How do Arizona State University and the University of South Carolina compare in overall selectivity?

The University of South Carolina is typically a bit more selective than Arizona State University. Arizona State admits a broader share of applicants across the university and is well known for having multiple pathways to enrollment, while South Carolina tends to be somewhat more selective in general freshman admission. Both are realistic options for many students, but ASU is usually viewed as the easier admit of the two.

One clear difference is how each school structures access. Arizona State has a very large undergraduate population, several campuses, and admission systems designed to accommodate a wide range of applicants, including alternative routes for students who may not enter through the most traditional profile. That tends to make its overall admissions process feel more accessible.

South Carolina, by contrast, is somewhat tighter at the university-wide level. Even outside of specialty programs, it usually expects a somewhat stronger academic profile from admitted students, especially in core coursework and overall transcript strength. In practice, that means a student who looks comfortably on track for ASU may still be a little less certain at South Carolina.

On that broad measure, ASU is not usually considered highly selective, while South Carolina sits a step up in competitiveness. So if you are comparing them purely on how hard they are to get into overall, South Carolina is the tougher admit.