University of Southern California

www.usc.edu/

Add Comparison

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$59,260

3.5% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$39,759

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

1.32%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

16.1%

59,712 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

46,287

83.4% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

91.7%

2,829 Graduates

About

University of Southern California is a higher education institution located in Los Angeles County, CA. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at University of Southern California were General Business Administration & Management (1,020 degrees awarded), Speech Communication & Rhetoric (314 degrees), and Computer Science (247 degrees).

In 2020, 18,537 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of Southern California. 56.2% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 43.8% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (5,107 degrees), 1.78 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (2874 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of Southern California is $59,260, which is $30,631 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

About the photo: Tommy Trojan

Photo by Richard Ha

Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Doctoral Universities

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at University of Southern California is $59,260, which is $30,631 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $39,759.

In 2020, 65% of undergraduate students attending University of Southern California received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 26% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$59,260

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at University of Southern California was $59,260. The cost of tuition at University of Southern California is $30,631 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,629).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of Southern California (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$39,759

2020 Value

5.96%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 University of Southern California had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $39,759. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of University of Southern California grew by 5.96%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of Southern California (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$15,912

Room and Board

$1,200

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of Southern California was of $15,912 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,200. The cost of room and board increased by 3.32% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of Southern California (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

65%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

26%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

65% of undergraduate students at University of Southern California received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 4.84% with respect to 2019, when 62% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of Southern California (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.32%

2018 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at University of Southern California was 1.32%, which represents 94 out of the 7131 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

University of Southern California received 59,712 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 9.8% annual decline. Out of those 59,712 applicants, 9,618 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 16.1% acceptance rate.

There were 46,287 students enrolled at University of Southern California in 2020, and 66% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of Southern California has an overall enrollment yield of 36%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

16.1%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

9,618

Accepted Out of 59,712

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of Southern California was 16.1% (9,618 admissions from 59,712 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 11.4%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −9.8%, while admissions grew by 27.3%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of Southern California (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

66%

Submission Percentage

2,292

Scores Submitted

66% of enrolled first-time students at University of Southern California in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of Southern California has a total enrollment of 46,287 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Southern California is 38,607 students and the part-time enrollment is 7,680. This means that 83.4% of students enrolled at University of Southern California are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of Southern California, both undergraduate and graduate, is 29.5% White, 18.7% Asian, 15% Hispanic or Latino, 5.48% Black or African American, 3.89% Two or More Races, 0.264% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.171% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at University of Southern California in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (17.2%), followed by White Male (17.1%) and Asian Female (12.5%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (14.7%), followed by White Male (11%) and Asian Female (9.56%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

83.4%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of Southern California, both undergraduate and graduate, is 46,287 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Southern California is 38,607 and the part-time enrollment is 7,680. This means that 83.4% of students enrolled at University of Southern California are enrolled full-time compared with 76.4% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of Southern California (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

91%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of Southern California was 91%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84.5%), University of Southern California had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of Southern California (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
13,656
Asian
8,652
Hispanic or Latino
6,924

The enrolled student population at University of Southern California is 29.5% White, 18.7% Asian, 15% Hispanic or Latino, 5.48% Black or African American, 3.89% Two or More Races, 0.264% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.171% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 49.8% White, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.74% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2,115 students (4.57%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 2297 more women than men received degrees from University of Southern California. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of Southern California is white (5,107 degrees awarded). There were 1.78 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (2874 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of Southern California is General Business Administration & Management (1,020 degrees awarded), followed by Speech Communication & Rhetoric (314 degrees) and Computer Science (247 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at University of Southern California, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Legal (1,525 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (412 degrees), and Public Administration and Social Service (1,718 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Other managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Southern California are Other managers (424,496 people), Software developers (368,840 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (317,323 people), Civil engineers (250,261 people), and Mechanical engineers (181,860 people).

The most specialized majors at University of Southern California are Legal (1,525 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (412 degrees), Public Administration and Social Service (1,718 degrees), Engineering (1,869 degrees), and Communications (990 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Southern California are Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Surgeons, Aircraft pilots & flight engineers, Dentists, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents

Common Industries by Major

Architectural, engineering & related services

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of Southern California are Architectural, engineering & related services (534,511 people), Computer Systems Design (466,615 people), Construction (317,310 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (291,392 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (286,708 people).

Degrees

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of Southern California.

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
1020 degree-majorss awarded
Speech Communication & Rhetoric
314 degree-majorss awarded
Computer Science
247 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of Southern California was General Business Administration & Management with 1020 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of Southern California according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

8,120

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

10,417

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 8,120 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern California, which is 0.779 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (10,417).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of Southern California by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 888 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern California in Computer Science, which is 2.31 times more than the 385 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 1155 degrees were awarded to women at University of Southern California in Social Work, which is 5.86 times more than the 197 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

77%

100% Completion Time

92%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 77% of students graduating from University of Southern California completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 92% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 93% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at University of Southern California is Female and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 3.04% of graduates (86 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
5,107 degrees awarded
Asian
2,874 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
2,511 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of Southern California is white (5,107 degrees awarded). There were 1.78 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (2874 degrees).

4.35% of degree recipients (806 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
2,760 degrees awarded
White Male
2,347 degrees awarded
Asian Female
1,654 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of Southern California is white female (2,760 degrees awarded). There were 1.18 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (2,347 degrees).

Operations

University of Southern California has an endowment valued at nearly $5.91B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $334M (5.65%), compared to the 3.48% average return ($10.5M on $302M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, University of Southern California had a total salary expenditure of $5.53B. University of Southern California employs 873 Professors, 622 Associate professors, and 447 Assistant professors. Most academics at University of Southern California are Male Professors (597), Male Associate professors(322), and Female Associate professors (300).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Southern California are: Management, with 1478 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 1405 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 1336 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$5.91B

2020 Endowment

3.05%

growth from 2019

University of Southern California has an endowment valued at about $5.91B, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of University of Southern California grew 3.05% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $5.61B higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of Southern California (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$598M - Federal
$43.2M - State
$19.7M - Local

As of 2020, University of Southern California received $598M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $43.2M from state grants and contracts, and $19.7M from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$2.58B

2020 Salaries

8.61%

growth from 2019

In 2020, University of Southern California paid a median of $2.58B in salaries, which represents 46.7% of their overall expenditure ($5.53B) and a 8.61% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 9.42% growth from 2018 and a 8.2% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (43% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$302M

Instructional Salaries

2,113

Number of Employees

In 2020, University of Southern California paid a total of $302M to 2,113 employees working as instructors, which represents 11.7% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $69.9M (29.4%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

873 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

1478 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of Southern California were Professor with 873 employees; Associate professor with 622 employees; and Associate professor with 447 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Southern California were Management with 1,478 employees; Business and Financial Operations with 1,405 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 1,336 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of Southern California was Male Professor with 597 employees, Male Associate professor with 322 employees, and Female Associate professor with 300 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at University of Southern California.

Keep Exploring

New York University

University

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

University

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University

University of Virginia-Main Campus

University

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

University