University of Southern California

USC Early Decision Results Release Date 2021

USC will release their Early Decision results on Wednesday December 15th. Share results and connect with other early applicants in the USC Community discussion.

Good luck to all early applicants!

University of Southern California Overview

University of Southern California is a private, nonprofit school in an urban setting in Los Angeles, California. USC was founded in 1880 and now enrolls around 46,107 students a year, including 19,606 undergrads. USC offers housing for up to 7,600 students. Most students live in off campus housing.

There are many ways for students to get involved at USC! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of USC's theater groups.

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

Thinking of pledging? USC has 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.

Learn more about life at USC on the Student Life page.

Mark your calendar! January 15, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should hear from USC by April 1.

Is USC a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how competitive a university is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.

Let's take a closer look at to get a clearer sense of what USC offers and if it could be the right college for you.

2021 Acceptance Rate for University of Southern California

It is extremely difficult to get into USC. Around 16% of applicants get into USC each year. In 2021, just 9,618 out of the 59,712 students who applied were accepted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at USC

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

About 91% of students who start at USC come back for their second year of college. Around 92% of students who started at USC earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

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.

USC'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 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million.

Tuition and Financial Aid at USC

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 99.2% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $58,709 a year.

The average student debt for graduates in the class of 2021 was around $26,850 per student, not including those with no debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021

Some 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, how does USC sound? Remember, the best school 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 Exploring Schools?

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

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Then use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the best schools in the U.S.

Where is University of Southern California Located?

USC is located in the urban setting of Los Angeles, California.

If you want to see USC for yourself, 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 Going to School in California?

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