University of Southern California was opened in 1880 with just 53 students and 10 faculties. The university later established a College of Medicine in 1985, the first ever in the Southern California region. Today, University of Southern California enrols 48,000 students, including 12,374 international students. Currently, there are 2,444 Indian students studying across various courses in University of Southern California.
University of Southern California is ranked among the top 20 universities in the world according to Wall Street Journal. This survey includes factors such as student diversity, student resources, and high paying jobs for graduates. USC has also shown strength in graduate outcomes with a 92% graduation rate with 62.6% of them securing placements within 3 months after graduation.
University of Southern California demonstrates highly competitive admissions with only 9.8% acceptance and according to recent admission. To get through admissions, you must hold relevant qualifications with 3.0 GPA (85%). However, recently admitted students in undergraduate programs reportedly had a GPA between 3.69 – 3.98 (93-98%).
Talking about tuition fee, $47,080 (₹40.84 lakhs) is the average tuition fee for PG and $69,904 (₹60.64 lakhs) is the average annual fee for UG. You can reduce your expenses through various funding and scholarships at University of Southern California.
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The University of Southern California has always been ranked among the top 100 universities globally by THE and U.S. News and World Report. USC also ranks in the top 150 universities in QS World University Rankings 2025. Given below is 5 year trend for University of Southern California rankings between 2021 to 2025:
| Ranking Agency | Rankings 2021 | Rankings 2022 | Rankings 2023 | Rankings 2024 | Rankings 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QS World University Rankings | #121 | #112 | #134 | #116 | #125 |
| Times Higher Education World University Rankings | #53 | #63 | #65 | #74 | #72 |
| U.S. News and World Report | – | #70 | #80 | #79 | – |
University of Southern California offers more than 350 degrees and courses through 23 undergraduate schools and 15 graduate schools. A total of 20 courses offered by USC are ranked in the QS WUR by Subject Rankings 2025. This includes popular disciplines such as communication, accounting, finance, psychology, computer science, business and economics. Check out other popular subjects at University of Southern California majorly preferred by Indian students:
The application deadlines for Fall and Spring intakes at the University of Southern California for international students are outlined in the table below:
| Programs | Admission Deadline |
|---|---|
| Master of Business Administration | Round 1: Oct 1, 2025 Round 2: Jan 10, 2026 |
| MS in Business Analytics | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| M.S Applied Data Science | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 |
| M.S Computer Engineering | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| MS in Computer Science | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| M.S Cyber Security Engineering | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| MS in Electrical Engineering | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| M.S Engineering Management | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| MS in Finance | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| MS in Mechanical Engineering | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
| M.S Pharmaceutical Science | Sep 1, 2025 (Spring) Dec 15, 2025 (Fall) |
International students can apply for University of Southern California admissions in Fall or Spring as per their convenience. However, the majority of Indian students apply in Fall semesters to get enough time for the visa process. Given below are the minimum requirements for undergraduate and graduate admissions at USC:
| Category | PG Admission Requirements | UG Admission Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Application Portal | Most Courses: USC Graduate Application | Business School: Liaisoncas Portal | USC International Academy: International Student Academy Portal | Common Application |
| Application Fees | $90 – $175 (₹7,810 – ₹15,186) | $85 (₹7,380) |
| Academic Requirements | 4 Year Bachelor’s Degree with 3.0 GPA (85%) | High School of 3.0 (85%) |
| English Language Proficiency Scores | TOEFL-iBT: 90-100 | IELTS: 6.5 – 7.0 | TOEFL IBT: 100 | IELTS: 7.0 |
| Test Scores | GMAT: 715+ | GRE: 310+ | N.A |
| Documents Required | Personal Statement or Essays | Academic or Professional LORs | Resume or CV | Passport Copy | Financial Evidence | External exam results/predicted results | SOP | Essays | LORs |
The University of Southern California cost around $95,2256 (₹82.61 lakhs) for undergraduate students and $77,481 (₹67.21 lakhs) for graduate students. This is the total cost of attendance at University of Southern California including tuition fee, housing, meals, and other daily expenses. Tabulated below the breakdown of living expenses in University of Southern California:
| Expenses | PG Cost Per Annum (USD) | UG Cost Per Annum (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition Fee | $47,080 | $69,904 |
| Fees | $3,273 | $1,743 |
| Housing | $13,050 | $12,271 |
| Foods | $7,660 | $7,660 |
| Books and Supplies | $900 | $1,200 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,736 | $2,006 |
| Transportation | $2,782 | $441 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $77,481 | $95,225 |
Note: 1 USD = 87.49 INR as of February 10, 2025
Also Check: Cost of Living in USA for Indian Students
University of Southern California offers a wide variety of merit-based scholarships to international students for undergraduate study. These scholarships range between $10,000 – $69,900 (₹8.67 lakhs – ₹60.64 lakhs) per year on tuition.
There are no scholarships for international students in graduate programs. However, there are other funding options for international students including monthly stipend, on campus work and off campus opportunity. You can visit the office of international services for on campus or off campus employment opportunities.
Also Check: Scholarships to Study in USA
University of Southern California campus stretches up to 229 acres. The USC campus is situated 3 miles away from downtown and adjacent to several museums, historic exposition park and recreational facilities.
According to University of Southern California placements in 2024, around 62.6% of the UG graduates secured employment within 6 months.
University of Southern California is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles, a global centre for arts, technology and international business. University of Southern California’s diverse curricular offerings provide extensive opportunities for interdisciplinary study and collaboration with leading researchers in highly advanced learning environments.
Ques. Is USC private or public?
Ques. Is the University of Southern California expensive?
Ques. Is University of Southern California hard to get into?
Ques. Why is USC acceptance rate so low?
