University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $32,740What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 10%
- Graduation rate
- 92%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 20,443
- In-state tuition
- $72,097Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $72,097
- SAT midpoint
- 1,475
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $92,498Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$32,7401/5
Better than 14% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
92%5/5
Better than 96% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$92,4985/5
Better than 96% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$18,0005/5
Better than 88% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$90,300
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$32,740
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 92% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 96% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $18,000 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $92,498 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $137,284 | 305 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $103,071 | 36 |
| Real Estate | $98,763 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $89,684 | 6 |
| Industrial Engineering | $87,807 | 71 |
| Civil Engineering | $85,262 | 28 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $83,356 | 101 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $80,508 | 52 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $78,980 | 55 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $73,903 | Not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $73,234 | 29 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $71,668 | Not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | $71,622 | 126 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $69,479 | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | $68,234 | 41 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $64,846 | 67 |
| Economics | $57,060 | 178 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $52,403 | 41 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $52,262 | 145 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $50,161 | 55 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $50,041 | 80 |
| Real Estate Development | $49,353 | 95 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $47,874 | 65 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $47,651 | 269 |
| Journalism | $44,651 | 97 |
| Philosophy | $38,380 | 77 |
| Political Science and Government | $38,063 | 132 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $38,063 | 83 |
| History | $36,876 | 77 |
| Public Health | $36,300 | 109 |
| Sociology | $35,580 | 66 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $34,468 | 31 |
| Cognitive Science | $34,295 | 44 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $34,187 | 178 |
| Psychology, General | $34,139 | 189 |
| Social Sciences, General | $33,789 | 18 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | $26,975 | 79 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $26,636 | 41 |
| Dance | $25,653 | 18 |
| Human Biology | $23,405 | 241 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $21,473 | 150 |
| Biology, General | $20,210 | 71 |
| Music | $12,947 | 71 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 1,221 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | Not reported | 59 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 52 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not reported | 47 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Not reported | 39 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 34 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 33 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Not reported | 28 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 22 |
| Security Science and Technology | Not reported | 21 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | 20 |
| Gerontology | Not reported | 19 |
| Geography and Cartography | Not reported | 18 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Not reported | 18 |
| Physics | Not reported | 17 |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology | Not reported | 15 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 15 |
| Architecture | Not reported | 14 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | 14 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 14 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 13 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 12 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Not reported | 11 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | 10 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 10 |
| Archeology | Not reported | 9 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 9 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | Not reported | 5 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Not reported | 4 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Not reported | 3 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 2 |
| Biotechnology | Not reported | 1 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | Not reported | 1 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | Not reported | 1 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 1 |
| Air Transportation | Not reported | Not reported |
| Education, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Physical Sciences, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Not reported | Not reported |
| International Business | Not reported | Not reported |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | Not reported |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Not reported | Not reported |
All 89 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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