University of Southern California

University of Southern California Overview

University of Southern California is a private, nonprofit school in the city of Los Angeles, California. USC was founded in 1880 and the school enrolls around 49,318 students a year, which includes 20,790 undergrads. USC ensures housing for up to 7,600 students. Most students live in off campus housing.

Student Involvement at USC

Interested in music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of the school's theater groups.

Are you interested in journalism and communications? USC students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Interested in joining a fraternity or sorority? USC has both fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? USC has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at USC on the Student Life page.

Is USC a Good School?

The definition of a "good school" is different for different people. Admissions difficulty, admitted student statistics, tuition, and financial aid can give you a sense of how competitive a school is.

Let's take a look at these factors to get a clearer idea of what USC offers and if it might be the right college for you.

2022 Acceptance Rate for University of Southern California

USC is extremely difficult to get into. In 2022, USC accepted just 13% of all applicants. In 2022, just 8,884 out of the 71,031 students who applied were accepted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at USC

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. Retention measures how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at USC, around 96% come back the next year. Around 92% of students who started at USC earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outcomes for USC Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.

Check with USC directly, for information on any information on starting salaries for recent grads.

University of Southern California's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

USC's endowment was valued at $5.7 billion in 2022, compared to a national average of $905 million.

Tuition and Financial Aid at USC

Tuition cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

USC meets 100% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $58,131 a year.

In 2020, students graduated with an average of $27,413 in student loans for each student with debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! No one should ever pay to fill out the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at USC.

Based on this information, does USC seem like a good fit? Remember, a school that is perfect for one person may not be the right school for another! So ask yourself: Is USC a good school for you?

If University of Southern California seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Looking for Schools?

To learn more about USC, choose from the options below:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

USC Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting admitted to some of the most popular schools in the U.S.

Where is USC?

USC is located in the city of Los Angeles, California, less than an hour from Los Angeles.

If you want to see USC for yourself, be sure to plan a visit! The best way to reach campus is to take Harbor Freeway to Los Angeles, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Los Angeles International.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what USC and Los Angeles are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in California?

See a full list of colleges in California and save your favorites to your college list.