University of Southern California
Basic Information
Type
Private
Geographical Reach
National
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Population
11,000,000
Website
http://www.usc.edu/
Demographics
Total Undergraduates
20,817
Men / Women
48% / 52%
White
27%
Asian
23%
Hispanic
18%
International
13%
Black
5%
Mixed
5%
Native American
0%
From State
43%
From Region
4%
Academics
Undergraduate Degrees
Business & Economics
28%
Arts
12%
Computer Science
10%
Life & Natural Sciences
10%
Engineering
7%
Physical Sciences & Math
4%
Health Sciences
3%
Financial
Tuition & Fees
$73,260
Est. Cost of Attendance
$90,300
10-Year ROI
$272,000
ROI Percentile
95th
Retention & Graduation
Full-Time Retention
96%
4-Year Graduation Rate
74%
6-Year Graduation Rate
92%
Transfer-Out Rate
0%
Weather
Comfortable Days
135 (97% 😎)
Sunshine Hours
3,300 (96% ☀️)
Days Without Precipitation
327 (98% 🏖️)
Admissions
Uses Common App
Yes
Acceptance Rate
12%
Yield (Unbound)
43%
Early Decision 1
Nov 1
Early Action
Nov 1
Regular Decision
Jan 1
Research
Research Level
R1
Expenditure
| Humanities & Social Sciences | $93M | #8 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | $219M | #25 |
| Life & Natural Sciences | $885M | #25 |
Graduate Degrees
| Life & Natural Sciences | 925 | #6 |
| Humanities & Social Sciences | 720 | #7 |
| Engineering, Computing & Math | 191 | #22 |
Honors College
Standardized Tests
Test Scores
Test Policy
optional
Submitted Test Scores
42%
SAT Range
1470
–
1530
SAT Math Range
740
–
790
SAT RW Range
710
–
760
ACT Range
32
–
35
Earnings by Major Category
Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).
Schools & Majors
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism | 396 | 30% / 70% | 11% | $75,184 | 93% | ||
| Communication | 235 +17 | 31% / 69% | 14% | $77,431 | 69 | 91% | |
| Journalism | 85 +3 | 42% / 58% | 1% | $73,113 | 61 | 97% | |
| Public Relations and Advertising | 76 +2 | 13% / 87% | 9% | $70,555 | 55 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences | 2,305 | 42% / 58% | 12% | $80,998 | 91% | ||
| Cybersecurity | 98 — | 47% / 53% | 6% | $95,174 | 89 | — | |
| Astronomy | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 33% | $84,266 | 80 | — | |
| Chemistry | 18 — | 61% / 39% | 0% | $53,867 | 11 | 89% | |
| Computational and Applied Mathematics | 94 +9 | 63% / 37% | 47% | $94,658 | 89 | 85% | |
| Earth Sciences | 2 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $66,158 | 43 | — | |
| Financial Mathematics | 50 — | 78% / 22% | 46% | $94,658 | 89 | 85% | |
| Mathematics | 18 +1 | 83% / 17% | 33% | $67,989 | 48 | 89% | |
| Physical Sciences | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $84,352 | 80 | — | |
| Physics | 21 +1 | 76% / 24% | 10% | $85,754 | 81 | — | |
| Biochemistry | 40 — | 42% / 57% | 12% | $88,746 | 84 | 88% | |
| Biological Sciences | 73 — | 44% / 56% | 1% | $77,275 | 69 | 96% | |
| Biophysics | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $88,746 | 84 | 88% | |
| Biotechnology | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $85,718 | 81 | — | |
| Cellular and Molecular Biology | 4 — | 75% / 25% | 0% | $85,445 | 81 | — | |
| Computational Biology | 17 +1 | 47% / 53% | 18% | $84,013 | 79 | — | |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology | 2 — | 50% / 50% | 0% | $65,992 | 42 | — | |
| Environmental Science | 52 — | 37% / 63% | 0% | $80,254 | 74 | 90% | |
| Environmental Studies | 12 +7 | 25% / 75% | 0% | $80,254 | 74 | 90% | |
| Human Biology | 278 +4 | 30% / 70% | 5% | $80,692 | 75 | 96% | |
