University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California, United States · Established 1880
Official website ↗Total Students
49,500
Intl. Students
24%
Student:Faculty
9:1
Setting
Urban
Overview
The University of Southern California was founded in 1880 as Los Angeles's first research university, more than a decade before the city's population reached 50,000, and today it is one of the largest private research universities in the United States by enrollment. USC's main University Park campus sits just south of downtown Los Angeles, and the university also operates a Health Sciences campus a few miles away, home to the Keck School of Medicine and several health-professional schools. USC is organized into 20+ schools, and is particularly renowned for the School of Cinematic Arts (widely regarded as one of the world's top film schools, with alumni including George Lucas and Robert Zemeckis), the Marshall School of Business, the Viterbi School of Engineering, and Annenberg's communication and journalism programs. USC's location in the entertainment, technology, and aerospace hub of Los Angeles gives students direct access to studios, startups, and major aerospace employers, and its 'Trojan Family' alumni network -- more than 400,000 strong -- is frequently cited as one of the most active and loyal in US higher education. For prospective international students, USC has become significantly more selective over the past decade (from an acceptance rate above 15% a decade ago to around 10% for its most recent class) and enrolls one of the largest international student populations of any US university. USC recently introduced Early Decision options across nearly all undergraduate programs starting with Fall 2027 applicants, a shift from its historical Early Action-only model, so applicants should confirm the current-cycle application plan for their specific program before applying.
Rankings
US News National Universities
#28 (2026)
US News Best Graduate Schools · Best Business Schools (Full-Time MBA, USC Marshall)
#22 (2026)
Admissions, Requirements & Costs
Requirements, deadlines, and test-score cutoffs differ significantly between undergraduate and graduate/Master's programs — shown separately below.
Undergraduate
Acceptance Rate
10.4%
Application Fee
$90
Documents required: Common Application, USC-specific supplemental writing questions, Official high school transcript, School Report and counselor recommendation, Teacher recommendation letter, SAT or ACT scores (test-optional through the 2026-27 cycle; only around 44% of enrollees submitted scores), English proficiency test score for applicants whose first language is not English, Application Fee or Fee Waiver Request
| Term | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | November 1 (Early Action, non-binding; Early Decision now offered for nearly all programs starting with Fall 2027 applicants) | Early Action |
| Fall | January 10 (December 1 for performing arts majors) | Regular Decision |
Test Scores
SAT Range
1450–1540
ACT Range
32–35
IELTS Minimum
7 (Gabble rec. 7.5)
TOEFL Minimum
100 (5 new scale) · Gabble rec. 111 (5.5 new scale)
PTE Minimum
68
TOEFL notes: USC requires a minimum of 100 overall with no section below 20, for TOEFL iBT tests taken before 21 January 2026; for tests taken on or after that date (ETS's new 1-6, CEFR-aligned scale), the minimum is 5 overall with no section below 4. USC notes that admitted students' average TOEFL score is above 111, well above the published minimum.
TOEFL scores shown as: legacy 0–120 scale (new 1.0–6.0 CEFR-aligned scale, effective Jan 2026).
Accepted tests: TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, IELTS Indicator, Pearson PTE, Cambridge English (C1 Advanced), Duolingo English Test
Waiver: Not required if English is the applicant's native language or if secondary schooling was conducted entirely in English at a school in a recognized English-speaking country; a sufficiently high SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score (650+) can also satisfy the requirement in some cases.
Conditional admission: Applicants admitted using only the Duolingo English Test are required to sit for USC's own International Student English Exam through the American Language Institute upon matriculation; USC's American Language Institute also offers pre-sessional and concurrent English coursework for admitted students who need additional language support.
Tuition (Intl.)
$75,384
Tuition (Domestic)
$75,384
Living Expenses/yr
$18,541
Total Cost of Attendance
$93,925
Scholarships
USC need-based grant aid
Varies by demonstrated need; can cover up to full tuition for qualifying US families
USC states that admitted first-year students from US families earning USD 80,000 or less with typical assets attend tuition-free; USC's broader need-based aid program covers roughly two-thirds of undergraduates in some form of aid.
Eligibility: The tuition-free threshold applies to US families; international applicants should confirm current need-based aid eligibility directly, since international undergraduate aid at USC is more limited and competitive than domestic aid
USC merit scholarships (Trustee, Presidential, and school-specific awards)
Varies; the most competitive university-wide awards can cover full or half tuition
A tier of prestigious, highly competitive merit scholarships (including the Trustee and Presidential Scholarships) awarded automatically to top applicants in the admissions pool, alongside numerous school-specific merit awards.
Eligibility: Automatically considered for all admitted first-year applicants; no separate application required for the top university-wide awards
Popular Programs
Gabble Prep Insights
Where applicants lose points: Writing carries significant weight because USC's supplemental application includes several short-answer prompts read closely for individual voice and fit, and Cinematic Arts and other portfolio-based programs add a creative-writing or portfolio component on top of the standard application.
