How to apply to the University of South Carolina for engineering: apply to USC and choose an engineering major, with no published admission cut-offs and MATH 141 calculus as the key to entering engineering, plus routes and prerequisites for U.S., international (including Chinese) and transfer students

At the University of South Carolina (USC, main campus in Columbia), undergraduate engineering is offered by the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing. This guide follows USC’s website and covers U.S. students, international students and applicants from China, followed by transfer students. The admissions pages do not state an entry year; we read them as the cycle for fall 2027 entry (they say test-optional runs through fall 2027), so please confirm on the website. Computer science is covered in a separate guide.

1. Majors and ABET accreditation

• Undergraduate degrees (Academic Bulletin): aerospace engineering (B.S.E.), biomedical engineering (B.S. and B.A.), chemical engineering (B.S.E.), civil engineering (B.S.E.), computer engineering (B.S.E.), electrical engineering (B.S.E.), industrial engineering (B.S.) and mechanical engineering (B.S.E.), plus three computing degrees: computer information systems, computer science (B.S.C.S.) and integrated information technology.
• ABET: the accreditation page says aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering are accredited by ABET’s Engineering Accreditation Commission. Industrial engineering is accredited only by the university’s regional accreditor and becomes eligible for ABET accreditation after its first students graduate.
• Length: for example, the mechanical engineering degree requires 125 to 134 credit hours; other majors differ.

2. Admission: choose an engineering major, with firm conditions for moving in

• First-years: the college page says everyone applies through USC Undergraduate Admissions, and freshmen who meet university requirements may declare any major, including all engineering and computing majors. Admission is competitive and USC does not set or publish absolute admission standards. Your chosen major is part of the review, and you may list a second major, “to ensure the highest consideration based on the competitiveness of each class and the capacity of some majors.”
• Standards once in the college: a Program GPA of at least 2.00 (the courses counted differ by major; for mechanical engineering they are all lower-division engineering courses, the major courses and electives); students who fall short must change major or leave the college. College courses cannot be repeated if you earned a C or better, a course can be taken at most twice, a required degree course not passed in two attempts means changing major or leaving, and no more than four college courses can be repeated for a degree.
• Changing major within USC Columbia: a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, and for engineering a C or better in MATH 141 (Calculus I). The college recommends seeing an Exploratory Advisor first, then attending a Change of Major Workshop.
• From other USC system campuses: a 2.5 GPA on at least 15 hours earned at USC, and for engineering a four-credit calculus course equivalent to MATH 141 with a C or better.
• Whether engineering majors have enrollment caps is not published beyond the phrase “capacity of some majors”.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school core courses (South Carolina Commission on Higher Education college-prep curriculum): English 4; mathematics 4 (Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry and a fourth higher-level unit such as Algebra III, pre-calculus, calculus, probability and statistics, discrete mathematics or computer science); laboratory science 3 (at least two different fields among biology, chemistry, physics and earth science); social studies 3; two units of one world language; fine arts 1; two academic electives. Neither the college page nor the admissions page sets extra math or physics prerequisites for engineering; that is not published.
• Math placement: the credit page says students with AP calculus credit are still asked to take the math placement test as a diagnostic; at summer orientation an advisor decides whether to retake MATH 141, and most students do not.
• AP credit: Calculus AB 3-5 earns MATH 141; Calculus BC 3-5 earns MATH 141 and 142; Precalculus 3 earns MATH 111 and 4-5 earns MATH 115; Physics C Mechanics 4-5 earns PHYS 211 and Electricity and Magnetism 4-5 earns PHYS 212; Chemistry 3 earns CHEM 111 and 4-5 earns CHEM 111 and 112.
• IB: Mathematics (Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretation) 4 earns MATH 141 and 5-7 earns MATH 141 and 142; Physics 4 earns PHYS 201 and 5-7 earns PHYS 201 and 202; Chemistry 4 earns CHEM 111 and 5-7 earns CHEM 111 and 112. A-Level: Mathematics A, B or C earns MATH 141 and 142; Physics B or A earns PHYS 211 and 212 (C, D, E earn PHYS 211); Chemistry B or A earns CHEM 111 and 112 (C, D, E earn CHEM 111). Whether credit counts for a major’s required courses depends on that major’s map.
• World language: college students must show proficiency at the 121 level (a placement score of 2 or better, or completing the 109 and 110 courses in FREN, GERM, LATN or SPAN, and so on).