| Marine Biology | — — | — | — | $66,033 | 42 | — | |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 20 — | 45% / 55% | 15% | $78,242 | 71 | 84% | |
| Neuroscience | 90 +1 | 39% / 61% | 3% | $78,242 | 71 | 84% | |
| Behavioral Aspects of Health | 82 — | 35% / 65% | 2% | $81,522 | 76 | 90% | |
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $66,943 | 45 | — | |
| Health and Human Sciences | 6 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $83,011 | 78 | — | |
| International Public Health/International Health | 34 — | 21% / 79% | 3% | $81,522 | 76 | 90% | |
| Pharmaceutics and Drug Design | 2 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $170,463 | 100 | 91% | |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 28 — | 32% / 68% | 4% | $130,817 | 99 | — | |
| Economics | 178 +19 | 61% / 39% | 35% | $98,555 | 91 | 93% | |
| Political Economy | 20 +1 | 65% / 35% | 15% | $78,005 | 70 | 93% | |
| Advanced Legal Research/Studies | 4 — | 25% / 75% | 25% | $80,312 | 74 | 91% | |
| African American Studies | 3 +1 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $54,012 | 11 | 94% | |
| American Studies and Ethnicity | 2 +2 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $66,870 | 45 | 100% | |
| Anthropology | 7 +4 | 14% / 86% | 0% | $66,669 | 44 | — | |
| Archaeology | 3 — | 33% / 67% | 0% | $69,613 | 52 | — | |
| Area Studies | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $66,870 | 45 | 100% | |
| Asian-American Studies | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $54,012 | 11 | 94% | |
| Classical Languages | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $65,428 | 40 | — | |
| Cognitive Science | 64 +6 | 27% / 73% | 9% | $91,571 | 87 | 100% | |
| Comparative Literature | 2 +1 | 50% / 50% | 50% | $63,449 | 35 | — | |
| Contemplative Studies | 30 +8 | 53% / 47% | 47% | $95,023 | 89 | 84% | |
| Creative Writing | 39 +1 | 44% / 56% | 3% | $66,177 | 43 | 79% | |
| East Asian Languages and Cultures | 12 +4 | 50% / 50% | 8% | $63,133 | 34 | 73% | |
| East Asian Studies | 6 +2 | 83% / 17% | 17% | $66,870 | 45 | 100% | |
| English | 31 +3 | 35% / 65% | 3% | $57,930 | 19 | 93% | |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 7 — | 14% / 86% | 14% | $54,012 | 11 | 94% | |
| French | 3 +2 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $66,550 | 44 | 86% | |
| Geographic Information Science and Cartography | 12 — | 58% / 42% | 8% | $87,136 | 83 | 91% | |
| Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies | 2 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $54,012 | 11 | 94% | |
| History | 30 +4 | 60% / 40% | 3% | $70,904 | 56 | 90% | |
| History | 48 +3 | 31% / 69% | 2% | $70,904 | 56 | 90% | |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 35 +3 | 43% / 57% | 3% | $59,948 | 25 | 92% | |
| International Relations | 124 +15 | 41% / 59% | 15% | $87,675 | 83 | 88% | |
| International/Globalization Studies | 5 — | 40% / 60% | 20% | $58,010 | 19 | 91% | |
| Italian | — +2 | — | — | $65,376 | 40 | — | |
| Jewish/Judaic Studies | 1 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $74,406 | 64 | — | |
| Linguistics | 7 — | 43% / 57% | 0% | $65,349 | 40 | — | |
| Linguistics | 3 +1 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $66,052 | 42 | — | |
| Near and Middle Eastern Studies | 2 — | 0% / 100% | 0% | $66,870 | 45 | 100% | |
| Philosophy | 61 +4 | 46% / 54% | 13% | $95,023 | 89 | 84% | |
| Political Science | 120 +7 | 43% / 57% | 5% | $78,005 | 70 | 93% | |
| Psychology | 223 +15 | 26% / 74% | 10% | $67,060 | 45 | 92% | |
| Public Policy Analysis | 45 — | 40% / 60% | 7% | $73,021 | 61 | 90% | |
