The University of Southern California (USC) Overview
The University of Southern California (USC) is a foremost private research university with quality education, ace professors, diverse study programs, and internships that are suitable to your selected program.
The university was founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney. It is the oldest private research university situated in South McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, California, United States of America. It has an urban setting that sits on 229 acres.
“U.S News and Report” ranked the university #27 in National Universities, #31 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, #46 in Most Innovative Schools, #60 in Best Value Schools, #99 in Best Colleges For Veterans, and #169 in Top Performers on Social Mobility.
Selecting the University of Southern California as your first choice university is an opportunity for you to distinguish yourself. You will have a lot of unmatched opportunities to explore in and outside the classroom regardless of the program you opt-in for. There are also lots of scholarships, internships, and job opportunities where you can network and gain real-world experience. The aforementioned are mostly sponsored and supported by Alumni who care about the students, the school and do everything possible to give back.
What is the GPA Requirement at the University of Southern California (USC)?
At the moment, USC doesn’t require any absolute “cutoff” for grades, class rank, or test scores. However, you will be assessed through an individualized, comprehensive review process that takes these, and many other factors, into account.
Regardless, admission at USC is highly competitive, so, it is advisable to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of nothing less than 3.70- 3.90 That means your grades should be all B’s or a mix of A’s and B’s
What is the Acceptance Rate at the University of Southern California (USC)?
The acceptance rate at the University of Southern California (USC) is 12%. That means, for every 1000 applications, only 120 students will be considered for admission.
Last year, the acceptance rate was 16%. The university admitted 9618 first-year students out of the 59, 712 that applied.
What is the SAT/ACT Requirement at the University of Southern California (USC)?
You are required to earn a minimum score of 600 on the SAT Critical Reading exam (previous SAT) or 650 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam (redesigned SAT) or 27 on the ACT English exam.
What is the Transfer Acceptance Rate at the University of Southern California (USC)?
The Transfer Acceptance Rate at USC is 24%. That means for every 1000 students seeking to transfer to USC, only 240 students are admitted.
What are the Admission Requirements for Transfer students?
- You are to tender at least one year of rigorous, full-time academic coursework, with strong grades.
- You are to show steady progress toward a degree with at least one year of rigorous, full-time academic coursework. Competitive candidates typically take 14-16 units per term.
- Common Application
- You are to submit your official final high school transcripts. Your transcripts should show your date of graduation.
Kindly note the following:
- If your secondary school was completed outside the U.S., you may substitute a copy of a diploma or leaving certificate.
- If you did not finish high school, you are required to submit transcripts showing any grade you received before leaving.
- You are also to submit a copy of your completion certificate (such as a GED); this may be accompanied with a letter of explanation.
- You are to submit official college transcripts from any and all colleges you attended. This should be submitted regardless of whether coursework or degree requirements were completed.
Kindly note this:
- In order for USC to review your most recent fall term grades, your current school has to post them to the school, before sending your transcripts. It should be sent to the email address- [email protected]. You are not to send copies of your transcripts to the email address.
- You are required to send a Letter(s) of recommendation. This, however, may be optional depending on your major.
- Your portfolio, resumé and/or additional writing samples may be required. Submission of the afore-mentioned will depend on the major.
- You are to complete an affirmation, in which your digital signature will be required. This makes your admission valid. If it is done by someone else, it will be taken as invalid.
- You are to submit your TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic or Duolingo test score if your native language is not English.
Kindly note the following:
- You are required to earn a minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum score of 20 in each section); OR
- A minimum IELTS score of 7; OR
- A minimum PTE score of 68.
- A minimum Duolingo English Test score of 120
- Your TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic and Duolingo scores must be recent, earned within two years of the USC application date.
- Although you can submit the Duolingo English Test to show English proficiency, it will not waive the ISE requirement.
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What are the courses/units you can not transfer to USC?
If you have started your university education somewhere else but decided to continue your education journey at USC, bear in mind that the following are not transferable
- Unaccredited institutions: You can’t transfer any coursework or degrees completed at an unaccredited U.S. institution. It must be accredited by a regional accrediting agency.
