UCLA vs USC SAT Scores: Averages, Ranges, and What You Actually Need 2026 August

If you're weighing UCLA against USC, the SAT numbers tell a story — but probably not the one you'd expect. Both schools are absurdly competitive. Both sit in Los Angeles. Both reject far more applicants than they accept. Yet their UCLA USC SAT scores differ in ways that matter if you're building a college list and trying to figure out where you actually stand.

Here's the short version: USC average SAT scores land in the 1420–1550 range for admitted students, while UCLA's middle 50% hovers between 1310 and 1530. That gap isn't as wide as people think. USC is test-optional now — so the students who do submit tend to have higher scores, which inflates the published averages. UCLA, as a UC school, went test-free for a while but brought scores back into the holistic review starting with recent cycles.

What does that mean for you? Your USC SAT scores need to be strong, but they're one piece of a much larger puzzle. Same goes for UCLA. A 1400 won't automatically disqualify you from either school, and a 1550 won't guarantee admission. Both universities care about GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and — in USC's case — demonstrated interest. The numbers below break all of this down so you can stop guessing and start planning.

We'll cover the average SAT for UCLA, the USC median SAT, how UC Berkeley SAT scores compare, and what the actual admitted-student data looks like when you strip away the marketing. No fluff. Just the numbers — and what they mean for your application.

USC's SAT profile has shifted dramatically since the school went test-optional. When submitting scores becomes a choice, the students who do submit tend to have stronger numbers — which pushes the published USC SAT scores upward. The average SAT for UCLA tells a different story because UC schools historically received scores from nearly all applicants, giving a broader (and often lower) statistical range.

That distinction matters more than most students realize. A 1450 at USC might land you in the bottom quarter of score-submitters — but it doesn't mean USC won't take you. Plenty of admitted students chose not to submit scores at all. At UCLA? That same 1450 sits comfortably in the upper half. Context changes everything.

There's another wrinkle worth knowing. USC weighs demonstrated interest — campus visits, information sessions, early applications — in a way that UCLA simply doesn't. UCLA is a public university bound by UC-wide holistic review policies. USC is private, with more flexibility in how it shapes each incoming class. So even if your SAT score is identical for both applications, the rest of your profile gets evaluated through very different lenses.

One thing both schools agree on: no section preference. Neither UCLA nor USC has publicly stated a preference for Math over Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, or vice versa. A balanced score — say 720 Math and 730 EBRW — is just as strong as a lopsided 780/670 with the same composite.

Let's talk about what UCLA average SAT numbers actually look like when you dig into the data. The UCLA SAT scores for recently admitted freshmen show a middle 50% range of roughly 1310 to 1530. That's a 220-point spread — wider than you'd expect from a school with a sub-10% acceptance rate. The reason? UCLA's applicant pool is enormous. Over 140,000 students applied in recent cycles, making it the most-applied-to university in the country.

Not all of those applicants submitted scores. But enough did to give us meaningful data. The 25th percentile score — around 1310 — means a quarter of admitted students scored below that mark. Don't let anyone tell you a 1300 automatically kills your UCLA chances. It doesn't.

Here's what the numbers suggest if you're aiming for UCLA: a composite above 1400 puts you in solid territory. Above 1500, you're competitive with most admitted students. Below 1300, your GPA, essays, and extracurriculars need to carry serious weight — but it's still possible, especially for California residents who benefit from in-state consideration within the UC system.

The UCLA SAT scores also vary by major. Engineering applicants at the Samueli School tend to have higher math scores — often 770+ — compared to humanities applicants. If you're applying to a competitive major like computer science or neuroscience, aim higher than the published median. Those published numbers are averages across all majors, not specific programs.

Average SAT UCLA data only tells half the story. You need to understand how USC university SAT scores differ in context. USC is a private research university with a $7.5 billion endowment, around 49,000 students, and an acceptance rate hovering near 12%. UCLA is a public flagship — part of the nine-campus University of California system — with about 47,000 students and an acceptance rate below 9%.

