University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit · Graduate degree-granting
Located in Los Angeles, California, University of Southern California is a private nonprofit institution, accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission. With 20,443 students, it is a large institution. Graduates earn a median of $92,498 ten years after enrollment, which is 127% above the national median of $40,747. On the academic side, the graduation rate is 91.9%. For cost considerations, median graduate debt is $18,000, yielding an earnings-to-debt ratio of 5.14x. The average net price after financial aid is $32,740 per year. The most popular programs include Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Computer Science, Social Work, Business Administration & Management, and Legal Studies.
Key Outcomes
Median Earnings (10yr)
$92,498
Graduation Rate
91.9%
Median Debt
$18,000
Average Net Price
$32,740
Earnings-to-Cost Ratio
0.71x
Earnings-to-Debt Ratio
5.14x
Admissions & Enrollment
Total Enrollment
20,443
Admission Rate
9.8%
Average SAT
1495
Retention Rate
95.9%
Cost
In-State Tuition
$72,097
Out-of-State Tuition
$72,097
Pell Grant Rate
22.2%
Federal Loan Rate
23.6%
Net Cost by Family Income
Income $0–$30K
$13,516
Income $30K–$48K
$14,394
Income $48K–$75K
$19,539
Income $110K+
$56,116
Student Demographics
Women
55.4%
White
25.5%
Black
7.1%
Hispanic
20.0%
Asian
23.3%
Two or More Races
6.4%
Student Loan Performance
Repayment Rate (3yr)
80.2%
Accreditations
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics — Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics, Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship (Accredited)
- Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education — Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs (Accredited)
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar — Law (LAW) - Professional schools (Accredited)
- American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation — Dental Hygiene (DH), Predoctoral, Post Doctoral - Advanced dental education programs (advanced education in general dentistry and general practice residency), Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Pediatric Dentistry, Periodontics, Prosthodontics (including maxillofacial prosthetics and combined prosthodontics/maxillofacial prosthetics), Orofacial Pain, Oral Medicine (Accredited)
- American Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education — Occupational Therapy (OTM) - Programs leading to a Master's Degree, Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree (Accredited)
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation — Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Counseling Psychology (COPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs, Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs (Accredited)
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology — Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs (Preaccredited)
- Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education — Health Services Administration (HSA) - Graduate programs in health services administration (Accredited)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education — Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels (Accredited)
- Commission on English Language Program Accreditation — English Language (Accredited)
- Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs — Nurse Anesthesia (ANEST) - Institutions and programs at the master's degree, post master's certificate or doctoral degree levels (Accredited)
- Council on Education for Public Health — Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health (Accredited)
- Liaison Committee on Medical Education — Medicine (MED) - Programs leading to the M.D. degree (Accredited)
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation — Music (MUS) (Accredited)
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education — Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools (Accredited)
- WASC Senior College and University Commission — Institutional Accreditation (Accredited)
Programs (305)
Bachelor (77)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 1,221 |
| Computer Science | $192,897 | 305 |
| Communications | $75,864 | 269 |
| Human Biology | $69,751 | 241 |
| Psychology | $70,461 | 189 |
| Economics | $94,435 | 178 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | $58,623 | 178 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | $40,415 | 150 |
| International Relations | $84,866 | 145 |
| Political Science | $75,090 | 132 |
| Applied Mathematics | $101,094 | 126 |
| Public Health | $89,522 | 109 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $104,649 | 101 |
| Journalism | $79,776 | 97 |
| Real Estate Development | $107,292 | 95 |
| Neuroscience | $89,203 | 83 |
| Public Relations | $87,946 | 80 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | $63,353 | 79 |
| Philosophy | $51,831 | 77 |
| History | $79,940 | 77 |
| Industrial Engineering | $112,150 | 71 |
| Biology | $63,125 | 71 |
| Music | $34,124 | 71 |
| Design & Applied Arts | $89,022 | 67 |
| Sociology | $70,555 | 66 |
| Architectural Technology | $78,741 | 65 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | Not reported | 59 |
| Aerospace Engineering | $125,514 | 55 |
| Fine Arts | $72,428 | 55 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $105,415 | 52 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $59,455 | 52 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | $78,731 | 47 |
| Cognitive Science | $93,440 | 44 |
| Chemical Engineering | $100,646 | 41 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | $41,637 | 41 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $74,511 | 41 |
| Visual & Performing Arts | Not reported | 39 |
| Computer Software Engineering | $115,839 | 36 |
| Computer Engineering | $166,369 | 34 |
| Romance Languages | $59,088 | 33 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | $57,246 | 31 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $96,120 | 29 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 28 |
| Civil Engineering | $106,308 | 28 |
| East Asian Languages | $64,421 | 22 |
| Security & Protective Services | Not reported | 21 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 20 |
| Gerontology | Not reported | 19 |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | Not reported | 18 |
| Social Sciences | $42,038 | 18 |
| Geography | Not reported | 18 |
| Dance | Not reported | 18 |
