University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA · Official website ↗
10%
Admission rate
20,443
Undergraduates
$75,162
Tuition / yr
$95,048
Cost of attendance / yr
$103,420
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
1450–1550
SAT, middle 50% (approx.)
32–35
ACT, middle 50%
International students should also budget for health insurance, visa and travel costs not shown here.
Reference only. Automatically checked against the college's official pages on 2026-11-10; maintained by Jordan Lee, editor. Colleges can change policies at any time — confirm on the official page before you apply. Spotted an error? Tell us.
Quick summary
| Cost per year | about $95,048 per year (tuition, housing, food, books — U.S. Department of Education figure) + flights and visa. Four years cost roughly four times this if prices stay the same; colleges usually raise prices every year. |
|---|---|
| Money from the college | Need-based aid: none for international students. Merit scholarships: international students can receive them. 1 named scholarship(s) confirmed open to international students; the college does not publish amounts. |
| Chances of admission | extremely selective: about 1 in 10 applicants is admitted. Middle half of admitted students scored SAT 1450–1550. English minimum: IELTS 7, TOEFL (1–6) 5, TOEFL 100, Duolingo 130. |
| Application deadlines | not yet determined |
| Where and how students live | Los Angeles, CA · Large city · summer highs about 29°C, winter lows about 9°C · 14 km from LAX airport |
| Housing | not yet determined |
| Working while studying | not yet determined |
| After graduation | not yet determined |
Plain-language summary of the verified details below. Where it says “not yet determined”, we have not found it on an official page yet.
Financial aid & requirements for international students
| Aid & admission for international applicants | No need-based aid for international undergraduates International students are not eligible for need-based institutional aid; only merit awards or outside funding. Sources (1)“USC does not offer need-based financial aid for international applicants.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
|---|---|
| Meets full financial need | No — does not promise to meet full needSources (1)“USC does not offer need-based financial aid for international applicants.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Merit scholarships | Yes — international students can receive merit scholarshipsSources (1)“All international applicants who apply by the appropriate deadline are eligible for USC Merit Scholarships.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| SAT / ACT policy | Test-optional (SAT/ACT may be submitted)Sources (1)“USC will continue our test-optional policy for the upcoming year, meaning that first-year applicants to the 2027-28 academic year are not required to send SAT or ACT scores to apply.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| English proficiency | English proficiency test required for non-native speakers
Sources (5)“All international applicants whose native language is not English, including those already residing in the United States, must submit a USC-approved English proficiency examination to be considered for admission.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“TOEFL (or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition): for an exam taken prior to 21 January 2026, a minimum score of 100 and no less than a score of 20 in each section. For an exam taken on or after 21 January 2026, a minimum score of 5 and no less than a score of 4 on each section.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“TOEFL (or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition): for an exam taken prior to 21 January 2026, a minimum score of 100 and no less than a score of 20 in each section.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“IELTS (or IELTS Indicator) score of 7.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“If you are not able to sit for one of the USC-approved examinations, you can instead sit for the Duolingo English Test. You must achieve a minimum score of 130.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Conditional admission / English pathway | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Scholarships for first-year students
USC Merit Scholarships
Amount not published
- Who can receive it: All applicants, including international students
- Financial need: Not required
- Deadline: Dec 1
Sources (3)
“All international applicants who apply by the appropriate deadline are eligible for USC Merit Scholarships.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“Merit scholarships are not based on financial need and are awarded on the basis of a comprehensive, holistic review of an applicant’s candidacy.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“Apply Regular Decision by December 1 to be considered for first-year admission to our performing arts majors and USC Merit Scholarships.”admission.usc.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10Deadlines (fall 2027 entry)
| Application deadlines | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|
Dates as published by the college; check the official page for time zones and supporting-document deadlines.
Costs for international students
| Student health insurance | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Proof of funds for the I-20 | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Earnings by field of study
| Field | After 1 year | After 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $153,063 | $192,897 |
| Computer Engineering | $155,416 | $166,369 |
| Real Estate | $92,528 | $143,977 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $98,335 | $131,532 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $88,334 | $125,514 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $81,514 | $121,101 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | $95,396 | $115,839 |
| Industrial Engineering | $86,653 | $112,150 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $75,082 | $109,128 |
| Real Estate Development | $80,927 | $107,292 |
| Civil Engineering | $81,387 | $106,308 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $76,163 | $105,415 |
Median yearly earnings of graduates of this college's bachelor's programme in each field, 1 and 4 years after finishing. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). Only graduates who received U.S. federal student aid are counted, so international students are not included.
Location
| City / state | Los Angeles, CA |
|---|---|
| Setting | Large city |
| Nearest major airport | Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), about 14 km in a straight line |
| Map | View on OpenStreetMap ↗ |
Setting from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard); airport from OurAirports (public-domain data).
Climate
| Warmest month (Aug) | average high 29°C (84°F) |
|---|---|
| Coldest month (Dec) | average low 9°C (48°F) |
| Precipitation per year | 362 mm |
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 20° | 20° | 21° | 22° | 23° | 25° | 28° | 29° | 28° | 26° | 23° | 20° |
| Low °C | 9° | 10° | 11° | 13° | 14° | 16° | 18° | 19° | 18° | 16° | 12° | 9° |
| Rain mm | 84 | 92 | 57 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 20 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at the Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus, Ca Us weather station, about 1 km from campus. Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals.
Cost, admission rate, test-score ranges and earnings come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). SAT range adds the 25th/75th-percentile section scores, so it is approximate. Scorecard earnings are for federal-aid recipients.