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🎓 College profile

University of Southern California

CA · Private nonprofit · Large city · 80,808 applicants 2023

R1 Research
10% admit rate SAT 1440–1550 $56,116/yr at $110k+ income

🧭 A parent's read

  • The major moves the money more than the admit letter. Computer Science grads from here earn about $192,897 four years out; music grads about $34,124 — a 5.7× spread on the same diploma. Have the major conversation before you deposit, not after.
  • Built for the AI economy. Top 17 in the country. About 1 in 9 degrees here is already in AI, computer science, or data fields; it offers a dedicated AI major; its AI research output ranks #17 among US universities. This campus is leaning into the shift, not waiting for it.
  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • Kids finish — on time. 92% graduate in four years. Nationally, barely half do — and a fifth year elsewhere quietly adds $30–70k to the real price. On-time completion is the most underrated ROI number in this decision.
  • "Test-optional" isn't neutral here. This college admits applicants who submit scores at roughly 1.9× the rate of those who don't — computed from its own published applicant data. Decide the submit question deliberately, not by default.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at University of Southern California Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Match / Likely + your real net price. University of Southern California starts already on the list. Start →

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Reach

Highly selective reach for nearly every applicant.

✅ Best for

  • Strong academic profiles — admitted students cluster in the top test and GPA tiers (bands above)
  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Trustee Scholarship or Stamps Leadership Scholarship on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Visual & Performing Arts (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)
  • A long-term payoff that holds even at full price — median 10-yr earnings of $92,498 return ~2.6× the ~$90,300/yr sticker over a decade (aid recipients average ~$32,740/yr)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1440, or ACT below 32, or unweighted GPA below 3.70 (admitted-class quartiles per the school's own data)
  • With selective universities, build a balanced college list of Reaches, Targets, and Safeties ⓘ
  • High cost — aid-receiving families above $110K income still average ~$56,116/yr net, and without need aid the full price is ~$90,300/yr — verify the major's earnings track record before committing

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
20,443
20,000 and above
TuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$72,097
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
10.0%
Highly selective
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1440–1550
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
32–35
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$92,498
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

🎓 High-school GPA

3.90 · 3.79–4.00 middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection. avg unweightedGPA on the plain 4.0 scale, no honors/AP bonus. When a college publishes an "average admitted GPA of 3.9," it's often this scale — don't compare it to a weighted 4.3. GPA, admitted students

unweighted 4.0 scale. Common Data Set 2024-25 ↗

As published by the college in its Common Data Set / admissions data (2024-25) — independently verified 2026-07-23 (source linked above). GPA basis (weighted vs. unweighted vs. 4.0-scale) varies by college and is labeled above.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$74,461
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$92,498
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
92%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$18,000

💰 The real cost

What families at your income actually pay

Above $110K income — where most Reach families sit — aid-receiving families average $56,116/yr at University of Southern California; families who don't qualify for aid pay the full ~$90,300/yr. Lower brackets pay less — the full ladder is below. One caveat, once: every bracket figure here averages only the families in that bracket who received aid — it says nothing about whether your family will qualify.

🔎 Earning over $110K? You're above the top federal bracket — the median family headed by a 45-to-54-year-old (the prime college-parent years) earned about $134K in 2024, and the federal data lumps everyone from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Whether you'll get need aidGrant money based on your family's finances (via FAFSA and the college's own forms), not your student's stats. at this income is entirely college-specific: a few heavily-endowed schools meet full need well past $150K, while many others give little above the brackets shown — there, merit scholarships, where offered, become the realistic lever.

Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated net price across your whole college list — then confirm the exact figure with University of Southern California's own Net Price Calculator ↗ (10–15 min; have your tax return handy).

Family income $110k+ most Reach families
$56,116/yr
Family income $75-110k
$24,976/yr
Family income $48-75k
$19,539/yr
Family income $30-48k
$14,394/yr
Family income $0-30k
$13,516/yr

📈 The payoffTen years of typical earnings divided by four years of cost. A 3× means a decade of median pay covers the cost three times over — check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you., both ways

2.6× at full price 7.1× with aid
Full price, no aidThe all-in yearly price — tuition, housing, food, books, fees — before any aid. This is the real "full price," not just the tuition line. (4 yrs)
$361,200
~$90,300/yr all-in
Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)
$130,960
$32,740/yr average
10-yr earnings total
$924,980
$92,498/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup the cost
3.9 yrs
at full price (1.4 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41–NPT45; Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates; suppressed brackets = small cohorts; the $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — the brackets haven't been refreshed since the early 2010s). Payoff multiple = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (4-yr cost); full price is the published cost of attendance; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Southern California

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Southern California actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
1,221 degrees · 37.4%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Visual & Performing Arts
631 degrees · 19.3%
Highly variable. Steady-pay roles cluster in design, illustration, production. Performance careers have very wide income distributions.
3. Social Sciences
539 degrees · 16.5%
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.
4. Engineering
453 degrees · 13.9%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
5. Communication, Journalism, & Related
424 degrees · 13.0%
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — University of Southern California's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 287 $137,284 $192,897
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 45 — $166,369
Real Estate. Bachelor's Degree 41 $98,763 $143,977
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 18 $89,684 $131,532
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 49 $78,980 $125,514
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 160 $73,903 $121,101
Computer Software and Media Applications. Bachelor's Degree 32 $103,071 $115,839
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 57 $87,807 $112,150
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 832 $71,668 $109,128
Real Estate Development. Bachelor's Degree 100 $49,353 $107,292

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

⭐ Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at University of Southern California

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Trustee Scholarship
Trustee (full tuition) · any
 $73,260/yr 1500+ SAT — Yes
Stamps Leadership Scholarship
Stamps Leadership (full tuition + stipend) · any
 $73,260/yr 1500+ SAT — Yes
Mork Family Scholarship
Mork Family · any
 $73,260/yr 1500+ SAT — Yes
Presidential Scholarship
Presidential (half tuition) · any
 $36,630/yr 1450+ SAT — Yes
Dean's Scholarship
Dean's · any
 $18,000/yr 1400+ SAT — Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

📈 Student body & economic mobility

Who attends here — and what the campus adds.

Opportunity Insights data. Why it matters even if you're full-pay: a high mobility rate means the campus itself confers earnings power — the outcomes aren't just selection effects.

Top-1% access
10.0%
from top-1% households
Mobility rateThe share of ALL students who arrived from the bottom 20% of family incomes AND reached the top 20% themselves by their early 30s — access and lift in one number, and a sign the campus itself adds earnings power.
3.9%
bottom 20% → top 20% by age 32
Upward rate
54.5%
of lower-income students who reach the top 20%
Pell recipientsStudents receiving federal Pell grants, which go to lower- and middle-income families — the standard shorthand for a college's economic mix.
22%
on federal need grants — context for these numbers

Full leaderboards: /college-mobility →

Alternatives to University of Southern California

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 stats-based merit scholarships
Auburn University
AL · Public
3 stats-based merit scholarships
University of Chicago
IL · Private nonprofit
1 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$13,905/yr full price (in-state) · $76,395 less before aid
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
$14,170/yr full price (in-state) · $76,130 less before aid
CUNY City College
NY · Public
$14,403/yr full price (in-state) · $75,897 less before aid
🚀 Stronger campus value-add
Per Opportunity Insights, these campuses add more earnings power to the students they enroll than University of Southern California does — a quality signal, not a cost play.
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
NY · Public
12.9% mobility rate (vs 3.9% here)
CUNY City College
NY · Public
11.7% mobility rate (vs 3.9% here)
Stony Brook University
NY · Public
8.4% mobility rate (vs 3.9% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

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