University of Southern California
About
The University of Southern California is a private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in California and has an enrollment of more than 47,000 students.
Admissions funnel
How selective is this institution, and how many admitted students choose to enroll?
Outcomes & equity
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.
What families actually pay
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Academic programs
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Faculty
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
USC vs IPEDS peer group
The peer institutions USC selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity of Southern California | 92% | 9.8% | 46,566 | $31,927 | R1 Research |
Brandeis University | 86% | 40.5% | 5,205 | $33,885 | R1 Research |
Brown University | 96% | 5.4% | 11,956 | $26,572 | R1 Research |
California Institute of Technology | 94% | 2.6% | 2,430 | $18,902 | R1 Research |
Carnegie Mellon University | 94% | 11.7% | 15,888 | $31,671 | R1 Research |
Case Western Reserve University | 87% | 36.5% | 12,475 | $38,909 | R1 Research |
Columbia University in the City of New York | 96% | 4.0% | 35,173 | $20,148 | R1 Research |
Cornell University | 95% | 8.8% | 26,793 | $32,337 | R1 Research |
Duke University | 97% | 5.7% | 17,499 | $34,454 | R1 Research |
Emory University | 91% | 10.6% | 15,175 | $23,911 | R1 Research |
Harvard University | 98% | 3.6% | 30,259 | $16,816 | R1 Research |
Johns Hopkins University | 94% | 6.4% | 30,210 | $18,161 | R1 Research |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 96% | 4.5% | 11,886 | $19,813 | R1 Research |
New York University | 88% | 9.2% | 56,832 | $35,035 | R1 Research |
Northwestern University | 95% | 7.7% | 23,856 | $27,143 | R1 Research |
Princeton University | 98% | 4.6% | 9,137 | $10,555 | R1 Research |
Rice University | 95% | 8.0% | 8,961 | $12,640 | R1 Research |
Stanford University | 92% | 3.6% | 18,625 | $12,136 | R1 Research |
Syracuse University | 84% | 45.9% | 22,589 | $41,026 | R1 Research |
Tulane University of Louisiana | 86% | 14.0% | 13,310 | $43,939 | R1 Research |
University of Chicago | 96% | 4.5% | 18,566 | $18,967 | R1 Research |
University of Pennsylvania | 97% | 5.4% | 29,109 | $31,229 | R1 Research |
University of Rochester | 85% | 40.1% | 11,946 | $30,248 | R1 Research |
Vanderbilt University | 94% | 5.9% | 13,575 | $19,040 | R1 Research |
Washington University in St Louis | 94% | 12.1% | 16,357 | $22,117 | R1 Research |
Yale University | 96% | 3.9% | 15,564 | $27,818 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 94% | 7.1% | 16,123 | $26,858 |
Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research collects, analyzes and disseminates data relevant to the daily operations, and role and mission, of the University of Southern California. Made available to university officials and to the public, this information supports university planning and helps maintain transparency.
Visit IR office page- Ray GonzalesDirector
- Matthew MarchakAssistant Director
- Sunnary AdevaSenior Institutional Research Associate
- Yunyun DaiSenior Researcher
- Sydney LiuCourse Evaluation Administrator
- Henry SunSenior Technical Project Leader
Common Data Set (1)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Documents & reports (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardoir.usc.edu
- Data definitionCommon Data SetThe Common Data Set (CDS) page on the University of Southern California's Office of Institutional Research website offers access to standardized data items and definitions for the purpose of enhancing the quality, comparability, and accuracy of institutional information. This data is shared among educators, journalists, and other stakeholders. The page provides links to the Common Data Set archives for various academic years, such as 2024-2025, 2023-2024, and earlier.oir.usc.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planThe 2018 USC Strategic Plan – Answering The Call2018The USC Strategic Plan 'Answering The Call' aims to position USC as a great research university of the 21st century by focusing on four key pillars: Values, People, Impact, and Transformation. The plan emphasizes ethical governance, investment in intellectual talent, tackling global and local challenges, and embracing change to secure a bright future for the institution. Adopted by the Board of Trustees in February 2018, the plan outlines the university's ambitions and practical guiding principles for progress.provost.usc.edu
Grants & funding opportunities (2)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
IR job openings (1)
Institutional Research and analytics roles currently posted at this institution.
Notable alumni (26)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- John SingletonFilm
- Rodney PeeteSports
- Neil ArmstrongAstronautics
- Frank GehryArchitecture
- Charles BoldenAstronautics
- Andrew ViterbiEngineering
- Randy JohnsonAthletics
- O. J. SimpsonAthletics
- Allyson FelixAthletics
- Lisa LeslieAthletics
- Bryan CranstonPerforming Arts
- George LucasFilm
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