R1 ResearchPrivate (nonprofit)Medical

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Far West·usc.edu
Acceptance
9.8%
+2.7pp vs R1 Research
6-yr Graduation
92%
-2.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
46,566
peer median 16,123
Avg net price
$32,740
+$8.3k vs R1 Research
Use this data
Ask Clema
AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsGrantsAlumni

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 & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
82,027
82,027 candidates competed
Admitted
8,050
9.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
3,489
43.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
92%-2.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
74%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
92%
Full-time retention
96%

Pell equity

2.2pp gap
Pell recipients
90%556 of 618
Non-Pell (all)
92%2557 of 2772
Subsidized loan, no Pell
91%369 of 404
No Federal Aid
92%2188 of 2368

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 350 Title IV programs, 118 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 230 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
350
Passing
118
33.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
0.6% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.6%
vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

350programs
  • Passing118 · 33.7%
  • No Data230 · 65.7%
  • Failing2 · 0.6%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
2
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
8
Safe
109
No data
230

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

120
Music
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-6.2%
$45,304 vs $48,304
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-5.4%
$34,124 vs $36,082
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+7.5%
$51,931 vs $48,304
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+10.9%
$53,569 vs $48,304
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+12.0%
$40,415 vs $36,082
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+15.4%
$41,637 vs $36,082
Social Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+16.5%
$42,038 vs $36,082
Architectural Sciences and Technology
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
+17.3%
$74,838 vs $63,816

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

113
Dentistry
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
366%
$451,008 debt · $123,341 earn
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
312%
$162,257 debt · $51,931 earn
Medicine
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
220%
$232,705 debt · $105,882 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
214%
$200,601 debt · $93,753 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
207%
$110,622 debt · $53,569 earn
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences
Graduate Certificate · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
191%
$266,074 debt · $139,611 earn
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
174%
$126,233 debt · $72,615 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
168%
$123,809 debt · $73,829 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1949Next review Jun 2031

Programmatic accreditations · 32

Action history · 60

  1. Nov 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
  2. Jul 2025Initial Accreditation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  3. Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS)
  4. Aug 2024Removal of Monitoring Status
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Predoctoral
  5. Mar 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$13,516
$30–48k$14,394
$48–75k$19,539
$75–110k$24,976
$110k+$56,116

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$32,740
+$8,260vs R1 Research median $24,481
Federal loans
23.6%
In-state tuition
$72,097
Out-of-state
$72,097

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 5,758 students received $35.3M in Pell grants, alongside $593.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
5,758
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$35.3M
$35,345,111 total
Direct Loans
$593.9M
24,083 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
’20
5k
’21
5k
’22
5k
’23
6k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$17.2M
3,934 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$10.3M
3,531 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$205.5M
8,502 loan awards
Parent PLUS$75.5M
1,847 loan awards
Grad PLUS$285.4M
6,269 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 7,403 borrowers who entered repayment, 38 (0.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.5%
-1.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
7,403
Defaulted
38
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.6%
2017
1.2%
2018
1.3%
2019
0.5%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at USC

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs285
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

13,998 total completions
01Business
2,87020.5%
02Computer Sciences
2,14615.3%
03Engineering
1,75212.5%
04Health Professions
1,69012.1%
05Communication
1,0757.7%
06Visual/Performing Arts
1,0647.6%
07Social Sciences
1,0467.5%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
9516.8%
09Legal Professions
7105.1%
10Education
6945.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
46,566
12-mo unduplicated
51,168
Undergraduate
22,835
Graduate
28,333

Gender split

Men
47%24,080
Women
53%27,088

Race / ethnicity composition

White
25.5%
Asian
23.3%
Hispanic
20.0%
Non-resident
13.3%
Black
7.1%
Two or more
6.4%
Unknown
4.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
629
316 M · 313 W
Women athletes
49.8%
Athletic aid
$28.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$234.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$15.1M
$13.5M
Recruiting expense
$5.9M
$857K
Head-coach salaries
$1.9M
$393K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
82 M · 88 W
$6.7M
Football
116 M · —
$74.0M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
36 M · 32 W
$4.3M
Water Polo
26 M · 25 W
$2.7M
Rowing
— · 51 W
$3.7M
Basketball
17 M · 30 W
$22.7M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
10.48
494 offenses · 47,147 students

3-year trend

12.022 yrs ago11.181 yr ago10.48Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
1,634
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
245
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
33
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
16

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
330
Burglary
47
Aggravated assault
35
Fondling
33
Robbery
22
Rape
17
Arson
8
Murder
1
Statutory rape
1

By location

494total
  • On campus385
  • Non-campus87
  • Public property22

Includes 33 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

7
Domestic violence
15
Dating violence
54
Stalking
76 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race4
  • Religion3
  • National origin3
  • Gender identity1
  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons92
Drugs727
Liquor12

Residence-hall fires

  • Internationally Themed Residential College1 fire
    CookingDamage $10,000-$24,999
  • Jessie & Charles Cale Residential1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Cecele & Michael Birnkrant Residence Hall1 fire
    Three inch vertical burn marks on shower curtainDamage $0-$99
  • Sheely & Ofer Nemirovsky and David C. Bohnett Residential College1 fire
    Burned paper discovered in bathroomDamage $0-$99
  • A.C. Allen Cowlings and Illium Residential College1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • New North Residential College (EVK, Harris, College, University)1 fire
    burned happy face image discovered on wooden doorDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 25 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
9.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
2,469

