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University of Southern California

University of Southern California is a private campus in Los Angeles proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. The institution reports a hospital in its federal directory record.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$15,470

family income
under $30k

$13,692

$30–48k

$18,993

$48–75k

$29,865

$75–110k

$56,347

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$32,7402023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at University of Southern California rose from $29,331 (2008) to $32,740 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$29,331
2009	$32,937
2010	$32,224
2011	$25,890
2012	$28,352
2013	$28,344
2014	$29,174
2015	$29,977
2016	$30,232
2017	$30,453
2018	$29,528
2019	$32,569
2020	$25,972
2021	$29,462
2022	$31,927
2023	$32,740

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$90,3002024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at University of Southern California rose from $51,740 (2009) to $90,300 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$51,740
2010	$53,511
2011	$55,493
2012	$57,772
2013	$59,787
2014	$62,092
2015	$64,536
2016	$67,064
2017	$69,547
2018	$72,097
2019	$74,738
2020	$77,362
2021	$67,045
2022	$81,298
2023	$84,678
2024	$90,300

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$24,123
2001	$25,533
2002	$26,956
2003	$28,692
2004	$30,512
2005	$32,008
2006	$33,892
2007	$35,809
2008	$37,693
2013	$46,298
2014	$48,280
2015	$50,277
2016	$52,283
2017	$54,259
2018	$56,225
2019	$58,195
2020	$60,275
2021	$61,503
2022	$64,726
2023	$68,237

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $72,097 before grants and other attendance costs. At University of Southern California, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

University of Southern California is a big school: 20,443 undergraduates at last count.

91.8% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at University of Southern California within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

91.8%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at University of Southern California rose from 68.6% (entered 1991) to 91.8% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	68.6%
1992 cohort	70.3%
1993 cohort	69.8%
1994 cohort	73.3%
1995 cohort	73.3%
1996 cohort	76.3%
1997 cohort	80.6%
1998 cohort	82.1%
1999 cohort	82.8%
2000 cohort	84%
2001 cohort	84.6%
2002 cohort	87.9%
2003 cohort	87.8%
2004 cohort	88.9%
2005 cohort	90.1%
2006 cohort	90.2%
2007 cohort	91.2%
2008 cohort	90.8%
2009 cohort	92.3%
2010 cohort	92%
2011 cohort	91.7%
2012 cohort	92.4%
2013 cohort	91.5%
2014 cohort	91.8%
2015 cohort	92%
2016 cohort	92.5%
2017 cohort	92%
2018 cohort	91.8%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$16,000	$14,250
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$16,022	$11,133
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$15,800	$12,375
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$15,125	$12,938
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$14,938	$11,625
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$14,628	$11,250
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$15,073	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$15,125	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$16,250	$11,625
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$17,500	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$19,879	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$21,500	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$22,558	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$23,250	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$23,098	$12,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$22,250	$13,000
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$22,120	$14,000
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$19,500	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$19,459	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$18,956	$11,000
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$18,000	$9,927

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$74,461

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$87,601

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$92,498

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

University of Southern California admitted 8,050 of 82,027 applicants in Fall 2024. The 9.8% rate describes that application pool.

9.8%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $68,237 tuition · 2023–24 20,443 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1450–15501600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, University of Southern California received 82,027 applications and admitted 8,050 (9.8%), with 3,489 enrolling.

University of Southern California reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For University of Southern California’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 710–760 and Math was 740–790 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1450–1550 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	710	730	760
SAT Math	740	770	790
ACT Composite	32	33	35

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

9.8%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

The share admitted at University of Southern California declined from 34.1% to 9.8%; this does not establish why. This describes Fall 2001 to Fall 2024.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	34.1%
Fall 2002	30.4%
Fall 2003	29.9%
Fall 2004	27%
Fall 2005	26.6%
Fall 2006	25.4%
Fall 2007	25%
Fall 2008	21.9%
Fall 2009	24.4%
Fall 2010	24.3%
Fall 2011	23%
Fall 2012	19.9%
Fall 2013	19.8%
Fall 2014	18%
Fall 2015	17.7%
Fall 2016	16.6%
Fall 2017	16%
Fall 2018	13%
Fall 2019	11.4%
Fall 2020	16.1%
Fall 2021	12.5%
Fall 2022	12%
Fall 2023	10%
Fall 2024	9.8%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1450–1550Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	1210	1400
Fall 2002	1240	1420
Fall 2003	1250	1420
Fall 2004	1260	1440
Fall 2005	1270	1440
Fall 2006	1280	1460
Fall 2007	1270	1460
Fall 2008	1270	1470
Fall 2009	1270	1450
Fall 2010	1270	1470
Fall 2011	1280	1490
Fall 2012	1270	1480
Fall 2013	1280	1480
Fall 2014	1280	1480
Fall 2015	1270	1500
Fall 2016	1280	1500
Fall 2017	1300	1500
Fall 2018	1350	1530
Fall 2019	1360	1530
Fall 2020	1340	1530
Fall 2021	1410	1540
Fall 2022	1450	1550
Fall 2023	1440	1550
Fall 2024	1450	1550