| Physics | Not reported | 17 |
| English Language & Literature | $59,345 | 15 |
| Pharmacology | Not reported | 15 |
| Architecture | Not reported | 14 |
| Mathematics | $69,377 | 14 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | 14 |
| Chemistry | $54,966 | 13 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 12 |
| International Studies | Not reported | 11 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | $55,208 | 10 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 10 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 9 |
| Archeology | Not reported | 9 |
| Electrical Engineering | $131,532 | 6 |
| Environmental Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Religion | Not reported | 5 |
| Health Services | Not reported | 5 |
| Astronomy | Not reported | 4 |
| Ecology | Not reported | 3 |
| City & Regional Planning | $106,094 | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts & Sciences | $58,462 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services | $91,726 | Not reported |
| Business Administration & Management | $109,128 | Not reported |
| Accounting | $121,101 | Not reported |
| Real Estate | $143,977 | Not reported |
Master (105)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $158,632 | 1,272 |
| Computer Science | $188,871 | 1,185 |
| Social Work | $73,829 | 649 |
| Business Administration & Management | $181,250 | 525 |
| Legal Studies | $84,932 | 522 |
| Electrical Engineering | $180,468 | 409 |
| Computer & Information Sciences | Not reported | 357 |
| Communications | $91,873 | 315 |
| Public Health | $95,642 | 262 |
| Secondary Education | $69,534 | 252 |
| Human Resources Management | $116,471 | 234 |
| Engineering, Other | $150,717 | 216 |
| Public Administration | $103,721 | 209 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | $77,125 | 204 |
| Public Relations | $89,760 | 195 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $87,543 | 175 |
| Radio, Television & Film | Not reported | 165 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | $51,931 | 164 |
| Economics | Not reported | 161 |
| Aerospace Engineering | $139,463 | 141 |
| Cognitive Psychology | $96,014 | 140 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $139,101 | 139 |
| Applied Mathematics | $106,697 | 139 |
| Health Services Administration | $132,258 | 134 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $94,114 | 116 |
| Computer Software Engineering | $179,055 | 110 |
| Gerontology | $79,668 | 110 |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | $55,041 | 103 |
| Pharmacy | Not reported | 103 |
| Entrepreneurship | $107,998 | 100 |
| Music | $45,304 | 92 |
| Architectural Technology | $74,838 | 87 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Not reported | 87 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | Not reported | 85 |
| City & Regional Planning | $88,656 | 80 |
| Educational Administration | $73,693 | 80 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 79 |
| Geography | $83,256 | 74 |
| Registered Nursing | $161,128 | 73 |
| Journalism | $76,630 | 72 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic & Treatment | $155,219 | 61 |
| Mental Health Services | $72,615 | 58 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $121,165 | 54 |
| Hospitality Management | Not reported | 52 |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | Not reported | 49 |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | Not reported | 49 |
| Systems Engineering | $178,619 | 43 |
| Drama & Theater Arts | $53,569 | 40 |
| Cell Biology | Not reported | 39 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $142,858 | 37 |
| Computer & Information Systems Security | Not reported | 35 |
| Civil Engineering | $130,675 | 35 |
| Industrial Engineering | Not reported | 35 |
| Chemical Engineering | Not reported | 34 |
| Design & Applied Arts | Not reported | 32 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | Not reported | 32 |
| Dispute Resolution | $94,256 | 31 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | 28 |
| Marketing | Not reported | 28 |
| Nutrition Sciences | Not reported | 27 |
| Natural Resources Conservation | Not reported | 25 |
| Real Estate Development | $185,174 | 25 |
| Materials Engineering | Not reported | 24 |
| International Studies | Not reported | 24 |
| Educational Media | Not reported | 21 |
| Operations Research | Not reported | 21 |
| Environmental Engineering | Not reported | 20 |
| Biotechnology | Not reported | 20 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Not reported | 18 |
| Fine Arts | Not reported | 17 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | $140,115 | 16 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 15 |
| Microbiology | Not reported | 15 |
| Graphic Communications | Not reported | 14 |
| Construction Engineering | Not reported | 13 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | 13 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 13 |
| Taxation | $127,082 | 13 |
| Psychology | Not reported | 12 |
| Physiology | Not reported | 11 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 10 |
| Rhetoric & Composition | Not reported | 10 |
| Information Science | Not reported | 9 |
| Petroleum Engineering | Not reported | 9 |
| Anthropology | Not reported | 9 |
| Historic Preservation | Not reported | 8 |
| Science, Technology and Society | Not reported | 8 |
| Materials Science | Not reported | 8 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Not reported | 8 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $86,783 | 6 |
| International Relations | Not reported | 6 |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | 5 |
| Biology | Not reported | 5 |
| Pharmacology | Not reported | 5 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 5 |
| Cognitive Science | Not reported | 5 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Not reported | 5 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 4 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 4 |
| Bioethics & Medical Ethics | Not reported | 4 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Not reported | 4 |
| History | Not reported | 4 |
| Social Sciences | Not reported | 3 |
| Library Science | $70,398 | Not reported |
| Accounting | $122,697 | Not reported |
Doctoral (48)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration | $138,552 | 313 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 53 |