Both are selective. Brutally selective, actually. But they're selective in different ways. USC actively considers legacy status, donor connections, and athletic recruitment in ways that UCLA — bound by UC Regents policy — generally doesn't. That's not a knock on either school. It's just how private versus public admissions work.

The financial angle matters too. USC's sticker price tops $85,000 per year when you include room and board. UCLA's in-state cost is closer to $36,000, and out-of-state is around $67,000. Merit scholarships at USC can significantly reduce the cost, and these scholarships often correlate with higher SAT scores. UCLA doesn't offer merit-based aid — it's all need-based through the UC system.

So when you're comparing average SAT UCLA with USC university SAT scores, remember: the number is just one variable in a much more complex equation that includes cost, culture, program strength, and what you actually want from your college experience. A 1500 at either school is excellent. But the decision shouldn't come down to a test score alone.

The SAT average UCLA figure — around 1410 composite — gets thrown around constantly on Reddit, College Confidential, and every admissions blog in existence. But here's what those forums almost never mention: that average includes students admitted under special programs, recruited athletes, and legacy considerations (though UCLA's legacy impact is far smaller than USC's). Strip those out, and the competitive middle for regular-decision applicants is closer to 1430–1500.

UC Los Angeles SAT scores also vary year to year. The Class of 2028 data showed a slight uptick in median scores compared to the Class of 2027, likely driven by the return of test consideration after the UC system's brief test-blind period. When fewer students submit scores, published averages shift — sometimes dramatically.

If you're comparing with other UC campuses, UC Berkeley SAT scores run slightly higher than UCLA's overall: Berkeley's middle 50% is roughly 1330 to 1550. That's a wider range at the top, reflecting Berkeley's strength in STEM fields where Math scores tend to cluster at 780+. UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Irvine all sit below both UCLA and Berkeley, typically in the 1200–1450 range.

Here's what matters most: the SAT average UCLA reports include everyone who was admitted — including students who chose to attend elsewhere. Yield rates at UCLA hover around 45%, meaning over half of admitted students go to a different school. The students who actually enroll may have slightly different score profiles than the full admitted class.

UCLA university SAT scores don't exist in a vacuum — you need to understand the SAT score requirement for UCLA in the context of everything else UC admissions evaluates. Technically, there is no hard SAT score requirement. UCLA uses a holistic review process that considers 13 criteria, including academic performance, personal qualities, and life challenges. The SAT is one factor among many.

That said, the data doesn't lie. Fewer than 5% of admitted UCLA students scored below 1200 on the SAT in recent cycles. If your composite is under 1200, you're swimming upstream — not impossible, but genuinely difficult unless other parts of your application are extraordinary. Think: first-generation student with a 4.3 weighted GPA and a compelling personal story.

For USC, the dynamics are similar but slightly different. No minimum score. No cutoff. But the SAT score requirement for UCLA and USC both effectively come down to competitive positioning. You don't need to hit a magic number. You need to be in the range where your score doesn't raise questions — roughly 1350+ for UCLA and 1400+ for USC.

One more thing that trips students up: superscore policies. UCLA does not superscore the SAT. Your single highest sitting score is what they consider. USC does accept superscores — meaning they'll take your best Math from one sitting and best EBRW from another. That's a real advantage if you've taken the SAT multiple times and improved unevenly across sections.

Let's get specific about the average SAT score for UCLA across different applicant pools. California residents make up roughly 75% of UCLA's incoming class, and their average SAT tends to be slightly lower than out-of-state and international admits. Why? Volume. With over 100,000 California applicants, the pool is massive and diverse. Out-of-state applicants — a smaller, self-selected group — tend to submit stronger scores because they're competing for fewer spots.

The USC median SAT sits around 1490 for the most recent admitted class. That's a composite number, and it skews high precisely because USC is test-optional. Think about it this way: if submitting your score is optional, the students who choose to submit are overwhelmingly those with scores they're proud of. A 1350 scorer is far more likely to go test-optional than a 1520 scorer. This creates an upward bias in every published statistic.

Does that mean a 1400 can't get you into USC? Absolutely not. It means a 1400 with a strong GPA, excellent essays, and meaningful extracurriculars still has a shot — especially if you apply early or demonstrate interest through campus engagement. The USC median SAT is a reference point, not a gate.

