University of Southern California

www.usc.edu/

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2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$57,256

3.5% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$37,521

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

1.28%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

11.4%

66,198 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

48,321

85.9% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

92.4%

2,768 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 (1,022 degrees awarded), Speech Communication & Rhetoric (270 degrees), and Computer Science (228 degrees).

In 2019, 17,922 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of Southern California. 55.4% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 44.6% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (5,237 degrees), 1.88 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (2782 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of Southern California is $57,256, which is $28,756 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

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 $57,256, which is $28,756 more than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $37,521.

In 2019, 62% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 26% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$57,256

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at University of Southern California was $57,256. The cost of tuition at University of Southern California is $28,756 more than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,500).

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

Average Net Price

$37,521

2019 Value

3.76%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 University of Southern California had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $37,521. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of University of Southern California grew by 3.76%.

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

$15,400

Room and Board

$1,200

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of Southern California was of $15,400 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,200. The cost of room and board increased by 3.45% between 2018 and 2019. 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

62%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

26%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

62% of undergraduate students at University of Southern California received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a growth of 1.64% with respect to 2018, when 61% 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.

1.28%

2017 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at University of Southern California was 1.28%, which represents 93 out of the 7255 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 66,198 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 2.87% annual growth. Out of those 66,198 applicants, 7,558 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 11.4% acceptance rate.

There were 48,321 students enrolled at University of Southern California in 2019, and 68% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of Southern California has an overall enrollment yield of 41.9%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

11.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

7,558

Accepted Out of 66,198

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of Southern California was 11.4% (7,558 admissions from 66,198 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 13%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants grew by 2.87%, while admissions declined by −9.37%.

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

SAT Scores

68%

Submission Percentage

2,138

Scores Submitted

68% of enrolled first-time students at University of Southern California in 2019 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 48,321 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Southern California is 41,497 students and the part-time enrollment is 6,824. This means that 85.9% 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 29.1% White, 16.9% Asian, 14.6% Hispanic or Latino, 5.27% Black or African American, 3.62% Two or More Races, 0.25% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.176% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at University of Southern California in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (18.6%), followed by White Male (18.4%) and Asian Female (11.2%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (13%), followed by White Male (9.89%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (8.44%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

85.9%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of Southern California, both undergraduate and graduate, is 48,321 students. The full-time enrollment at University of Southern California is 41,497 and the part-time enrollment is 6,824. This means that 85.9% of students enrolled at University of Southern California are enrolled full-time compared with 77.6% 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

96%

2019 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 96%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (83%), 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
14,039
Asian
8,157
Hispanic or Latino
7,051

The enrolled student population at University of Southern California is 29.1% White, 16.9% Asian, 14.6% Hispanic or Latino, 5.27% Black or African American, 3.62% Two or More Races, 0.25% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.176% 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 50.3% White, 14.3% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.48% 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, 2,309 students (4.78%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 1948 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 (5,237 degrees awarded). There were 1.88 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (2782 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of Southern California is General Business Administration & Management (1,022 degrees awarded), followed by Speech Communication & Rhetoric (270 degrees) and Computer Science (228 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 Architecture and Related Services (427 degrees awarded), Legal (1,410 degrees), and Public Administration and Social Service (1,804 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Software developers

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 Software developers (425,585 people), Other managers (384,424 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (332,975 people), Civil engineers (271,547 people), and Mechanical engineers (202,741 people).

The most specialized majors at University of Southern California are Architecture and Related Services (427 degrees awarded), Legal (1,410 degrees), Public Administration and Social Service (1,804 degrees), Engineering (1,908 degrees), and Visual & Performing Arts (1,118 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

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 Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, and Diagnostic medical sonographers

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 (561,989 people), Computer Systems Design (467,558 people), Construction (339,477 people), Elementary & secondary schools (311,786 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (309,269 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
1022 degree-majorss awarded
Speech Communication & Rhetoric
270 degree-majorss awarded
Computer Science
228 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of Southern California was General Business Administration & Management with 1022 degrees awarded.

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

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

7,987

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

9,935

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 7,987 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern California, which is 0.804 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (9,935).

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

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 992 degrees were awarded to men at University of Southern California in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.55 times more than the 638 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 1225 degrees were awarded to women at University of Southern California in Social Work, which is 5.67 times more than the 216 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

77%

100% Completion Time

92%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 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 Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Female

Highest Graduation Rate (95.8%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at University of Southern California is Female and Asian (95.8% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

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, 3.79% of graduates (105 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
5,237 degrees awarded
Asian
2,782 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
2,329 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of Southern California is white (5,237 degrees awarded). There were 1.88 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, asian (2782 degrees).

3.84% of degree recipients (689 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Female
2,882 degrees awarded
White Male
2,355 degrees awarded
Asian Female
1,590 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at University of Southern California is white female (2,882 degrees awarded). There were 1.22 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (2,355 degrees).

Operations

University of Southern California has an endowment valued at nearly $5.74B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $304M (5.3%), compared to the 4.24% average return ($13.2M on $311M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2019, University of Southern California had a total salary expenditure of $5.61B. University of Southern California employs 862 Professors, 605 Associate professors, and 481 Assistant professors. Most academics at University of Southern California are Male Professors (597), Male Associate professors(321), and Female Associate professors (284).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Southern California are: Management, with 1499 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 1368 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 1356 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$5.74B

2019 Endowment

3.52%

growth from 2018

University of Southern California has an endowment valued at about $5.74B, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of University of Southern California grew 3.52% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $5.43B 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

$476M - Federal
$37.6M - State
$19.9M - Local

As of 2019, University of Southern California received $476M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $37.6M from state grants and contracts, and $19.9M from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$2.38B

2019 Salaries

9.42%

growth from 2018

In 2019, University of Southern California paid a median of $2.38B in salaries, which represents 42.4% of their overall expenditure ($5.61B) and a 9.42% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 8.2% growth from 2017 and a 6.31% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 234M (42.4% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$309M

Instructional Salaries

2,191

Number of Employees

In 2019, University of Southern California paid a total of $309M to 2,191 employees working as instructors, which represents 13% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $71.1M (30.3%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

862 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

1499 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of Southern California were Professor with 862 employees; Associate professor with 605 employees; and Associate professor with 481 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of Southern California were Management with 1,499 employees; Business and Financial Operations with 1,368 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 1,356 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of Southern California was Male Professor with 597 employees, Male Associate professor with 321 employees, and Female Associate professor with 284 employees.

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

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