University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California · Also known as USC · Website
$92,498
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$92,498
median earnings, 10 years after starting
University of Southern California is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Los Angeles, California with 20,443 undergraduates and 25,936 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $32,740 a year (tuition and fees $72,097). It admits 9.8% of applicants and 92% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $92,498 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $18,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$32,740
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$72,097
US median $11,837
Admission rate
9.8%
US median 78%
Completion rate
92%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$18,000
About $191 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$92,498
Rank 73 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $32,740
- Tuition and fees
- $72,097
- Cost of attendance
- $90,300
- Students with a need-based grant
- 22%
- Students with federal loans
- 24%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $13,516
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $14,394
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $19,539
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $24,976
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $56,116
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $50,277 in 2015-16 to $72,097 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 9.8%
- Average SAT
- 1,495
- SAT reading, middle
- 720
- SAT math, middle
- 755
- ACT, middle
- 34
- Undergraduates
- 20,443
- Graduate students
- 25,936
- Part-time students
- 1.8%
- Women
- 52%
- Students per teacher
- 9
- Completion rate
- 92%
- Retention rate
- 96%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 363
- Endowment
- $8.1B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 73 of 5,094 US colleges and 18 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $32,740 | $20,161 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $72,097 | $8,086 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 9.8% | 76% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 92% | 64% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 96% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $18,000 | $11,537 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $74,461 | $36,048 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $92,498 | $41,472 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 80% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 82% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
363 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's | Master's | 1,272 | $60,405 | $120,846 | $158,632 | $124,807 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1,221 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Computer ScienceMaster's | Master's | 1,185 | $51,250 | $134,544 | $188,871 | $145,571 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 649 | $125,849 | $61,298 | $73,829 | $65,123 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 525 | $77,686 | $132,668 | $181,250 | $103,485 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesMaster's | Master's | 522 | $66,790 | $68,058 | $84,932 | $101,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 409 | Withheld | $126,936 | $180,468 | $133,654 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 357 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,201 |
| Communication and Media StudiesMaster's | Master's | 315 | $70,426 | $68,587 | $91,873 | $71,953 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionDoctoral | Doctoral | 313 | $99,714 | $127,213 | $138,552 | $100,573 |
| Legal Professions and Studies, OtherGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 307 | $75,568 | $105,860 | $143,205 | $138,247 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 305 | $19,625 | $137,284 | $192,897 | $107,009 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 269 | $15,875 | $47,651 | $75,864 | $56,359 |
| Public HealthMaster's | Master's | 262 | $83,937 | $58,611 | $95,642 | $82,751 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's | Master's | 252 | $68,331 | $57,494 | $69,534 | $63,707 |
| Human BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 241 | $14,481 | $23,405 | $69,751 | $64,732 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsProfessional | Professional | 239 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 234 | $53,261 | $94,625 | $116,471 | $83,558 |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional StudiesGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 218 | $69,961 | $79,445 | $98,030 | $114,740 |
| Engineering, OtherMaster's | Master's | 216 | $30,125 | $101,781 | $150,717 | $129,974 |
| Public AdministrationMaster's | Master's | 209 | $75,887 | $78,453 | $103,721 | $81,408 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's | Master's | 204 | $118,051 | $52,999 | $77,125 | $60,111 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationMaster's | Master's | 195 | $82,426 | $50,634 | $89,760 | $80,125 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationProfessional | Professional | 193 | $234,278 | $105,319 | $163,791 | $138,348 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 189 | $14,000 | $34,139 | $70,461 | $50,706 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does University of Southern California cost?
$32,740 a year is the average net price at University of Southern California after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $72,097, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $90,300. Families earning under $30,000 pay $13,516 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Southern California?
9.8% of applicants are admitted to University of Southern California. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,495 and the middle ACT score is 34. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do University of Southern California graduates earn?
$92,498 a year is the median pay of former University of Southern California students who work, 10 years after they started ($74,461 after 6 years). That ranks 73 of 5,094 US colleges and 18 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Doctoral) at $195,019.
How much student debt do University of Southern California graduates have?
$18,000 is the median federal student loan debt of University of Southern California graduates, about $191 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 24% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at University of Southern California?
92% of first-time, full-time students at University of Southern California finish within 6 years. 96% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at University of Southern California?
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (1,272 master's graduates), Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (1,221 bachelor's graduates), Computer Science (1,185 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 363 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.