USC at a Glance
Located in Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international trade, the University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. USC enrolls more international students than any other U.S. university and offers extensive opportunities for internships and study abroad. With a strong tradition of integrating liberal and professional education, USC fosters a vibrant culture of public service and encourages students to cross academic as well as geographic boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge.
Los Angeles was little more than a frontier town in 1880 when USC first opened its doors to 53 students and 10 teachers. Today it is a world-class research university, the oldest private research university in the West.
USC's University Park campus, located in the heart of Los Angeles' Downtown Arts and Education Corridor, is home to the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and many professional schools. The Health Sciences campus, northeast of downtown Los Angeles, is home to the Keck School of Medicine of USC, the School of Pharmacy, three major teaching hospitals and programs in Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, and Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy. USC also has programs and centers in Marina Del Rey, Orange County, Sacramento, Washington, D.C., Catalina Island, Alhambra and around Southern California. Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, staffed by USC faculty from the Keck School of Medicine, is often referred to as USC's third campus.
Under the leadership of its 10th president, the University of Southern California has risen to the top 1 percent of all colleges and universities in terms of selectivity and established itself as a world leader in the fields of communication, multimedia technologies and the life sciences as well as in cross-disciplinary teaching and research. USC’s endowment has quintupled. The university also has strengthened its culture of community service, receiving national acclaim for its innovative service-learning programs and community involvement.
Rounded to the nearest 500
Undergraduates: 16,500
Graduate and professional: 17,000
Total: 33,500
International Students
Rounded to the nearest 100
Regularly Enrolled International Students (PDF)
: 5,800
Optional Practical Training Students: 1,200
Intensive English Language Students: 100
Applicants: 33,760
Admits: 8,553 (25 percent)
Matriculants: 2,963 (35 percent)
Average GPA: 3.71 (unweighted), 4.07 (weighted)
Middle 50-percent SAT range: 1910-2180
National Merit and Achievement Scholars: 236
First-generation college students: 11 percent
Degrees Awarded (June 2007)
Bachelor's degrees: 4,676
Advanced degrees: 5,380
2007 (fall 2001 freshman class): 85%
2006 (fall 2000 freshman class): 84%
2005 (fall 1999 freshman class): 83%
The University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN) Web site provides profiles of hundreds of private institutions of higher learning, in a common format, with the goal of helping parents and prospective students make an informed college choice.
Faculty and Staff (2007-08 academic year)
Rounded to the nearest 100
Faculty (PDF)
: 3,200 (full-time)
Staff: 8,200 (50 percent time or more)
Student workers: 6,600 (does not include teaching/research assistants)
Total: 18,000
There are more than 194,000 living alumni in the Trojan Family. While over three-quarters of them live in California, USC alumni can be found in positions of leadership all over the world.
USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Graduate School
17 Professional Schools
$35,810
Financial Aid Expenditures (2007-08 fiscal year)
$297 million
Endowment (as of June 30, 2007)
$3.7 billion
University Budget (2007-08 fiscal year)
$1.9 billion
$432 million per year
