How to Get Into USC Marshall: Admission, Early Decision and Merit Aid for Fall 2027

What is the USC Marshall acceptance rate?

USC reports a 37.6% yield for fall 2026. By our calculation, the fall 2026 pool was about 5% smaller than the fall 2025 pool (79,331 against 83,488), while admits rose from 9,345 to 10,006. Because Marshall publishes no applicant or admit counts, we do not estimate a Marshall-only rate. In our view, families should read the university-wide figure as context, not as the odds for a business applicant. Our USC acceptance rate page tracks the university trend.

How does admission to USC Marshall work?

Marshall admits first-year students directly to the major. Students pursuing the BS in Business Administration or Accounting “must apply to the Business Administration major” and “should indicate Business Administration as their first-choice major on the application”, and “Academic Department Admission Officers render admission recommendations” (Marshall undergraduate admissions).

The major choice and the early plan are linked. USC says “We expect to admit ED applicants to their first-choice major”, and a student offered a different major in the Early Decision round is not bound by the ED agreement (USC first-year students). USC also says students “should apply Early Decision only if they are fully committed to studying the major chosen on their application” (USC deadline FAQs). After enrolling, “A change of major is granted at the discretion of the academic departments” (USC admitted students FAQ). In our experience, a student torn between business and another field should settle the first-choice major before choosing between Early Decision and Early Action.

Can current USC students transfer into Marshall later?

• Marshall offers “three application cycles: fall, spring, and summer” for the Business Administration and Accounting majors.
• “A cumulative USC GPA of 3.6 or above and grade of A- or better in ECON 351 is recommended to apply.”
• Required courses are WRIT 140 or WRIT 150 (or equivalent), MATH 118 or higher, and ECON 351x, which “must be taken in residence at USC.”
• Marshall strongly recommends applying before reaching 64 total units, and “Students may apply no more than twice for internal transfer admission to the Marshall School of Business.”
• The average GPA of admitted students is “approximately 3.8”, and among recent successful applicants, 94% earned an A- or better in ECON 351, 89% in math and 74% in writing.

These rules are from the Marshall internal transfer page for the Business Administration major. In our view, internal transfer is a second route rather than a plan, since admitted students average approximately 3.8 and most earned an A- or better in the required courses. External transfer is also possible; Marshall recommends applying after 30 transferable units, including its prerequisites (Marshall undergraduate programs).

What are the USC deadlines for fall 2027 entry?

Early Decision is new across most of USC for fall 2027, but not at Marshall. In the previous cycle, Marshall and the Leventhal School of Accounting ran an Early Decision pilot, and its first admits joined the Class of 2030, so the fall 2026 figures above include that round (USC Marshall, February 3, 2026). For the wider launch, the USC deadline FAQs ask “Why is USC introducing an Early Decision option now?”, and the USC Common Data Set 2025-26 reports no Early Decision plan for fall 2025 entry. USC tells applicants to “Apply Early Decision or Early Action by November 1 to be considered for first-year admission to most majors and USC Merit Scholarships” (USC scholarships). Students not admitted early “will be given the chance to defer their application for consideration in the Regular Decision round” (USC deadline FAQs). In our view, Early Decision fits a student for whom USC and Business Administration are the clear first choice and whose family has run the USC net price estimate, while Early Action keeps merit consideration and leaves the final choice open until the spring reply date.

Does USC require the SAT or ACT for fall 2027?

No. USC says it “will continue our test-optional policy for the upcoming year, meaning that first-year applicants to the 2027-28 academic year are not required to send SAT or ACT scores to apply” (USC international students, Standardized Test Scores). Its test-optional FAQ adds that “Applicants will not be penalized or put at a disadvantage if they choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores” and that USC requires official scores from students who choose to submit them (USC test-optional FAQ). For Early Decision and Early Action, “October will be the final sitting we will consider” (USC deadline FAQs).

Among students who enrolled in fall 2025, 33% submitted the SAT, with a middle 50% of 1470 to 1540, and 12% submitted the ACT, with a middle 50% of 32 to 35; the average high school GPA was 3.85 (USC CDS 2025-26). These are university-wide figures, not Marshall figures. In our view, a student whose scores sit inside or above that range should usually submit them, and a business applicant should take the most advanced math the school offers.

