Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California, or USC ,is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational, research university. USC was named "College of the Year 2000" by editors of Time and The Princeton Review. The university is organized into the following academic divisions:
University of Southern California’s sports teams are nicknamed the Trojans.

The school offers a wide range of choices in programs of study. The most common majors at Southern Cal are in media, music, engineering, drama and performing arts, photography and commercial art, and computer science and engineering.
The school does not have an open admissions system. Not everyone who applies is accepted. Southern Cal turned down 75% of potential students in 2007. Only 25% of students scored 620 or lower in 2007 on the verbal SAT test. Math SAT scores at the school centered around 650 to 740, but ranged both higher and lower.
A tenure system is one way Southern Cal works to keep a high-quality staff. Instructors at the school are well-paid.
In 2007, 33,408 students were enrolled in Southern Cal. The school has a large minority student population.
Full-time students are the norm at Southern Cal. The school student athletes compete in Pacific-10 Conference competitions.
More complete details are provided below.
University Of Southern California
University Park
Los Angeles, CA 90089
General Phone: (213) 740-2311
http://www.usc.edu/
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Business And Management | 2,082 | business management, accounting, business administration, non-profit management, business and related services, human resources |
| Engineering | 1,311 | electrical engineering, industrial engineering, biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, systems engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering courses, ... |
| Liberal Arts | 1,217 | political science, international relations, creative writing, economics, sociology, history, English, East Asian language and literature, ... |
| Medicine | 728 | pharmacy, medicine, dentistry, public health, neuroscience, gerontology, pharmacy administration, advanced dentistry, ... |
| Media | 662 | communication studies, communication and journalism, public relations, journalism, broadcast journalism, media studies, animation and special effects, journalism courses |
| Family And Social Work | 572 | social work, public policy analysis, public administration, social work courses, social service professions |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 557 | computer and info science, computer engineering, computer and media applications, computer security, computer and info science courses, software engineering |
| Photography And Commercial Art | 438 | cinematography, film studies, drawing, film and photography |
| Therapy And Counseling | 390 | psychology, physical therapy, marriage and family therapy, psychology courses |
| Education And Teaching | 381 | education, teacher education and development, higher education administration, ESL instruction, multilingual education, curriculum and instruction, music teaching, school counseling, ... |
| Science | 307 | biology, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biochem/biophysics/molecular biology, pathology, geology, biostatistics, ... |
| Music | 300 | music performance, music management, music, music theory and composition, jazz, violin, guitar, and strings, various music studies, conducting, ... |
| Law | 283 | law, foreign lawyers, comparative law |
| Architecture And Planning | 225 | architecture, urban planning, landscape architecture |
| Nutrition And Exercise Therapy | 186 | occupational therapy, exercise science |
| Medical Administration | 159 | public health education, health care facilities management, health care administration, pharmacy courses |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 157 | drama, playwriting and screenwriting, acting, directing |
| Medical Support And Technology | 78 | physician assistant, dental hygienist |
| Mathematics | 66 | mathematics, applied mathematics, mathematics and statistics, statistics, computational mathematics, systems science and theory |
| Religion And Philosophy | 59 | philosophy, religion |
| Art Studies | 40 | arts management, art studies |
| Hospitality | 30 | restaurant and food services management |
| Nursing And Emergency Medicine | 15 | nurse anesthetist, critical care nursing, nurse practitioner, registered nursing, nurse midwifery, various nursing, nursing administration |
| Conservation And Resource Management | 12 | environmental studies, environmental science |
| Fine Arts | 10 | fine arts studies |
| Engineering Technician | 0 | occupational safety tech |
Number of programs and degrees for Southern Cal in 2007:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 4,676 | 174 |
| Master's degree | 4,002 | 129 |
| Doctor's degree | 691 | 82 |
| First-professional degree | 687 | 4 |
| Postbaccalaureate certificate | 155 | 20 |
| First-professional certificate | 50 | 8 |
| Post-master's certificate | 4 | 10 |
In 2007, Southern Cal had a total enrollment of 33,408 students (30,768 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 48% |
| Women | 52% |
| Full-Time | 100% |
| Part-Time | 0% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 50% |
| Graduate | 43% |
| First Professional | 8% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 39% |
| Black | 5% |
| Hispanic | 11% |
| Asian | 21% |
| American Indian | 1% |
| Unknown | 8% |
