University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California · Private, a large city · 20,443 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into USC?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
9.8%
80,808 applied
SAT, middle half
1450 to 1550
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
32 to 35
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
45% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
- RecommendationsRequired
- EssayRequired
- PortfolioRequired
How much does USC cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees
$75,162
A full year, sticker price
$95,048
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$33,056
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $17,171 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $13,736 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,282 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $28,033 |
| Over $110,000 | $59,062 |
- Room and board on campus
- $20,817 a year
- Books and supplies
- $650 a year
- The school's own grants
- 67% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $39,554
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do USC students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$17,000
About $193 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
22.3%
Get a Pell Grant
26.6%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
60.6%
What do USC graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$78,485
Ten years after starting
$103,420
Middle half: $66,311 to $160,668
Best-paid program, five years out
$195,257
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$32,781
Music
Do USC students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
95.9%
Graduate in six years
90.2%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
93% graduated
5% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to USC?
Women
52.2%
First in their family at college
24.7%
Part-time
1.8%
Students per teacher
9
- Background
- White 26%, Hispanic 20%, Black 7%, Asian 23%, Two or more 6%, International 13%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 8,500 beds
What do USC graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 64 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Computer Science | 657 | $153,063 | $195,257 | $16,550 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 81 | $95,396 | $152,477 | $19,968 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 116 | $88,334 | $139,259 | $19,125 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 125 | $76,163 | $116,869 | $12,540 |
| Chemical Engineering | 79 | $85,467 | $114,778 | $16,500 |
| Civil Engineering | 62 | $81,387 | $112,881 | $18,817 |
| Computer Engineering | 70 | $155,416 | $178,143 | Hidden |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 109 | Hidden | Hidden | $15,721 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 6 | $98,335 | $139,754 | Hidden |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 62 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, General | 0 | Hidden | $95,630 | Hidden |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Industrial Engineering | 124 | $86,653 | $147,667 | $22,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 194 | $89,664 | $116,320 | $15,858 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 0 | $81,514 | $129,984 | Hidden |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 0 | $75,082 | $115,806 | Hidden |
| International Business | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 2,567 | $77,577 | Hidden | $15,000 |
| Real Estate | 0 | $92,528 | $169,687 | Hidden |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 0 | Hidden | $84,385 | Hidden |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 11 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Public Health | 225 | Hidden | $91,307 | $17,279 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 19 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 72 | $50,471 | $78,954 | $16,745 |
| Biology, General | 144 | $38,782 | $81,056 | $14,291 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 36 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Biotechnology | 4 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 118 | $38,709 | $75,686 | $19,000 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 194 | $33,860 | $98,803 | $18,309 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | 43 | Hidden | Hidden | $14,000 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 279 | $83,785 | $106,770 | $18,625 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 31 | Hidden | $82,316 | Hidden |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 33 | Hidden | $88,907 | Hidden |
| Physical Sciences, General | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physics | 39 | Hidden | $131,487 | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 38 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 49 | Hidden | $75,195 | $19,500 |
| History | 162 | Hidden | $77,938 | $15,750 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 34 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 161 | $52,079 | $76,819 | $18,250 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 81 | $39,020 | $56,791 | $17,727 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 62 | $40,253 | $94,821 | Hidden |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 151 | $47,675 | $66,897 | $18,750 |
| Dance | 40 | $35,350 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Design and Applied Arts | 145 | $52,814 | $98,665 | $18,250 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 358 | $28,161 | $47,853 | $18,750 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 345 | $34,718 | $63,722 | $17,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 103 | $32,077 | $66,367 | $19,875 |
| Graphic Communications | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Music | 152 | $31,854 | $32,781 | $16,649 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 69 | $40,240 | $79,510 | $17,250 |
Architecture and design
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 130 | $65,338 | $86,020 | $23,000 |
| Architecture | 22 | Hidden | $86,508 | Hidden |
| Real Estate Development | 205 | $80,927 | $128,496 | $12,000 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Science | 114 | $67,607 | $73,413 | $13,000 |
| Gerontology | 39 | Hidden | Hidden | $12,500 |
| Human Biology | 523 | $30,461 | $82,464 | $15,500 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 16 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 0 | Hidden | $74,234 | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 90 | Hidden | $64,077 | $18,750 |
Compare USC with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of Southern California. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences