National university
#8 Best colleges for nursing in AmericaUniversity of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $32,740 a year
Median debt at graduation: $18,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Weekend campus toursNovember 22, 2026 · University Park CampusWeekend campus tours are available Sunday, November 22nd.More about Weekend campus toursAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for accounting in America#8 of 1,132
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#7 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#8 of 1,068
- Best colleges for business in America#21 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#23 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#22 of 1,238
Show 25 more
- Best large colleges in America#5 of 256
- Best colleges in America#43 of 1,829
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#17 of 704
- Best test-optional colleges in America#39 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#38 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#39 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#37 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#41 of 1,283
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#59 of 1,829
- Best colleges for history in America#42 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#42 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#42 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#39 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#42 of 1,116
- Best colleges for engineering in America#30 of 749
- Best colleges for computer science in America#32 of 750
- Most selective colleges in America#32 of 683
- Best colleges for economics in America#42 of 788
- Best colleges in the Los Angeles area#4 of 69
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#40 of 690
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#22 of 367
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#68 of 693
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#105 of 704
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#107 of 684
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#97 of 598
In California
- Best colleges for education in California#1 of 56
- Best colleges for nursing in California#1 of 53
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in California#1 of 49
- Best colleges for business in California#3 of 88
- Best large colleges in California#1 of 29
- Best colleges in California#5 of 128
Show 22 more
- Best colleges for accounting in California#2 of 42
- Best test-optional colleges in California#5 of 100
- Best colleges for art and design in California#4 of 75
- Best colleges for psychology in California#4 of 74
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in California#4 of 70
- Best colleges for music in California#4 of 70
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in California#4 of 64
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in California#5 of 69
- Best colleges for English in California#5 of 68
- Best colleges for history in California#5 of 68
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in California#5 of 67
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in California#2 of 26
- Best colleges for mathematics in California#5 of 65
- Best colleges for chemistry in California#5 of 63
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in California#5 of 63
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in California#11 of 128
- Best colleges for engineering in California#5 of 56
- Best colleges for computer science in California#5 of 54
- Best colleges for economics in California#5 of 54
- Most selective colleges in California#6 of 57
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in California#13 of 63
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in California#16 of 64
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.92%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.96%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,495 · ACT 33.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.9 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$49,674
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $90,300 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 21,023 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 48% · Women 52% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 25% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 47% |
| Total students | 47,147 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $32,740 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $90,300 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 92% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 86% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 85% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 80% |
| First-year retention | 96% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $92,498 |
| Admission rate | 10% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $85 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 22% |
| Average SAT | 1495 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 710–760 |
| SAT math | 740–790 |
| ACT composite | 32–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 46% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Real Estate | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | |
| Accounting | |
| Software and media applications | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Business administration | |
| Real Estate Development | |
| Civil engineering | |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Applied mathematics | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Engineering-Related Fields | |
| Economics | |
| Cognitive Science | |
| Dental assisting | |
| Public health | |
| Neuroscience | |
| Design | |
| Public relations | |
| International relations | |
| History | |
| Journalism | |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Communication studies | |
| Political science | |
| Public Policy Analysis | |
| Fine arts | |
| Sociology | |
| Psychology | |
| Human Biology | |
| Mathematics | |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | |
| Arts management | |
| Biology | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| English | |
| Romance languages | |
| Film and video | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Chemistry | |
| Philosophy | |
| Social sciences | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Theatre | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Air Transportation, Anthropology, Archeology, Architecture, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Biotechnology, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Classics, Computing and information science, Dance, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Education (general), Electrical and Computer Engineering, Engineering (general), Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Geography, Geology and earth science, Gerontology, Global studies, Health sciences, International business, Kinesiology and exercise science, Linguistics, Management science, Nursing, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Physical Sciences, Physics, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Security science, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Urban Studies/Affairs, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Social sciences | |
| Engineering | |
| Computer and information sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 61% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $19,931 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 9 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 59%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $173,445IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 40% of studentsBeds ÷ undergraduates; not how many live on campus |
| Nearest major airport | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)About 9 miles away |
| Town population | 3,857,263Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | Los AngelesAbout 7 miles away |
| Typical weather | 58°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus, CA, about 3 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.02 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.05 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.68 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is University of Southern California’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 3% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does University of Southern California cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $32,740 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into University of Southern California?
- University of Southern California admitted 10% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do University of Southern California’s graduates do?
- 92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $92,498; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 123961
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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