| (Foreign Students) | 16% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 2% |
| 18-19 | 18% |
| 20-21 | 22% |
| 22-24 | 22% |
| 25-29 | 21% |
| 30-34 | 8% |
| 35-39 | 4% |
| 40-49 | 3% |
| 50-64 | 1% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| California | 58% |
| Texas | 5% |
| Washington | 3% |
| Illinois | 3% |
| New York | 3% |
| Hawaii | 3% |
| New Jersey | 2% |
| Arizona | 2% |
| Oregon | 2% |
| Colorado | 2% |
| Massachusetts | 1% |
| Nevada | 1% |
| Virginia | 1% |
| Pennsylvania | 1% |
| State unknown | 1% |
| Maryland | 1% |
| Georgia | 1% |
| Minnesota | 1% |
| Florida | 1% |
| (International Students) | 1% |
| Missouri | 1% |
| Ohio | 1% |
| Tennessee | 1% |
| Kansas | 1% |
| Michigan | 1% |
| Connecticut | 1% |
| Indiana | 1% |
| Wisconsin | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 96 % |
| Part-Time | 60 % |
Southern Cal offers campus housing for 7,201 of its 30,768 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of Los Angeles, California for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other California Colleges).
The school does not offer students a meal plan.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 33,760 | 8,453 | 25% | 2,963 | 35% |
| Men | 15,494 | 4,043 | 26% | 1,424 | 35% |
| Women | 18,266 | 4,410 | 24% | 1,539 | 35% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 620 | 720 |
| SAT Math | 650 | 740 |
| SAT Writing | 640 | 720 |
| ACT Verbal | 27 | 33 |
| ACT Math | 28 | 33 |
| ACT Composite | 28 | 32 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | not required |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | recommended |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 84% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 35% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | not required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 35,809 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 35,809 |
| Room and board | $ 10,750 |
| Room charge | $ 5,880 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 4,870 |
| Books and supplies | $ 750 |
| Other expenses | $ 2,180 |
Financial Aid:
Southern Cal participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 132800)
Southern Cal has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 892 | 247 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 180 | 93 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 915 | 716 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | calendar year | 30 | $158,872 | 16 | $149,281 |
| Associate professor | calendar year | 54 | $110,569 | 34 | $101,934 |
| Assistant professor | calendar year | 22 | $96,957 | 38 | $87,333 |
| Instructor | calendar year | 8 | $70,502 | 8 | $76,418 |
| Lecturer | calendar year | 7 | $64,504 | 12 | $57,352 |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 121 | $114,756 | 108 | $96,968 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 492 | $142,864 | 113 | $133,090 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 181 | $97,690 | 101 | $91,376 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 139 | $88,724 | 96 | $86,206 |
| Instructor | academic year | 2 | * | 4 | $53,554 |
| Lecturer | academic year | 141 | $56,264 | 127 | $50,155 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 955 | $113,433 | 441 | $88,725 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Basketball | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Baseball | Pacific-10 Conference |
| Track | Pacific-10 Conference |
Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 213 | 150 | 363 |
| Football | 92 | 0 | 92 |
| Track | 19 | 21 | 40 |
| Basketball | 13 | 13 | 26 |
| Baseball | 24 | 0 | 24 |
| All Other Sports | 65 | 116 | 181 |
ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)
ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
Arts Management
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services, Other
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Software Engineering
Computer Software and Media Applications, Other
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Computer and Information Sciences, Other
Computer and Information Systems Security
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Acting
Directing and Theatrical Production
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
Playwriting and Screenwriting
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Bilingual and Multilingual Education
College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Community College Education
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Education, General
Foreign Language Teacher Education
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
Music Teacher Education
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
Teacher Education/Profess Development, Subject Areas, Other
Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor
ENGINEERING
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Archeology
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Civil Engineering, Other
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering, General
Engineering, Other
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Manufacturing Engineering
Materials Engineering
Materials Science
Mechanical Engineering
Ocean Engineering
Operations Research
Petroleum Engineering
Structural Engineering
Systems Engineering
Transportation and Highway Engineering
Water Resources Engineering
ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Public Administration
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other
Public Policy Analysis
Social Work
Social Work, Other
