The University of South Florida is moderately selective, with an acceptance rate of about 43%. That means fewer than half of all applicants get in, placing USF well above open-admission schools but below the most elite universities. With nearly 68,600 applicants competing for roughly 29,600 spots in a recent cycle, getting admitted takes solid academics and some planning around deadlines.
What Admitted Students Look Like
USF publishes the profile of its most recently admitted class, and the numbers give you a clear target to aim for. For fall 2025 admits, the average GPA range was 4.03 to 4.55 on a weighted scale, meaning most successful applicants earned mostly A’s while taking honors, AP, IB, or dual-enrollment courses. Average SAT scores fell between 1260 and 1410, and average ACT scores ranged from 27 to 31.
USF also admits students for a summer start, and those standards are noticeably lower. Summer 2025 admits had an average GPA of 3.61 to 4.18, SAT scores of 1110 to 1220, and ACT scores of 23 to 26. If your numbers fall below the fall range but still land in this zone, a summer admission is a realistic path in.
Keep in mind these are averages, not cutoffs. Some admitted students scored above these ranges and some below. But if your GPA and test scores sit comfortably within the fall ranges, you’re a competitive applicant. If you’re below the summer ranges, admission becomes a long shot.
How Competitive Has USF Become?
USF has grown significantly more selective in recent years. The university received over 68,500 applications in its most recent reported cycle, a volume that would have been unthinkable a decade ago. Of those applicants, about 29,600 were admitted, and only around 6,900 actually enrolled. That gap between admitted and enrolled students (called yield) is common at public universities where students apply to multiple schools, but it also means USF can afford to be choosy because its applicant pool is so large.
A 43% acceptance rate puts USF in roughly the same selectivity tier as other flagship-caliber state universities that have seen application surges. If you’re a Florida resident with a strong academic record, you’re in a better position than an out-of-state applicant simply because public universities typically reserve most seats for in-state students.
Deadlines That Affect Your Chances
When you apply matters at USF. The university uses three rounds for fall and summer admission, and it explicitly warns that admission becomes more competitive as later deadlines pass. Applying early gives you the best shot at your preferred campus and start term.
- Early Action (November 1 application deadline): This is non-binding, so you’re not committed if admitted. Decisions come out by mid-December, and you get priority consideration for your preferred campus, your preferred term, and automatic merit scholarship review.
- Regular Decision (December 15 application deadline): All materials due by January 15, with decisions released in mid-February.
- Rolling (March 1 application deadline): Materials due by March 15, decisions released on a rolling basis starting in early March. By this point, many spots are already filled.
If you want merit scholarship consideration, submit your application and all supporting materials by January 15. The Office of Admissions automatically reviews you for merit awards if everything is in by that date, so there’s no separate scholarship application to worry about.
Some Majors Are Harder Than Others
Getting into USF as a university is one hurdle. Getting into certain majors is another. USF designates several programs as “limited access,” meaning they have additional GPA and coursework requirements beyond general admission. You can be a USF student and still not qualify for these programs.
Biomedical engineering is a good example of how demanding these programs can be. Continuing USF students need at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA through their first three semesters, a 3.5 GPA in prerequisite courses specifically, and no more than two attempts (including withdrawals) on any prerequisite. Transfer students face similar thresholds, and those coming from out-of-state or private institutions are considered only if space is available.
Nursing, business, education, and other engineering disciplines at USF also operate as limited-access programs with their own GPA floors and prerequisite requirements. If you’re applying to USF with one of these majors in mind, research the specific continuation requirements early. Being admitted to the university doesn’t guarantee a seat in the program.
What It Takes to Get In
For most applicants, a weighted GPA above 4.0 and an SAT score above 1250 (or ACT above 27) will make you competitive for fall admission. If your numbers are slightly below that, you may still be a strong candidate for summer entry. Either way, applying by the Early Action deadline in November gives you the best odds and the most options.
USF is no longer the safety school it may have been perceived as years ago. With tens of thousands of applicants and an acceptance rate in the low 40s, you need a genuinely strong high school record. A rigorous course load with good grades matters more than a perfect GPA in easy classes, since the weighted GPA range of admitted students reflects students who challenged themselves with advanced coursework.