| Religion/Religious Studies | — +2 | — | — | $73,847 | 62 | — | |
| Russian | — +1 | — | — | $65,790 | 42 | — | |
| Social Sciences | 29 +4 | 55% / 45% | 3% | $59,488 | 23 | 88% | |
| Sociology | 49 +4 | 33% / 67% | 6% | $67,128 | 45 | 88% | |
| Spanish | 14 +8 | 29% / 71% | 0% | $66,550 | 44 | 86% | |
| Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects | 14 — | 14% / 86% | 43% | $58,947 | 22 | — | |
| Art History | 10 +2 | 20% / 80% | 0% | $61,391 | 29 | 90% | |
| Urban Studies | 7 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $73,916 | 63 | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glorya Kaufman School of Dance | 22 | 55% / 45% | 9% | $37,197 | 96% | ||
| Dance | 22 — | 55% / 45% | 9% | $37,197 | 2 | 96% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Davis School of Gerontology | 20 | 45% / 55% | 0% | $74,764 | 92% | ||
| Gerontology | 20 — | 45% / 55% | 0% | $74,764 | 64 | 92% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall School of Business | 1,346 | 57% / 43% | 13% | $108,581 | 94% | ||
| Accounting | 135 — | 57% / 43% | 13% | $107,531 | 95 | 97% | |
| Artificial Intelligence for Business | 53 — | 57% / 43% | 13% | $148,578 | 100 | 94% | |
| Business Administration | 1,104 — | 57% / 43% | 13% | $104,833 | 94 | 94% | |
| International Business | 54 — | 56% / 44% | 13% | $148,578 | 100 | 94% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy | 9 | 22% / 78% | 0% | $87,934 | 92% | ||
| Nursing | — — | — | — | $98,416 | 91 | — | |
| Occupational Therapy | 9 — | 22% / 78% | 0% | $87,934 | 83 | 92% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price School of Public Policy | 1 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $105,146 | 100% | ||
| Real Estate Development | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $105,146 | 95 | 100% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roski School of Art and Design | 82 | 26% / 74% | 17% | $72,705 | 94% | ||
| Art | 19 +4 | 26% / 74% | 16% | $61,391 | 29 | 90% | |
| Design | 50 — | 24% / 76% | 18% | $79,947 | 74 | 97% | |
| Fine Arts | 13 — | 31% / 69% | 15% | $61,391 | 29 | 90% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Architecture | 73 | 36% / 64% | 16% | $77,111 | 99% | ||
| Architectural Studies | 8 — | 50% / 50% | 25% | $76,673 | 68 | 93% | |
| Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology | 65 — | 34% / 66% | 15% | $77,166 | 69 | 100% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Cinematic Arts | 248 | 44% / 56% | 12% | $54,128 | 93% | ||
| Interactive Media and Games | 28 — | 50% / 50% | 14% | $79,947 | 74 | 97% | |
| Cinema and Media Studies | 74 +2 | 49% / 51% | 4% | $53,923 | 11 | 93% | |
| Animation and Digital Arts | 25 +1 | 20% / 80% | 24% | $55,678 | 14 | 91% | |
| Film and Television Production | 90 +1 | 47% / 53% | 19% | $53,923 | 11 | 93% | |
| Playwriting and Screenwriting | 31 — | 42% / 58% | 3% | $30,649 | 1 | 91% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Dramatic Arts | 165 | 33% / 67% | 2% | $30,649 | 91% | ||
| Acting | 58 +11 | 26% / 74% | 3% | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | |
| Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 4 — | 25% / 75% | 0% | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | |
| Musical Theatre | 79 +1 | 46% / 54% | 1% | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | |
| Musical Theatre | 10 — | 10% / 90% | 0% | $30,649 | 1 | 91% | |
| Stage Management | 14 — | 14% / 86% | 0% | $30,649 | 1 | 91% |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornton School of Music | 154 | 49% / 51% | 8% | $33,605 | 87% | ||