What does USC look for in a Marshall applicant?

USC says “Careful attention is paid to preparation for the intended major” (USC What We Look For). The application parts USC lists are the Common Application, a “Personal essay”, an “Academic interest short answer”, an “Activities list” and “Quick takes” (USC Apply Now). We found no Marshall-specific essay or supplement on the Marshall admissions, Business Administration or World Bachelor in Business pages, and the USC pages we read did not print the 2026-27 prompts. USC also says the Office of Undergraduate Admission does not conduct admission interviews, “nor do we track any form of demonstrated interest in our process” (USC first-year students).

The view of Oriel Admissions is that the academic interest answer matters most for a business applicant, because it is the part of the application given to academic interests and lets a student explain why Business Administration fits. In our experience, the strongest answers point to something the student has already done, such as running a small venture, analyzing a market for a club or holding a job, and connect it to the Marshall curriculum, which offers “over 250 business elective courses”, “Approximately 32 free electives” (Marshall does not say whether these are units or courses) and STEM certification for all undergraduate programs (Marshall Business Administration program).

What is the World Bachelor in Business?

The World Bachelor in Business (WBB) gives students “admission to and degrees from” USC Marshall, HKUST and Bocconi. Students spend the first year at USC in Los Angeles, the second at HKUST Business School in Hong Kong and the third at Bocconi in Milan, and “In the fourth year, WBB students choose one of the three partner universities to complete their studies.” “Students pay the tuition and fees of the university where they are in residence.” Applicants “must apply by November 1”, and “WBB is no longer participating in the Regular Decision process” (Marshall WBB and USC first-year students). Marshall gives no cohort size.

What does USC cost, and how do merit scholarships work?

USC says “Incoming first-year students from U.S. families with an annual income of $80,000 or less with typical assets can attend USC tuition free”, and it states that it fully meets USC-determined need for undergraduates who meet all deadlines and eligibility requirements (USC financial aid and scholarships). USC is need-blind for domestic students (USC What We Look For), and “USC does not offer need-based financial aid for international applicants” (USC international students).

USC Merit Scholarships range “in value from a few thousand dollars up to full tuition”, the page, which gives no year, says that last year “over 1,000 admitted students earned scholarships of $10,000 per year or more”, and National Merit Finalists who list USC as their first choice with NMSC receive $20,000 per year (USC scholarships). “About 10% of the 2026 entering first-year class received a merit-based scholarship from USC” (USC What We Look For), and USC says “we have never awarded merit aid based on formulas or cut-offs for test scores or GPA” (USC test-optional FAQ). In our view, a family that will not qualify for need-based aid should treat merit as possible rather than expected, and should compare the full $103,162 budget with other offers.

How does Marshall compare with other undergraduate business programs?

For its 2023 graduates, the Marshall undergraduate page reports an overall average salary of $93,247 and 96% engaged within three months of graduation; this is the newest outcome figure on that page, and we found no fuller Marshall report (Marshall undergraduate programs). Like NYU Stern, Wharton and Michigan Ross, Marshall admits first-year students directly. Our comparison of Wharton, Dyson, Stern and Ross, our guide to applying to undergraduate business schools and our best colleges for business list cover the other options, and our guide to how to get into USC covers the rest of the USC application.

Frequently Asked Questions About USC Marshall Admissions

Sources: USC Admission, What We Look For (Fall 2026 First-Year Student Profile), USC Common Data Set 2025-2026, USC Marshall, USC Marshall Welcomes First Early Decision Cohort (February 3, 2026), USC Admission, First-Year Students, USC Admission, Apply Now, USC Admission, Deadline FAQs, USC Admission, Test-Optional FAQ, USC Admission, International Students, USC Admission, Admitted Students FAQ, USC Admission, Scholarships, USC Admission, Financial Aid and Scholarships, USC Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance 2026-2027, USC Marshall, Undergraduate Admissions, USC Marshall, Undergraduate Programs, USC Marshall, Business Administration Program, USC Marshall, World Bachelor in Business, USC Marshall, Internal Transfer to the Business Administration Major. All read October 26 and 27, 2026.

About Oriel Admissions

Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.