| Electrical Engineering | Not reported | 45 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 31 |
| Music | $59,885 | 29 |
| Social Work | $113,125 | 26 |
| Economics | Not reported | 22 |
| Education, Other | Not reported | 20 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Not reported | 20 |
| Communications | Not reported | 19 |
| Biomedical Engineering | Not reported | 19 |
| Political Science | Not reported | 19 |
| English Language & Literature | Not reported | 17 |
| Linguistics | Not reported | 15 |
| Pharmacy | $179,146 | 15 |
| Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Not reported | 14 |
| Neuroscience | Not reported | 14 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | 14 |
| Ecology | Not reported | 13 |
| Film, Video & Photographic Arts | Not reported | 13 |
| Industrial Engineering | Not reported | 12 |
| Clinical Psychology | Not reported | 12 |
| Biomathematics & Bioinformatics | Not reported | 11 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 11 |
| Physics | Not reported | 11 |
| Geological Sciences | Not reported | 10 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 10 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 9 |
| Cell Biology | Not reported | 9 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 8 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Not reported | 8 |
| Chemical Engineering | Not reported | 7 |
| Physiology | Not reported | 7 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | 7 |
| City & Regional Planning | Not reported | 6 |
| Civil Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Biology | Not reported | 6 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 6 |
| Materials Science | Not reported | 6 |
| Environmental Engineering | Not reported | 5 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 5 |
| Geography | Not reported | 5 |
| Petroleum Engineering | Not reported | 4 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 4 |
| Social Sciences | Not reported | 4 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | $93,753 | 4 |
| Computer Engineering | Not reported | 3 |
| Pharmacology | Not reported | 3 |
First Professional (5)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 239 |
| Pharmacy | $163,791 | 193 |
| Dentistry | $123,341 | 186 |
| Law | $203,028 | 181 |
| Medicine | $105,882 | 161 |
Graduate Certificate (41)
| Program | Median Earnings | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Legal Professions and Studies, Other | $143,205 | 307 |
| Legal Studies | $98,030 | 218 |
| Business Administration & Management | $123,330 | 146 |
| Public Policy Analysis | $89,003 | 110 |
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences | $139,611 | 59 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $187,852 | 52 |
| Marketing | $161,928 | 36 |
| Hospitality Management | Not reported | 35 |
| Arts & Entertainment Management | Not reported | 27 |
| Special Education | $72,559 | 24 |
| Environmental Design | Not reported | 22 |
| Music | Not reported | 19 |
| Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 19 |
| Sustainability Studies | Not reported | 17 |
| Health Services Administration | $122,019 | 14 |
| Finance | Not reported | 14 |
| Gerontology | Not reported | 13 |
| Real Estate Development | Not reported | 12 |
| Dispute Resolution | $95,860 | 12 |
| Public Administration | Not reported | 12 |
| Ethnic & Gender Studies | Not reported | 11 |
| Educational Media | Not reported | 9 |
| Systems Engineering | Not reported | 8 |
| Social Work | Not reported | 8 |
| Geography | $86,247 | 8 |
| Architectural Technology | Not reported | 6 |
| Communications | Not reported | 6 |
| Pharmacy | Not reported | 6 |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other | Not reported | 6 |
| Historic Preservation | Not reported | 5 |
| Landscape Architecture | Not reported | 4 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | Not reported | 4 |
| Aerospace Engineering | Not reported | 4 |
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other | Not reported | 4 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | Not reported | 4 |
| Area Studies | Not reported | 3 |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | Not reported | 3 |
| Science, Technology and Society | Not reported | 3 |
| Religion | Not reported | 3 |
| Visual & Performing Arts | Not reported | 3 |
| Engineering, Other | $84,820 | Not reported |
Show 29 additional programs with limited data
| Program | Level | Completers |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Software Engineering | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Aerospace Engineering | Doctoral | 2 |
| Linguistics | Graduate Certificate | 2 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Master | 2 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor | 2 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Doctoral | 2 |
| Chemistry | Master | 2 |
| History | Doctoral | 2 |
| Architectural History, Criticism, and Conservation | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Architecture and Related Services, Other | Master | 1 |
| Computer Systems Networking | Master | 1 |
| Civil Engineering | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Engineering Physics | Master | 1 |
| East Asian Languages | Doctoral | 1 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor | 1 |
| Cell Biology | Bachelor | 1 |
| Genetics | Master | 1 |
| Biotechnology | Bachelor | 1 |
| Ecology | Master | 1 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Master | 1 |
| Gerontology | Doctoral | 1 |
| Marine Sciences | Doctoral | 1 |
| Philosophy | Master | 1 |
| Religion | Doctoral | 1 |
| Geological Sciences | Master | 1 |
| Physics | Master | 1 |
| Fine Arts | Doctoral | 1 |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | Graduate Certificate | 1 |
| Registered Nursing | Bachelor | 1 |
Rankings Featuring This Institution
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Computer Science Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Computer Science Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Engineering Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Engineering Programs
- Highest Earning Doctoral Nursing & Health Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Business Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Psychology Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Psychology Programs
- Highest Earning Master's Mathematics Programs
- Highest Earning Bachelor's Biology Programs