International applicants near USC's published TOEFL 100/IELTS 7.0 minimums should note that USC's own data shows admitted students average well above these figures (TOEFL above 111), so applicants aiming for the most competitive programs (Marshall, Viterbi Computer Science, Cinematic Arts) should target scores meaningfully above the stated minimum rather than treating it as a sufficient target.
Acceptance rate (10.4%) and SAT/ACT ranges reflect USC's own published Class of 2029 fall-admit statistics; USC also admits a separate spring cohort, and its combined fall-plus-spring admit rate runs closer to 13%. Tuition (USD 75,384) is the published 2026-27 figure; USC's official 2026-27 total cost of attendance was not published at time of writing, so the living-expenses figure here carries forward the non-tuition portion of USC's last published (2025-26, approximately USD 91,800 total) cost-of-attendance estimate -- confirm the current figure directly on USC's Financial Aid site. USC recently expanded Early Decision to nearly all undergraduate programs starting with Fall 2027 applicants, a change from its historical Early Action-only model; the intake shown reflects the transitional Fall 2026 cycle and should be reconfirmed for later cycles.
Recommended prep timeline: 10 weeks
Graduate (Master's & PhD)
Application Fee
$105
Documents required: Statement of purpose, Academic transcripts from all institutions attended, Letters of recommendation (typically 2-3), GRE or GMAT scores (required for the Marshall full-time MBA; most PhD and many master's programs do not require either), TOEFL or IELTS scores (required for most graduate programs unless exempted), Resume/CV, Application fee or fee waiver request
| Term | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Varies considerably by school and program; Marshall MBA runs several staged rounds through the admissions cycle, most PhD/master's programs set individual December-February deadlines | Regular Decision |
Test Scores
Avg. GMAT
742
IELTS Minimum
7 (Gabble rec. 7.5)
TOEFL Minimum
100 (5 new scale) · Gabble rec. 100 (5 new scale)
PTE Minimum
68
IELTS notes: Requirements vary by school and program; most set a minimum around 7.0 overall, with some professional programs (e.g. Marshall, Annenberg) setting a higher bar. Always check the specific program's admissions page.
TOEFL notes: Most USC graduate programs expect at least 100 overall (legacy 0-120 scale) with no section below 20; ETS's new 1-6 CEFR-aligned scale (for tests from 21 January 2026 onward) maps this to roughly 5.0 with no section below 4. Requirements vary by school -- always check the specific program's page.
TOEFL scores shown as: legacy 0–120 scale (new 1.0–6.0 CEFR-aligned scale, effective Jan 2026).
Accepted tests: TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, Pearson PTE, Duolingo English Test
Waiver: Requirements and waiver eligibility vary by individual graduate school and program; generally waived for applicants whose prior degree was earned at an institution where English is the language of instruction, in a recognized English-speaking country.
Conditional admission: USC's American Language Institute (ALI) offers pre-sessional and concurrent English-language coursework for admitted graduate students who need additional language support before or during their program; availability and eligibility vary by school.
Tuition (Intl.)
$65,808
Tuition (Domestic)
$65,808
Living Expenses/yr
$18,541
Total Cost of Attendance
$84,349
Scholarships
USC Graduate School fellowships and assistantships
Varies by award; full funding (tuition plus stipend) for a portion of PhD admits
A range of fellowships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships funding tuition and/or a stipend for PhD and some master's students, administered through individual schools and departments.
Eligibility: Awarded competitively as part of the standard admissions review; applies equally to international students
USC Marshall MBA merit scholarships
Varies considerably by award
Merit-based scholarships awarded to admitted full-time MBA candidates as part of the standard application review.
Eligibility: Automatically considered for all admitted MBA applicants
Popular Programs
Gabble Prep Insights
Where applicants lose points: Speaking and Writing both carry real weight for professional-school applicants (Marshall, Annenberg, Cinematic Arts), where interviews, portfolios, or case-based coursework demand fast, structured spoken and written reasoning beyond what a test-format score alone reflects.
Applicants to Viterbi's quantitative engineering and computer science master's programs tend to clear Reading and Listening comfortably but occasionally underprepare Speaking for the presentation-heavy project format common in USC's engineering graduate courses.
USC does not publish one official university-wide graduate acceptance rate, so that field is left null. GMAT avgScore (742) reflects the USC Marshall full-time MBA Class of 2027 specifically, not a university-wide figure. Graduate tuition is billed per-unit rather than as a flat annual rate and varies by school; the figure shown here (USD 65,808/year) is derived from USC Viterbi's published 2026-27 per-unit rate (USD 2,742/unit) applied to a typical 24-unit full-time annual course load, used as a representative approximation -- always check the specific program's own tuition and fees page. Living-expenses figure carries forward an estimate from USC's last published undergraduate cost-of-attendance breakdown as an approximation for the same Los Angeles cost of living.
