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University of Southern California

#1 in Best Colleges for Design in America
  • A+
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • 3,556 reviews
    A+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      A+
    2. Value
      A+
    3. Diversity
      A+
    4. Campus
      A+
    5. Athletics
      A+
    6. Party Scene
      A+
    7. Professors
      A+
    8. Location
      B+
    9. Dorms
      A-
    10. Campus Food
      A-
    11. Student Life
      A+
    12. Safety
      B
    View Full Report Card
    USC is a highly rated private university located in Los Angeles, California. It is a large institution with an enrollment of 18,631 undergraduate students. Admissions is competitive as the USC acceptance rate is 17%. Popular majors include Business, Communications, and Biology. Graduating 92% of students, USC alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $53,800.
    About University of Southern California...
    Athletic Division
    NCAA Division I-FBS
    Athletic Conference
    Pacific-12 Conference
    Address
    University Park
    Los Angeles, CA 90089
    Website
    usc.edu

    University of Southern California Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Admissions

    Acceptance Rate
    17%
    Application Deadline
    January 15
    SAT Range
    1300-1500
    ACT Range
    30-34
    Application Fee
    $80
    SAT/ACT
    Required
    High School GPA
    Required
    Early Decision/Early Action
    No

    Test Prep

    SAT and ACT Prep Options
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    Cost

    Net Price
    $32,892/ year
    National
    $15,523
    Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
    Net Price by Household Income
    • <$30k
      $14,777/ year
    • $30-48k
      $17,084/ year
    • $49-75k
      $22,445/ year
    • $76-110k
      $30,084/ year
    • $110k+
      $49,423/ year

    Academics

    Professors
    A+
    Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
    Student Faculty Ratio
    9:1
    Evening Degree Programs
    No
    83%
    of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.248 responses
    68%
    of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.262 responses
    53%
    of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.261 responses

    Majors

    Most Popular Majors
    • Business
      1,023 Graduates
    • Communications
      263 Graduates
    • Biology
      261 Graduates
    • Accounting
      217 Graduates
    • International Relations
      205 Graduates
    • Economics
      183 Graduates
    • Computer Science
      174 Graduates
    • Psychology
      168 Graduates
    • Urban, Community and Regional Planning
      132 Graduates
    • Film and Video Studies
      121 Graduates

    Students

    Full-Time Enrollment
    18,631Undergrads
    Part-Time Undergrads
    539
    Undergrads Over 25
    3%
    Pell Grant
    17%
    Varsity Athletes
    3%
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
    Based on 165 responses
    Report
    • Busy, active, studies, and parties
      42%
    • Busy and active
      17%
    • Work hard, play hard, fight on hard
      10%
    • Diverse
      9%
    • Studies & parties
      7%
    • Work Hard Play Hard Mentality
      7%
    • All the above
      3%

    Campus Life

    Freshmen Live On-Campus
    82%
    Poll
    67%
    of students say that Greek life is pretty big.309 responses
    Poll
    60%
    of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.353 responses
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes your school?
    Based on 193 responses
    Report
    • High quality & Social
      34%
    • Diverse
      20%
    • The key to my future
      11%
    • Perfect
      10%
    • An experience with people to never be forgetten.
      8%
    • Snobby
      3%
    • Pre-Professional
      3%

    After College

    Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
    $74,000/ year
    National
    $33,028
    Graduation Rate
    92%
    National
    49%
    Employed 2 Years After Graduation
    92%
    National
    83%
    85%
    of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.161 responses
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    University of Southern California Reviews

    3,556 reviews
    All Categories
    USC is an amazing school in terms of academics. There's definitely a higher standard and you have to work for your grades but you come out having learned a lot. Because it is a private school with lots of appeal in the heart of Los Angeles, it does attract a fair share of ignorant, privileged people. However, you can definitely find genuine people, just keep looking and being you! USC has so many perks and resources and I highly recommend getting involved whether it be sports or clubs! The professors are very experienced and amazing.
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    USC has garnered a rather bad reputation over the years- it’s a party school, the students are spoiled, the campus is unsafe. However, everything I have experienced there contradicts this reputation.
    The school is large enough that you can find a community that suits you. If you don’t want to party, you’ll find plenty of people that share that sentiment.

    Additionally, though some of the students are undoubtedly spoiled, the majority of them are hardworking and down to earth. Since USC is pretty generous with financial aid, many students don’t come from rich families.

    Finally, although the surrounding area can be sketchy at times, I have never felt unsafe on USC campus. USC has a very competent security team that is dedicated to student safety.

    If you’re thinking about USC, don’t let the reputation offput you. It’s an amazing place filled with amazing people, and if you decide to go, you won’t regret it. Fight on!
    Coming to USC was one of the greatest decisions of my life! I'm a first-gen, low income minority coming from Texas who had never visited California before, so you can guess just how big of a difference California was from Texas. I thought I was going to feel overwhelmed and flunk out, but I didn't! In fact, I'm thriving here. The university is very beautiful, the brick and gothic sorta architecture is very pretty and really relaxing. There are so many opportunities and a lot of different majors, so I'm sure you will find what you are looking for. There are a lot of different activities to join, so you will definitely find your group of friends as long you get involved!