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

32–35Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	28	31
Fall 2002	27	31
Fall 2003	27	31
Fall 2004	27	31
Fall 2005	28	32
Fall 2006	28	32
Fall 2007	28	32
Fall 2008	28	33
Fall 2009	29	32
Fall 2010	29	33
Fall 2011	29	33
Fall 2012	29	33
Fall 2013	29	33
Fall 2014	29	33
Fall 2015	30	33
Fall 2016	30	33
Fall 2017	30	34
Fall 2018	30	34
Fall 2019	31	34
Fall 2020	30	34
Fall 2021	32	35
Fall 2022	32	35
Fall 2023	32	35
Fall 2024	32	35

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

20,443Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at University of Southern California rose from 16,021 (Fall 2002) to 20,443 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	16,021
Fall 2003	16,240
Fall 2004	16,271
Fall 2005	16,428
Fall 2006	16,449
Fall 2007	16,091
Fall 2008	16,283
Fall 2009	16,445
Fall 2010	17,112
Fall 2011	17,090
Fall 2012	17,994
Fall 2013	18,087
Fall 2014	18,392
Fall 2015	18,519
Fall 2016	18,557
Fall 2017	18,942
Fall 2018	19,548
Fall 2019	19,908
Fall 2020	19,521
Fall 2021	20,619
Fall 2022	20,505
Fall 2023	20,817
Fall 2024	20,443

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

96%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at University of Southern California has held near 96% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	95%
Fall 2003 cohort	96%
Fall 2004 cohort	95%
Fall 2005 cohort	96%
Fall 2006 cohort	96%
Fall 2007 cohort	97%
Fall 2008 cohort	96%
Fall 2009 cohort	97%
Fall 2010 cohort	97%
Fall 2011 cohort	97%
Fall 2012 cohort	96%
Fall 2013 cohort	97%
Fall 2014 cohort	96%
Fall 2015 cohort	96%
Fall 2016 cohort	96%
Fall 2017 cohort	97%
Fall 2018 cohort	96%
Fall 2019 cohort	91%
Fall 2020 cohort	96%
Fall 2021 cohort	97%
Fall 2022 cohort	97%
Fall 2023 cohort	96%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about University of Southern California

22.2% of University of Southern California's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes University of Southern California as a primarily residential campus of 20,443 undergraduates — and 95.9% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

University of Southern California's SAT section-percentile sums are 1450–1550 — their midpoint is above the CA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on University of Southern California's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How University of Southern California compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

University of Southern California9.8%

California median74.4%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

University of Southern California$72,097

California median$23,000

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

University of Southern California's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

University of Southern California$92,498

California median$64,778

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

University of Southern California, California and national reference values
Metric & basis	University of Southern California	California median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	9.8%	74.4%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$72,097	$23,000	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$92,498	$64,778	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For University of Southern California, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

University of Southern California federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 53 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Computer Science	$192,897
Computer Engineering	$166,369
Real Estate	$143,977
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering	$131,532
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	$125,514
Accounting and Related Services	$121,101
Computer Software and Media Applications	$115,839
Industrial Engineering	$112,150
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$109,128
Real Estate Development	$107,292
Civil Engineering	$106,308
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	$106,094
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$105,415
Mechanical Engineering	$104,649
Applied Mathematics	$101,094
Chemical Engineering	$100,646
Engineering-Related Fields	$96,120
Economics	$94,435
Cognitive Science	$93,440
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions	$91,726
Public Health	$89,522
Neurobiology and Neurosciences	$89,203
Design and Applied Arts	$89,022
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication	$87,946
International Relations and National Security Studies	$84,866
History	$79,940
Journalism	$79,776
Architectural Sciences and Technology	$78,741
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	$78,731
Communication and Media Studies	$75,864
Political Science and Government	$75,090
Public Policy Analysis	$74,511
Fine and Studio Arts	$72,428
Sociology	$70,555
Psychology, General	$70,461
Human Biology	$69,751
Mathematics	$69,377
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$64,421
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management	$63,353
Biology, General	$63,125
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other	$59,455
English Language and Literature, General	$59,345
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$59,088
Film/Video and Photographic Arts	$58,623
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$58,462
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology	$57,246
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies	$55,208
Chemistry	$54,966
Philosophy	$51,831
Social Sciences, General	$42,038
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies	$41,637
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft	$40,415
Music	$34,124

These 53 fields listed for University of Southern California measure earnings after completion. The $92,498 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 36 additional University of Southern California fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does University of Southern California report?

University of Southern California's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1450–1550 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is University of Southern California's acceptance rate?

9.8% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 8,050 admitted from 82,027 applicants.

How much does University of Southern California cost?

At University of Southern California, tuition is $72,097. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does University of Southern California report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $92,498. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in California

Pomona College — 7.1% admitted
Harvey Mudd College — 12.7% admitted
Claremont McKenna College — 9.6% admitted
University of California-Los Angeles — 9% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.