Early Decision
University of Southern California Early Decision: no admit-rate breakdown published
CA
What is University of Southern California's early decision acceptance rate?
University of Southern California runs an Early Decision round but does not publish its counts, so there is no Early Decision acceptance rate to state, and this page does not estimate one. It also runs Early Action (not binding); its Early Decision round is binding.
Source: University of Southern California's admissions website, 2026-27 cycle.
Does applying early decision to University of Southern California help?
University of Southern California's own figures cannot answer that. It runs an Early Decision round but does not publish its counts, so there is no Early Decision rate to set against everyone else's. Without those counts, a claim that applying early here raises your odds is not one the school's own figures support.
Source: University of Southern California's admissions website, 2026-27 cycle.
Is early decision at University of Southern California binding?
Yes. Early Decision is binding wherever it is offered, University of Southern California included: you may apply Early Decision to only one school, and if admitted you commit to attend and withdraw your other applications. The usual exception is an aid offer your family cannot afford, so check the costs on this page before you apply.
Source: University of Southern California's admissions website, 2026-27 cycle.
When is University of Southern California's early decision deadline?
For the 2026-27 application cycle, University of Southern California set its Early Decision deadline at Nov 1, 2026. Regular Decision applications are due Jan 10, 2027. Early Decision is binding: if admitted, you commit to attend, so compare the costs on this page before that date, not after an offer arrives.
Source: University of Southern California's admissions website and the Common App requirements grid, 2026-27 cycle, checked Sep 27, 2026.
What families actually pay (AY 2023–24)
Early Decision is binding, so accepting one ends the option of comparing two aid offers. These are the published averages before that choice is made.
Average paid by students receiving federal aid, by family income (College Scorecard).
International students are not eligible for U.S. federal aid, so they are not in this cohort and typically pay closer to the sticker price.
Across the 8 recorded cycles from 2018 to 2025, University of Southern California's overall acceptance rate fell from 13.0% to 11.2%. That is the whole entering class — Early Decision, Early Action and Regular Decision together — not the Early Decision round on its own.
See the year-by-year series →Common Data Set — the school's own annual filing, published by the school itself for the cycle named beside each figure. University of Southern California’s filing