it comes from an original source and is not opened prior to arriving at the university. Stamped and sealed envelopes that we receive from your school, a credential evaluation company, or a test center are considered official.

We do not consider documents sent directly from the student as official documents. All official documents can be sent to:

All official documents can be sent to:

University of South Carolina                                                            Office of Undergraduate Admissions
902 Sumter Street/Lieber College
Columbia, SC 29208

Credential evaluations are done by NACES approved companies and are not conducted by any member at University of South Carolina. In order to get a credential evaluation you will need to contact the NACES approved company directly.

U.S. citizens (freshman or transfer applicants) who have attempted any courses outside the United States must submit a course-by-course credential evaluation. 

Applicants with foreign university work must submit course descriptions for each international course taken to help determine the USC course equivalency. 

Important Dates

Our 2025 transfer applications will open on the following dates:

  • Spring 2025: Sept. 1
  • Summer & Fall 2025: Feb. 1

International transfer applications and all credentials must be submitted by the following deadlines:

All majors:

Application deadline: Nov. 1
Credentials deadline:
Dec. 16

All majors except business:

Application deadline: May 1
Credentials deadline: May 15

Business majors: 

Application deadline: May 1
Credentials deadline: May 1 (due to the competitiveness of these programs)

All majors except business:

Application deadline: July 1
Credentials deadline: July 15

Business majors: 

Application deadline: May 1 
Credentials deadline: June 1 (due to the competitiveness of these programs)

Application Review

International transfer applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:

If fewer than 30 semester hours of college-level work have been attempted, then you must meet both transfer and freshman entrance requirements. Hours on a pass/fail basis do not count towards the 30 semester hour requirement.

International transfer applicants must have at least a cumulative 2.25 grade-point average on a 4.00 scale (A=4, B=3, C=2, D=1, F=0) on a 4.0 U.S. scale. Several colleges and programs within the university, however, require higher grade point averages on all college work attempted. Visit transfer GPA requirements for requirements by major. 

Note: Undergraduate admission requirements, policies and procedures are subject to continuous review by the admission staff and Faculty Admissions Committee and may be changed without notice. The deans of the university's colleges and schools ultimately determine which transfer courses are credited in their programs.

After You Apply

After you submit the application, you can check your application status on your USC Admissions Portal. You can also request changes to your applicationOnce we've made a decision on your application, you will receive an email instructing you to check your portal.

USC Admissions Portal


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