All international applicants (freshmen and transfer) whose native language is not English must submit a TOEFL score.  International freshmen applicants with minimum scores of 600 on SAT Critical Reading or 27 on ACT English are exempt from taking the TOEFL.  The TOEFL must have been taken within the past two years from application date.

All international applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate English proficiency in the following manner:

• Freshmen applicants may submit TOEFL, SAT, or ACT scores
• Transfer applicants must submit TOEFL score

Freshmen and transfer applicants whose native language is English are presumed to be proficient. This includes applicants from countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada (except Quebec) where English is both the first language of the country and the language of instruction. Applicants with minimum scores of 100 on TOEFL iBT (with at least 20 in each section), 600 on SAT Critical Reading, or 27 on ACT English are presumed to be proficient.

For those who do not demonstrate English proficiency, USC requires the International Student Exam (ISE) upon admission and prior to registration. The results on the ISE determine whether or not a student must enroll in intensive language courses at USC.