USC acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
University of Southern California · Private nonprofit · Los Angeles, CA · 21,023 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
USC admitted 10.0% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 19.8% in 2013. Tuition and fees are $75,162 for every student in 2025-26.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 19.8% | 47,358 | 9,395 |
| 2014 | 18.0% | 51,920 | 9,358 |
| 2015 | 17.7% | 51,924 | 9,181 |
| 2016 | 16.6% | 54,280 | 9,022 |
| 2017 | 16.0% | 56,676 | 9,042 |
| 2018 | 13.0% | 64,352 | 8,339 |
| 2019 | 11.4% | 66,198 | 7,558 |
| 2020 | 16.1% | 59,712 | 9,618 |
| 2021 | 12.5% | 71,031 | 8,884 |
| 2022 | 12.0% | 69,062 | 8,304 |
| 2023 | 10.0% | 80,808 | 8,094 |
Applications went from 47,358 in fall 2013 to 80,808 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $17,171 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $13,736 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,282 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $28,033 |
| Over $110,000 | $59,062 |
| Tuition and fees, all students (2025-26) | $75,162 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $95,048 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $33,056 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Middle 50% (25th to 75th percentile) of enrolled first-year students who submitted scores: 32% submitted the SAT, 14% the ACT. Source: IPEDS fall 2023.1
Similar private colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Stanford CA | 3.9% | $68,544 same for all |
| LMU CA | 40.3% | $65,857 same for all |
| Santa Clara University CA | 43.8% | $63,513 same for all |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
USC admitted 10.0% of applicants for fall 2023, the lowest point of the trend shown on this page.1 In fall 2013 the rate stood at 19.8%; since then it has come down 9.8 percentage points.1 Between 2013 and 2023 the rate dropped in 9 of the 10 annual changes, with a single rise along the way.1 Applications to USC grew 71% across those years and reached 80,808 for fall 2023, of whom 8,094 were admitted.1
Under its test-optional policy, the middle 50% of score senders had 740 to 790 on SAT math.1
Tuition and fees are $75,162 for 2025-26, compared with a $43,094 median at the 76 private nonprofit bachelor's colleges in California.2 Aided families with incomes up to $30,000 paid $17,171 on average in 2024-25, a little more than the $13,736 paid by families earning $30,001 to $48,000.2 Families above $110,000 averaged $59,062, so the bill depends far more on income here than the sticker price suggests.2
Of the 2019 entering cohort, 90% graduated within 6 years, and former students had median earnings of $103,420 a year 10 years after entering, measured in 2022-23.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 80,808 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 8,094 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 3,633 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 21,023 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-optional | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | 700 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR25, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | 760 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATVR75, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | 740 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT25, fall 20231 |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | 790 | IPEDS ADM2023, SATMT75, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | 32 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM25, fall 20231 |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | 35 | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTCM75, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | 32% | IPEDS ADM2023, SATPCT, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | 14% | IPEDS ADM2023, ACTPCT, fall 20231 |
| Tuition and fees, all students | $75,162 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $95,048 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $33,056 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $17,171 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $13,736 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $18,282 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $28,033 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $59,062 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PRIV, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 90% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 96% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 27% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $103,420 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $17,000 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median tuition and fees, private nonprofit colleges, California (N = 76) | $43,094 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, private nonprofit bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with USC, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page