4. How and when to apply (first-years)

• Application: the USC application or the Common App; $70 fee, with ACT, College Board, NACAC, SCOIR and Common App waivers.
• Materials: the application (with essay and up to 10 activities), an unofficial high school transcript through the end of junior year, and a choice of whether USC considers SAT/ACT scores. Recommendation letters are not mentioned; an engineering-specific essay is not published (there is one general essay).
• Testing: USC is test-optional through fall 2027; if you submit, SAT and ACT sections are superscored. Submitting or not does not affect fair consideration or merit scholarships; official scores are required only if you enroll.
• Deadlines: Early Action 15 October (decision mid-December; credentials due 1 November); Honors College and Top Scholar awards 15 November (decision mid-February; credentials 1 December); Regular Decision 1 December (decision mid-March; credentials 15 January).
• Profile (middle 50% of admitted students as listed): S.C. residents SAT 1170-1340, non-residents 1250-1380; high school GPA 4.1-4.8 (the calculation is not explained). These are ranges, not cut-offs.

5. U.S. students: costs and scholarships

• 2026-27 cost estimate: S.C. residents pay $12,288 tuition, a $400 technology fee, a $1,580 weighted average program fee, $11,432 housing and $5,902 food, for $31,602; non-residents pay $38,098 tuition, for $57,412. Whether engineering has its own program fee is not published (only a weighted average is shown); check the Bursar’s fee schedule.
• South Carolina residents: freshmen who apply by 1 December are automatically considered for general merit packages, which can be paired with the state lottery-funded scholarships. The top awards are Stamps ($20,000 a year), Carolina ($15,000) and 1801 Scholars ($10,000), 50 a year, requiring the Honors College application (15 November) and an interview. Last year’s resident Top Scholars averaged SAT 1530 and GPA 5.3, which is an average, not a threshold. The Gamecock Guarantee gives at least $5,000 a year to first-generation, low-income resident freshmen (apply by 1 December, FAFSA by 1 April). The site does not state guaranteed admission for residents beyond this: students ranked in the top 10% of a South Carolina high school class who apply by 1 December and complete the required courses with no grade below C are admitted to the Columbia campus, but admission to the first-choice major is not guaranteed.
• Out-of-state students: freshmen who apply by 1 December are considered automatically (one general scholarship, except the Provost Scholars Award). Academic Scholar packages range from $6,500 to $30,000 a year; Stamps (about $25,810 plus an in-state tuition rate), McNair ($24,000) and Horseshoe ($11,000) need the Honors College application. USC says these figures reflect last year’s averages, not minimums.
• College scholarships: more than 100, each up to $1,000 a year for up to four years; one general application covers all merit scholarships you qualify for. The freshman regular deadline is 30 March (offers by 15 April; rolling, so apply early for priority awards). The page refers to 2026-2027; 2027-28 dates have not been posted.
• Co-op: the Academic Bulletin describes an optional Cooperative Education Program with work experiences that alternate with or run alongside semesters. Students need 30 completed hours and a 2.50 GPA, complete at least two experiences of one semester each, and keep a 2.50 GPA; registering with Career Services in freshman year is encouraged. The bulletin says the program helps students pay for “a significant portion” of college costs; actual pay is not published.