Recommended prep timeline: 10 weeks
Programs Offered
BS in Business Administration
Undergraduate · 4 yr · $75,384/yr
BA in Cinema and Media Studies
Undergraduate · 4 yr · $75,384/yr
BS in Computer Science
Undergraduate · 4 yr · $75,384/yr
MBA
Masters · 2 yr
MS in Computer Science
Masters · 2 yr
MFA in Film and Television Production
Masters · 3 yr
PhD (various departments)
PhD · 5 yr
Campus Life
USC's University Park campus, just south of downtown Los Angeles, offers a traditional, gated residential-campus feel within a major global city, and its NCAA Division I athletics program (part of the Big Ten Conference) and famed Trojan Marching Band are central to student and alumni culture. With over 1,000 registered student organizations and a nearly 400,000-strong 'Trojan Family' alumni network, USC students have unusually direct access to entertainment, technology, and aerospace industry connections through internships and mentorship, particularly via the School of Cinematic Arts and Viterbi School of Engineering. USC enrolls one of the largest international student populations of any US university, supporting a large and active set of country- and region-specific student organizations.
Notable clubs: Daily Trojan (independent student newspaper), USC Trojan Marching Band, USC Model United Nations, Undergraduate Student Government, Over 1,000 registered student organizations spanning academic, cultural, and recreational interests
Outcomes
Undergraduate
Graduation Rate
92%
Graduate
Notable Alumni
George Lucas — Filmmaker and creator of Star Wars; BA in Film from USC's School of Cinematic Arts
Neil Armstrong — Astronaut and first person to walk on the Moon; MS in Aerospace Engineering from USC
Robert Zemeckis — Film director (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump); studied Film at USC's School of Cinematic Arts
Will Ferrell — Actor and comedian; BA in Sports Broadcasting from USC
Larry Ellison — Co-founder of Oracle Corporation; attended USC before founding Oracle
Visa Interview Prep
USC's Office of International Services (OIS) issues Form I-20s and supports F-1 visa applicants across USC's schools. As with other large US universities, applicants should begin the SEVIS/I-20 and embassy interview process as early as possible after accepting an offer, given known visa-appointment backlogs in some countries and the F-1 visa's standard in-person consular interview requirement.
- Clarity on the specific program and why USC specifically, over comparable options
- Demonstrating strong ties and credible intent to return home after studies
- Financial sufficiency and clear documentation of funding sources
- Consistency between academic background and chosen field of study
FAQs
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need to apply to USC as an undergraduate?Undergrad
USC's published undergraduate minimums are IELTS Academic 7.0, TOEFL iBT 100 with no section below 20 (5.0 with no section below 4 on ETS's new 1-6 scale, for tests from 21 January 2026 onward), PTE 68, or Duolingo 130. USC notes that admitted students' average TOEFL score runs above 111, well above the published minimum.
How competitive is USC for international applicants?
USC's Class of 2029 was admitted at an overall fall rate of about 10.4% (roughly 8,684 admits from about 83,500 applications); including a separate spring admit cohort, the combined rate runs closer to 13%. This is a meaningful drop from the 15%+ acceptance rates USC posted about a decade ago.
Does USC offer Early Decision?Undergrad
USC recently expanded Early Decision to nearly all undergraduate programs, starting with Fall 2027 applicants, a shift from its historical Early Action-only model. Confirm the current-cycle application plan (Early Action vs Early Decision) for your specific program before applying, since this changed recently.
Will I need to attend a visa interview to study at USC?
Yes. USC is SEVP-certified and issues Form I-20s for the F-1 student visa, which includes the standard US consular interview process. USC's Office of International Services supports applicants through this process, but interview scheduling is set by the US government.
Is the GRE or GMAT required for USC graduate programmes?Grad
It depends on the program. Most USC PhD programs and many master's programs do not require the GRE, while the Marshall full-time MBA requires GMAT or GRE scores -- the Class of 2027 averaged a GMAT of 742. Always confirm the specific program's current testing policy.
What is USC's undergraduate tuition?Undergrad
For 2026-27, USC's undergraduate tuition is USD 75,384/year; total cost of attendance including housing, food, and other costs typically pushes the total above USD 90,000/year before financial aid.
Can I get conditional admission to USC if my English score is below the requirement?
In a sense, yes: applicants admitted using only the Duolingo English Test are required to sit USC's own International Student English Exam upon matriculation, and USC's American Language Institute offers pre-sessional and concurrent English coursework for admitted students who need additional support -- though this is not a formal below-minimum conditional-admission pathway the way some other universities offer.
What is USC best known for academically?
USC is particularly renowned for the School of Cinematic Arts (widely regarded as one of the world's top film schools), the Marshall School of Business, the Viterbi School of Engineering, and Annenberg's communication and journalism programs, all of which benefit from USC's Los Angeles location in the entertainment, technology, and aerospace industries.
How many weeks should I spend preparing for IELTS or TOEFL before applying to USC?
A realistic window is 8-10 weeks of focused preparation. Since USC's own admitted-student average sits well above its published minimums, applicants targeting the most selective programs (Marshall, Viterbi Computer Science, Cinematic Arts) should aim for scores meaningfully above the stated minimum rather than the minimum itself.