USC vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions USC selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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$32,740R1 Research
Brandeis University
86%40.5%5,205$35,736R1 Research
Brown University
96%5.4%11,956$25,184R1 Research
California Institute of Technology
94%2.6%2,430$16,075R1 Research
Carnegie Mellon University
94%11.7%15,888$31,944R1 Research
Case Western Reserve University
87%36.5%12,475$41,190R1 Research
Columbia University in the City of New York
96%4.0%35,173$21,590R1 Research
Cornell University
95%8.8%26,793$28,690R1 Research
Duke University
97%5.7%17,499$29,612R1 Research
Emory University
91%10.6%15,175$22,585R1 Research
Harvard University
98%3.6%30,259$19,066R1 Research
Johns Hopkins University
94%6.4%30,210$18,809R1 Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
96%4.5%11,886$20,111R1 Research
New York University
88%9.2%56,832$37,050R1 Research
Northwestern University
95%7.7%23,856$29,167R1 Research
Princeton University
98%4.6%9,137$6,128R1 Research
Rice University
95%8.0%8,961$13,370R1 Research
Stanford University
92%3.6%18,625$13,807R1 Research
Syracuse University
84%45.9%22,589$38,793R1 Research
Tulane University of Louisiana
86%14.0%13,310$39,949R1 Research
University of Chicago
96%4.5%18,566$14,860R1 Research
University of Pennsylvania
97%5.4%29,109$28,699R1 Research
University of Rochester
85%40.1%11,946$29,278R1 Research
Vanderbilt University
94%5.9%13,575$15,846R1 Research
Washington University in St Louis
94%12.1%16,357$21,786R1 Research
Yale University
96%3.9%15,564$23,777R1 Research
Peer group median94%7.1%16,123$24,481

Institutions like USC

Explore the federal data for institutions in USC's comparison group.

IPEDS

USC Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Address
University Park Campus, 665 Exposition Boulevard, TGF 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-1123

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
Team
6 members
  • Ray Gonzales
    Director
  • Matthew Marchak
    Assistant Director
  • Sunnary Adeva
    Senior Institutional Research Associate
  • Yunyun Dai
    Senior Researcher
  • Sydney Liu
    Course Evaluation Administrator
  • Henry Sun
    Senior Technical Project Leader

Common Data Set

USC's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
9.8%
Most selective
Yield
43.3%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
46,566
20,630 UG · 25,936 grad
6-yr graduation rate
92%
First-year retention
96%
Student–faculty ratio
8 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
82,027
Admitted
8,050
Enrolled
3,489

82,027 applied → 8,050 admitted (9.8%) → 3,489 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
9.8%

Most selective — 9.8% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male10.7%
female9.1%
another gender18.5%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
710
Median
740
75th
760

Middle 50% SAT 710–760 (median 740).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
32
Median
33
75th
35

Middle 50% ACT 32–35 (median 33).

High-school class rank

C10
Top tenth0.73%
Top quarter0.94%
Top half0.99%
Bottom half0.01%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important4
Rigor of secondary school recordClass rankAcademic GPAStandardized test scores
Considered5
Application EssayRecommendation(s)Extracurricular activitiesCharacter/personal qualitiesLevel of applicant’s interest
Not Considered9
InterviewTalent/abilityFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experience

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$90,907
Tuition
$66,64073%
Fees
$2,0472%
Room & board
$19,20021%
Books
$1,2001%
Other
$1,8202%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $90,907 (2025-2026).

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
92%
Retention
96%

6-year graduation rate 92%; first-year retention 96%.

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students568
10-19 students1,374
20-29 students365
30-39 students218
40-49 students262
50-99 students263
100+ students111

61% of classes have under 20 students; 12% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
8 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
54%
Women faculty
47%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Business/marketing22.4%
Visual and performing arts12.1%
Social sciences10.8%
Engineering8.3%
Communication/journalism8.2%
Computer and information sciences6.8%
Interdisciplinary studies6.7%
Biological/life sciences4.1%

STEM-dominant: ~23% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic24.5%
Hispanic/Latino22.5%
Asian, non-Hispanic22.3%
Nonresidents13.2%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic6.8%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic6.1%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown4.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.2%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
2,817
Share
14%

14% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Graduate
25,93656%
Undergraduate
20,63044%

20,630 undergraduates and 25,936 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
11,019
Admitted
2,381
Enrolled
1,339

11,019 transfer applicants → 2,381 admitted (21.6%) → 1,339 enrolled

Source publications

Reports & documents (4)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Grants & funding (1)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Notable alumni of USC (24)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Neil Armstrong
    Astronautics
  • Frank Gehry
    Architecture
  • Charles Bolden
    Astronautics
  • Andrew Viterbi
    Engineering
  • Randy Johnson
    Athletics
  • O. J. Simpson
    Athletics
  • Allyson Felix
    Athletics
  • Lisa Leslie
    Athletics
  • Bryan Cranston
    Performing Arts
  • George Lucas
    Film
  • Will Ferrell
    Performing Arts
  • John Wayne
    Performing Arts
Showing 1–12 of 24
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about University of Southern California

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about USC.

What is the acceptance rate at University of Southern California?

University of Southern California's acceptance rate is 9.8% (8,050 admitted from 82,027 applicants), based on the latest IPEDS.

What is the graduation rate at University of Southern California?

University of Southern California reports a 6-year graduation rate of 92% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend University of Southern California?

University of Southern California reports a total enrollment of 46,566 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at University of Southern California?

The average net price at University of Southern California is $32,740 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at University of Southern California?

University of Southern California's yield rate is 43.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is University of Southern California located?

University of Southern California is located in Los Angeles, California 90089.

Who runs Institutional Research at University of Southern California?

University of Southern California's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant & loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant and Direct Loan recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about University of Southern California and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card