6. International students

• Fee and documents: $100 non-refundable fee; official transcripts from all secondary schools (non-English ones with a certified English translation by a school official); final transcripts after graduation; the application, essay and activities. Official means sent directly from the source and unopened, or electronically by a verifiable school.
• Testing: test-optional applies to international freshmen; English proof is still required depending on citizenship.
• English minimums: TOEFL iBT 77 (paper 550), IELTS 6.5, PTE 53, Duolingo 115, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 560, ACT English 22. Not required for graduates of U.S. high schools or students from listed English-speaking countries (including Canada, except residents of Quebec, who must take TOEFL, IELTS or PTE). Those below the minimum can apply for conditional admission through English Programs for Internationals or the International Accelerator Program.
• Deadlines: the same as for domestic freshmen: Early Action 15 October (credentials 1 November), Honors College 15 November (credentials 1 December), Regular Decision 1 December (credentials 15 January).
• Costs: the cost page shows only S.C. resident and non-resident estimates for 2026-27, with no separate international estimate; whether international students are billed at the non-resident rate is not stated. The funds to show for an I-20 are not stated on the international page.
• Scholarships: the non-resident scholarships page speaks of freshmen who reside outside South Carolina and does not say whether international students are eligible; this is not published, so ask international admissions (adminter@mailbox.sc.edu).

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international pages do not mention it or any China-specific page or interview, so whether and how it is used is not published; ask international admissions.
• Documents: official secondary transcripts (with a certified English translation by a school official). Gaokao English is not in the English test table; submit TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, SAT or ACT.
• Credential evaluation: the international freshman page does not require a third-party evaluation; international transfer applicants and anyone with coursework outside the U.S. must provide a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from a NACES-approved company.
• Courses: A-Level, IB and AP results can earn MATH 141, PHYS 211 and similar credit through the tables above, which matters for entering engineering.

8. Transfer students

• USC transfer admission: a cumulative GPA of at least 2.25, with higher requirements in some colleges and majors; with fewer than 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) you must also meet freshman requirements. The fee is $70 ($100 for international transfers).
• Into the engineering college: outside transfers need 30 or more semester hours with a GPA of at least 2.75, and for engineering a four-credit calculus course equivalent to MATH 141 with a C or better. The mechanical engineering page also says 2.75.
• Dates: for USC Columbia majors other than business, fall applications are due 1 July with credentials (including official transcripts) by 1 August (international transfers: credentials 15 July); spring 1 November (credentials 15 December); applications for summer and fall open 1 February.
• International transfers: coursework outside the U.S. needs a course-by-course evaluation from a NACES-approved company and course descriptions; minimum GPA 2.25.
• Credit: use USC’s transfer equivalency table; for courses not listed, how they transfer is not published, so ask admissions.
• Scholarships: the college’s current and transfer student merit scholarship application is due 1 June, with offers by 1 July (page refers to 2026-2027).

Checklist

U.S. students:

• Apply by 1 December (Early Action 15 October) and choose an engineering major; $70 fee; SAT/ACT optional
• College general scholarship application by 30 March (page refers to 2026-2027); check Gamecock Guarantee and Top Scholar rules if you are a resident

International students (including applicants from China):

• $100 fee; apply by 1 December (Early Action 15 October); TOEFL 77 or IELTS 6.5
• Ask international admissions how the Gaokao is used and whether scholarships apply to international students

Transfer students:

• Outside transfers: 2.75 GPA, at least 30 semester hours and MATH 141 with a C or better; USC students: 2.5 GPA

Sources: University of South Carolina, 2026-2027 Academic Bulletin: Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing; Bulletin: Mechanical Engineering, B.S.E.; College undergraduate admissions; ABET accreditation; College undergraduate scholarships; Freshman applicants; Test-optional FAQs; International applicants; International transfer; Transfer applicants; A Level, AP and IB credits; Tuition and fees estimate; Scholarships for S.C. residents; Scholarships for nonresidents; Gamecock Guarantee. The admissions pages do not state an entry year, costs are 2026-2027 estimates, and the college scholarship page refers to 2026-2027. Check the University of South Carolina’s website for the latest.