Worth knowing: both schools publish their Common Data Set annually, which includes detailed SAT breakdowns. UCLA's is available through the UC Institutional Research office. USC publishes theirs on the Undergraduate Admission website. These are the only primary sources you should trust — not the numbers on random admissions consulting blogs.

UC Berkeley SAT scores deserve a mention here because students comparing UCLA and USC almost always have Berkeley on their list too. Berkeley's middle 50% composite SAT range is 1330–1550 — slightly higher at the top than UCLA's 1310–1530 range. The difference is most pronounced in Math, where Berkeley's engineering and CS programs pull the median up significantly.

The UCLA score SAT comparison with Berkeley is interesting for another reason: yield. Berkeley's yield rate — the percentage of admitted students who actually enroll — is around 48%, slightly higher than UCLA's 45%. Both are lower than USC's roughly 40% yield, which seems counterintuitive until you remember that USC competes with Ivies, Stanford, and other privates for the same top students.

What about other California schools? CalTech's SAT range blows everyone away (1530–1580 middle 50%), but it's a tiny school admitting fewer than 300 freshmen. Stanford's range (1500–1570) is similarly stratospheric. For the average high-achieving California student — say, someone with a 1400–1480 SAT and a 4.2 GPA — UCLA, USC, and Berkeley represent the realistic competitive tier.

Bottom line: if you're scoring above 1400, you're in range for all three. Above 1500, you're competitive. Below 1350, UC Berkeley SAT scores and UCLA score SAT medians suggest you'll need other application elements to do heavy lifting. That's not a death sentence — it's just the math.

The SAT score for University of Southern California — what most people mean when they search for USC scores — breaks down differently depending on the school or program within USC. Viterbi School of Engineering admits tend to have composite scores above 1500, with Math scores frequently at 780 or higher. Marshall School of Business applicants cluster around 1470–1540. Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences shows a broader range, with the 25th percentile dipping to around 1380.

The UCLA SAT range follows a similar pattern across departments. UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering reports median SAT scores about 50–70 points higher than the university-wide average. The School of Theater, Film, and Television — one of the most competitive programs in the country by acceptance rate — places less emphasis on standardized testing and more on portfolio and audition performance.

Here's something that surprises a lot of families: applying to a less competitive major at UCLA or USC doesn't necessarily improve your chances of admission. Both schools admit to the university first, not the major — though UCLA allows applicants to list an alternate major, and USC considers your chosen school (Viterbi, Marshall, Dornsife, etc.) during review. Picking a "less popular" major as a strategy rarely works and can backfire if your application doesn't show genuine interest in that field.

So what's the practical takeaway? Your SAT score for University of Southern California and the UCLA SAT range both matter — but they matter within a context that includes your intended program, your other credentials, and whether you even choose to submit. No single number opens or closes the door.

One final USC SAT score reality check. The most recent Common Data Set from USC shows that roughly 55% of admitted first-year students submitted SAT scores. Of those who submitted, the 25th percentile was 1420 and the 75th percentile was 1550. That means among score-submitters, three-quarters scored above 1420 — but remember, 45% of the admitted class didn't submit scores at all.

The university of Berkeley SAT scores provide useful context here too. Berkeley reports that about 60% of admitted students submitted test scores in recent cycles, with a 25th percentile of 1330 and a 75th at 1550. Berkeley's wider range reflects its larger incoming class (roughly 6,500 freshmen versus USC's 3,500) and the diversity of its applicant pool.

Where does this leave you? If your SAT composite is 1450 or above, submit to both USC and UCLA — it helps. Between 1350 and 1450, it's a judgment call: consider your GPA, the strength of your essays, and whether your score submission adds to the narrative of your application or detracts from it. Below 1350, seriously consider going test-optional at USC. For UCLA, check the current UC policy — it's changed multiple times and may change again.

The real edge in admissions at these schools isn't a 1550 versus a 1500. It's telling a coherent story through your application — academics, activities, essays, and recommendations all pointing in the same direction. The SAT is one sentence in that story. Make sure the rest of the paragraph is just as strong.