FINE ARTS
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
HOSPITALITY
Restaurant/Food Services Management
LAW
Comparative Law (LLM, MCL, JSD/SJD)
Law (LLB, JD)
Programs for Foreign Lawyers (LLM, MCL)
LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
American Literature (United States)
American/United States Studies/Civilization
Anthropology
Anthropology, Other
Asian-American Studies
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, General
Comparative Literature
Creative Writing
Demography and Population Studies
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
East Asian Studies
Economics, General
Economics, Other
English Language and Literature, General
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other
French Language and Literature
Geography
Geography, Other
German Language and Literature
Hispanic-American,Puerto Rican & Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
Historic Preservation and Conservation
History, General
International Relations and Affairs
Italian Language and Literature
Linguistics
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Political Science and Government, Other
Russian Language and Literature
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Urban Studies/Affairs
MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Computational Mathematics
Mathematics and Statistics, Other
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
Systems Science and Theory
MEDIA
Animation, Interactive Tech, Video Graphics and Special Effects
Broadcast Journalism
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Communication and Media Studies, Other
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
Journalism
Journalism, Other
Public Relations/Image Management
MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other
Public Health Education and Promotion
MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Physician Assistant
MEDICINE
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other
Dentistry (DDS, DMD)
Endodontics/Endodontology (Cert, MS, PhD)
Gerontology
Medical Scientist (MS, PhD)
Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry (MS, PhD)
Medicine (MD)
Neuroscience
Oral Biology and Oral Pathology (MS, PhD)
Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery (Cert, MS, PhD)
Orthodontics/Orthodontology (Cert, MS, PhD)
Pediatric Dentistry/Pedodontics (Cert, MS, PhD)
Periodontics/Periodontology (Cert, MS, PhD)
Pharmacoeconomics/Pharmaceutical Economics (MS, PhD)
Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])
Pharmacy Administration/Policy/Regulatory Affairs (MS, PhD)
Prosthodontics/Prosthodontology (Cert, MS, PhD)
Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)
MUSIC
Conducting
Jazz/Jazz Studies
Music History, Literature, and Theory
Music Management and Merchandising
Music Performance, General
Music Theory and Composition
Music, General
Music, Other
Violin, Viola, Guitar and Other Stringed Instruments
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Critical Care Nursing
Family Practice Nurse/Nurse Practitioner
Nurse Anesthetist
Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery
Nursing Administration (MSN, MS, PhD)
Nursing, Other
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Occupational Therapy/Therapist
PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Cinematography and Film/Video Production
Drawing
Film/Cinema Studies
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies
SCIENCE
Astronomy
Biochemistry
Biochemistry/Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biophysics
Biostatistics
Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
Chemical Physics
Chemistry, General
Epidemiology
Geology/Earth Science, General
Microbiology, General
Molecular Biology
Molecular Toxicology
Pathology/Experimental Pathology
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Physical Sciences
Physics, General
Physics, Other
Physiology, General
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
Physical Therapy/Therapist
Psychology, General
Psychology, Other
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Southern Cal Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted) (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in medicine (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 9% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in engineering (vs. all colleges) | Top 11% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in music (vs. all colleges) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| Faculty/student ratio (full-time) (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 14% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in photography and commercial art (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 16% | ![]() |
| Male % of student body (vs. all colleges) | Top 17% | ![]() |
| Minority % of student body (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in computer science and engineering (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in media (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in drama and performing arts (vs. all colleges) | Top 19% | ![]() |
Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, navy, air force)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member
Try our unique CollegeMatch™ tool to find schools similar to Southern Cal.
Click occupation names for extensive details, including salary and other job data.
(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Southern Cal with government-defined occupation categories)
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