Test policy · 50 states · South Carolina
Do South Carolina's public universities require the SAT or ACT in 2026?
As of October 2026: No. All 4 South Carolina public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of South Carolina (Columbia), Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University and College of Charleston).
South Carolina has no statewide SAT/ACT requirement for its public universities — the state's Commission on Higher Education sets only high-school course prerequisites, not a testing mandate, so each university's own board of trustees decides. All four large public universities checked (USC Columbia, Clemson, College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina) are currently test-optional for fall 2026/2027 first-year applicants.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the table may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
The statewide rule
No statewide rule. South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE) does not set a testing requirement; each public university in South Carolina sets its own policy.
CHE's current statewide admission policy (South Carolina College Preparatory Course Prerequisite Policy, approved by CHE Sept. 3, 2026, under S.C. Code § 59-103-45(2)) sets minimum HIGH SCHOOL COURSE prerequisites (20 units: 4 English, 4 math, 3 lab science, 3 social studies, 2 world language, 1 arts, 1 PE/JROTC, 2 electives) for admission to SC's senior public institutions. It contains no mention of SAT/ACT scores anywhere in its text. The policy's own 'General Applicability' note says 'Individual universities may establish additional admissions requirements' — meaning SAT/ACT testing policy is left entirely to each university's own board of trustees. No separate statewide CHE testing mandate (sometimes historically called 'Uniform Entrance Requirements') was found on che.sc.gov as of this check; the CHE institutions-and-educators and higher-education-institutions pages were also checked and contain no testing-policy text.
University by university
The flagship and the state's largest public universities. Each label comes from the university's own admissions page, quoted; "applies to" is the entering term the page names. 0 required · 4 test-optional · 0 test-blind.
| University | SAT / ACT | Applies to | CLT | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University of South Carolina (Columbia)
Flagship
Columbia
Policy applies to general admission, SC Honors College, and admissions-office merit scholarships. Exception: applicants from secondary schools that use written evaluations instead of grades are not eligible for test-optional and must submit scores. Undergrad enrollment 30,187 (IPEDS College Navigator).
|
Test-optional | spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants (page text) | — | “Students seeking freshman admission to the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus will not be required to submit SAT or ACT scores” |
|
Clemson University
Clemson
Applicants may change their test-optional preference until Nov 1 (Early Action) or Jan 10 (Regular Decision). Clemson superscores the SAT and ACT when scores are submitted. Undergrad enrollment 23,401 (IPEDS College Navigator).
|
Test-optional | fall, spring, and summer first-year applicants (page does not state a specific admit year) | — | “Clemson has adopted a test-optional policy. Applicants are not required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission” |
|
Coastal Carolina University
Conway
GPA-conditional test-optional: only applicants with a 3.5+ weighted HS GPA may opt out of submitting scores (so testing is effectively still required/used below that GPA); applicants age 22+ are also exempt from submitting scores. Test-optional applicants must show a rigorous curriculum and demonstrated leadership; 'Applying test-optional does not guarantee admission.' Undergrad enrollment 10,811 (IPEDS College Navigator).
|
Test-optional | freshman applicants (page does not state a specific admit year) | — | “Freshman applicants who have earned a minimum 3.5 HS GPA (weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale) may choose whether or not to submit” |
|
College of Charleston
Charleston
Exception: ACT or SAT is required for homeschooled students, with a waiver if the applicant has completed dual-enrollment, AP, or IB coursework. Official scores (not test-optional) are required for state (LIFE/Palmetto Fellows) scholarships. Undergrad enrollment 10,880 (IPEDS College Navigator).
|
Test-optional | fall 2027 and spring 2027 first-year applicants | — | “The College of Charleston is test optional. You can submit your SAT or ACT scores if you would like us to include your scores” |
Other public colleges in South Carolina with 5,000 or more students
Not individually checked for this report. The policy flag and the share of enrolled first-years who submitted a score are what each college reported to the federal government for the 2023 admissions cycle (IPEDS); check the college's own page before relying on it.
| College | Students | Admit rate | Reported to IPEDS, 2023 | Submitted SAT · ACT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville Technical College | 8,916 | — | — | — · — |
What this means for your family
Optional describes the checkbox, not the outcome. At test-optional colleges that publish both numbers, students who sent a score were admitted at a higher rate than students who did not, and 115 colleges nationally still require one. Take a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, prepare for the whole test over 6 to 12 weeks, and decide college by college whether to send the score.
How much a score moves with preparation, by starting score: Test Prep Gurus results. The submit-or-withhold arithmetic: Do test scores still matter?
At a glance
JSON (all states) · For AI agentsAs of October 2026: No. All 4 South Carolina public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of South Carolina (Columbia), Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University and College of Charleston).
There is no statewide rule in South Carolina; each public university sets its own policy.
University of South Carolina (Columbia), the flagship, is test-optional for spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants (page text).
Checked against each university's own admissions page, October 2026. Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
Questions families ask
Is South Carolina test-optional for its public universities in 2026? No. All 4 South Carolina public universities we checked are test-optional: a score is considered if sent, but not required (University of South Carolina (Columbia), Clemson University, Coastal Carolina University and College of Charleston).
Does University of South Carolina (Columbia) require the SAT or ACT in 2026? Test-optional for spring 2027, summer 2027, and fall 2027 first-year applicants (page text). Policy applies to general admission, SC Honors College, and admissions-office merit scholarships. Exception: applicants from secondary schools that use written evaluations instead of grades are not eligible for test-optional and must submit scores. Undergrad enrollment 30,187 (IPEDS College Navigator). Source: sc.edu.
Should my child take the SAT or ACT if South Carolina's public universities do not require it? Yes. Most families apply to colleges in more than one state, 115 four-year colleges nationally require a score, and at test-optional colleges students who submit a score are admitted at higher rates than students who do not. A strong score also opens merit scholarships. Start with a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT, prepare for the whole test over 6 to 12 weeks, and decide college by college whether to send it.
Method: for each state, the flagship and the public universities with roughly 8,000 or more undergraduates. Each policy label was read from the university's own first-year admissions page (or the state or system regulation), quoted verbatim, and re-checked by a second pass, October 2026. "Required" means a score is required of most first-year applicants (exemptions in the notes); "test-optional" means a score is considered if sent; "test-blind" means a score is not considered even if sent. Community colleges and private colleges are not covered. Policies change: the page carries the term each page named, and the report is refreshed each October.
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Read next on Test Prep Gurus
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