| Brass Instruments | 3 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Choral Music | 19 — | 53% / 47% | 5% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Composition | 9 — | 67% / 33% | 22% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Jazz/Jazz Studies | 15 — | 87% / 13% | 0% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Keyboard Instruments | 6 — | 17% / 83% | 33% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Music | 5 +1 | 40% / 60% | 0% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Music | 5 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Music Industry | 72 — | 39% / 61% | 7% | $42,388 | 2 | 88% | |
| Percussion Instruments | — — | — | — | $26,877 | 1 | — | |
| Stringed Instruments | 8 +1 | 12% / 88% | 12% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 3 +1 | 33% / 67% | 33% | $55,678 | 14 | 91% | |
| Voice and Opera | 9 — | 67% / 33% | 0% | $24,763 | 1 | 86% | |
| Woodwind Instruments | — — | — | — | $26,371 | 1 | — |
| ⇅ | Trends | Degrees | Male/Female | Intl | Earnings | ROI | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viterbi School of Engineering | 894 | 60% / 40% | 16% | $145,890 | 94% | ||
| Aerospace Engineering | 61 — | 69% / 31% | 2% | $113,915 | 97 | 98% | |
| Biomedical Engineering | 73 — | 37% / 63% | 7% | $112,503 | 97 | 95% | |
| Chemical Engineering | 38 — | 45% / 55% | 11% | $106,401 | 95 | 98% | |
| Civil Engineering | 8 — | 25% / 62% | 0% | $116,779 | 98 | 98% | |
| Electrical & Computer Engineering | 50 — | 70% / 30% | 12% | $142,374 | 99 | — | |
| Environmental Engineering | 8 — | 25% / 75% | 12% | $96,173 | 90 | — | |
| Industrial and Systems Engineering | 53 — | 47% / 53% | 21% | $137,590 | 99 | 96% | |
| Mechanical Engineering | 93 — | 63% / 37% | 9% | $107,591 | 96 | 94% | |
| Structural Engineering | 26 — | 73% / 27% | 12% | $116,779 | 98 | 98% | |
| Water Resources Engineering | — — | — | — | $99,116 | 92 | — | |
| Artificial Intelligence | — — | — | — | $129,555 | 99 | — | |
| Computer Engineering and Computer Science | 36 — | 67% / 33% | 25% | $161,292 | 100 | 93% | |
| Computer Science | 352 — | 66% / 34% | 22% | $180,906 | 100 | 93% | |
| Computer Science (Games) | 45 — | 64% / 36% | 29% | $165,219 | 100 | 91% | |
| Human Technology Interaction | 1 — | 100% / 0% | 0% | $115,213 | 98 | — | |
| Informatics | 17 +18 | 53% / 47% | 18% | $112,985 | 97 | — | |
| Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation | 33 — | 45% / 55% | 3% | $94,198 | 88 | 100% |
Rankings
Academics
Syllabus Week Lasts All Semester
Grade Hyperinflation
GPA Paradise
College Costs
We Marked It Up Just to Put It on Sale
Highest List Price
Sticker Shock
Fun and Games
Party til You Drop (Out)
Party Schools
Legendary
Politically Incorrect
Equal Opportunity Objectification
Most Attractive Men
Greek God Territory
I'm Getting Cancelled in 3, 2, 1...
Most Attractive Women
Instagram vs Reality (It's Real)
Prestige
Grandma Eyebrow Raisers
Easy Brags for the Prestigious-Conscious
Big City, World Famous
My Tribe
Call Your Mother!
Most Jewish
Significant Community
Engineering
It Actually IS Rocket Science
Aerospace Engineering
Rocket Scientists
It's Not About Molecules, It's About Pipes
Chemical Engineering
Polymer Whisperers & Battery Bros
Playing House
Civil Engineering
Hard Hat Ready
Resistance Is Futile
Computer Engineering
O(1) Touch Grass (Theoretically Computable)
Resistance Is Not Futile
Electrical Engineering
Ohm My God
Drill, Baby, Drill
Energy & Mining Engineering
Black Gold Elite
Making Spreadsheets Go Brrrr
Industrial Engineering
The Suits
Is It a Solid? Is It a Liquid? Yes.
Materials Engineering
Composite Crew
WD-40 & Duct Tape
Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
Whiteboard-preferred
Computer Science
Chat-GPT? Claude? I can do better.
Artificial Intelligence
AI is the New CS
No, I Can't Fix Your Printer
Computer Science (Eng)
LeetCode Grinders
Hoodie Not Included
Cybersecurity
NSA Recruiters Already Have Your Number
import pandas as pd
Data Science
Jupyter Notebook Jockeys
Pixels, Psychology, and Post-its
Human-Computer Interaction
The HCI & Gaming Overlords
Physical Sciences & Math
Quants, Proofs & p < 0.05
Applied Mathematics & Statistics
Actuaries, Modelers & Aspiring Quants
Breaking Bad
Chemistry
Pre-Med Darwinian Thunderdome
Rocks and Whales
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
Fossil Hunters
The "I Understand Interstellar" Elite
Physics & Astronomy
Biophysics, Soft Matter, and Interdisciplinary Physics
No Words Allowed
Pure Mathematics
Number Crunchers
Life & Natural Sciences
Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room
Biology
Cell Division
Doomsday Prepping with Data
Environmental Science
Carbon Neutral
Memorizing 206 Bones
Human Biology
Bone Collectors
Action Potentials
Neuroscience
Serotonin Seekers
Health Sciences
Open Wide
Dentistry & Oral Health
Plaque Attackers
Behind Every Doctor
Health Services
Hospital VIPs
Legal Drug Dealers
Pharmacy
Pill Counters
Sweat Equity
Sports & Fitness
Game Day Ready
Business & Economics
LIFO the Party
Accounting
GAAP Gatekeepers
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings
Business Administration
Suit & Tie on a Tuesday Pre-Professionals
Pivot Tables & Missing Pallets
Business Analytics
Just-In-Time Jugglers
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro
Economics
I Actually Wanted to do Finance
Move Fast, Break Tuition
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Future Founders
Wolf of Wall Street Prep
Finance
Sun, Sand, and Syndication
Office Politics 101
Human Resources
Org Chart Architects
Passport Stamp Power Rankings
International Business
Fluent in Four Languages, One of Them PowerPoint
Tik-Tok Generation
Marketing
Brand Builders
Glengarry Glen Ross Prep
Real Estate
Location, Location, Location
Ballers, Shot Callers & Hollywood Hustlers
Sports & Entertainment Business
The "Do You Know Who I Am?" Elite
Humanities & Social Sciences
I Think, Therefore I Major
Cognitive Science
The Applied Cyborgs
Much Ado About Nothing
English, Literature & Writing
Well-Versed
Model UN Generation
Government & Politics
Campaign Trail
Hindsight is 20/20 (And So is My Salary)
History & Archaeology
The Time Travelers
Passport Stamp Collectors
International Relations
Globe Trotters
Nosy for a Living
Journalism
The "We Trained the Anchor You're Watching" Cartel
Professional Yapping
Media & Communication Studies
The "Our Alumni Control Your Feed" Mafia
The "Why Are We Here?" Support Group
Philosophy & Ethics
The Questioners
Spin Class
Professional Communication
The "Damage Control" Dream Team
I Want To Understand Myself
Psychology
The Manipulation Majors
Everything is a Construct
Sociology & Anthropology
Field Observers
Grammar Police Academy
World Languages & Linguistics
Grammar Nerds
Education
Surviving PTA Karens
General Education
Lesson Planners
Gym Class Heroes and Art Teachers
Specific Subjects Education
Studio to Schoolroom
Arts
Sleep Deprivation by Design
Architecture
Design Visionaries
Trapped in the Render Queue
Digital Arts & Photography
The Pixar Pipeline
Lights, Camera, Tuition
Film
Hollywood Pipeline
Eight Hours of Scales
Music
The Maestros' Lounge
Theatre Kid Generation
Performing Arts
Standing Ovation