- Low grades: You can’t transfer courses in which you have less than C– (1.7) grades.
- No degree credit: You can’t transfer college extension courses and courses taken at international institutions that are not credited toward a degree at that college.
- Areas of study not offered by USC: There are some areas of study not offered by USC. So, you can’t possibly transfer them to USC. These courses are agriculture, food services, hotel management, business office procedures, industrial mechanics, interior design, fire science, forestry, police academy, and similar professional and technical programs.
- Duplicated material: You can’t transfer an AP exam and IB exam or college course that covers the same material.
- Life and work experience: Life and work experience such as portfolio work, continuing education, equivalency examination units, and courses offered by business and governmental agencies can not be transferred; even if evaluated by the American Council on Education.
- Placement exams: You can’t transfer courses and/ or unit credits awarded by another institution for placement examinations or credit by exam.
- Remedial/college preparatory/ personal development: You can’t also transfer mathematics courses below the level of college-level algebra. (Intermediate Algebra, USC’s minimum math requirement for admission, is not transferable.)
- Nontraditional formats at two-year colleges: This also includes independent study, directed study, correspondence courses, internships and travel courses; the aforementioned are not transferable.
- Graduate-level courses: Graduate-level coursework taken by undergraduate students are not transferable.
Kindly note this:
- Even though USC does not require a minimum number of transfer units, the university will base their decision either majorly on your high school or high school record and/or SAT or ACT if you earn fewer than 30 transferable semester units.
What are the Admission Requirements for First Year students?
- Even though there is no specific curriculum required outside mathematics, it is however advisable to pursue the most rigorous program available to you in English, science, social studies, foreign language and the arts even though there is no specific curriculum required except mathematics.
- You are required to have earned C+ or a better grade in at least three years of high school mathematics, including Advanced Algebra (Algebra II); careful attention is paid to preparation for the intended major.
- Depending on the selected program, you are likely to submit a portfolio or audition. The admission office final decision on the portfolio/audition submitted is dependent on the feedback received from the faculty of the program you are applying for.
- Common Application and USC Writing Supplement.
- You are to submit your grades (when available): You can use the Mid-Year Report Form included in the Common Application or visit your applicant portal to submit your grades.
- Your personal characteristics will be assessed. USC admits students with a vast array of perspectives and passions, and who will enrich each other’s education by challenging each other, inside the classroom and out.
- You will be required to submit an essay. Your essay and short-answer responses will help USC get to know your personality and your voice.
- You will need to submit at least two letters of recommendation; one from your school teacher and another one from your school counselor. These recommendations should reflect your academic success, values, activity list and your contributions in the classroom. If you are applying to the School of Cinematic Arts, you must submit two letters of recommendation.
- Your personal narrative, background and circumstances will be assessed to decipher your uniqueness and what you can offer.
- Official Test Scores: Submitting your Standardized Test Score is optional. USC has extended its test-optional policy for two more years. So, you can apply for admission and scholarships to USC for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Academic Years without submitting SAT or ACT scores. If you are opting to submit test scores, and have taken it more than once, USC will only record the highest scores.
Kindly note this:
- Your highest score for each section of the SAT and ACT exam will be recorded, even if achieved in different sittings.
- The writing section for either the ACT or the SAT general test is not required by USC
- You are required to earn a minimum score of 600 on the SAT Critical Reading exam (previous SAT) or 650 on the SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing exam (redesigned SAT) or 27 on the ACT English exam; OR
- A minimum score of 100 on the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum score of 20 in each section); OR
- A minimum IELTS score of 7; OR
- A minimum PTE score of 68; OR
- A minimum Duolingo English Test score of 120*
- You are to submit the official transcripts of all completed coursework of your high school and college.
- You are to submit your portfolio, resumé and/or additional writing samples depending on the major you are applying for. .
- Application Affirmations: You are to complete an affirmation available in the portal after your application. Your digital signature will be required. This makes your admission valid. If it is done by someone else, it will be taken as invalid.
- You are to pay for an application; this will cost you $85. This fee is payable online via the Common Application after submitting your application for admission.
Kindly note this:
- You can request a fee waiver from the Payments page of the Common Application website if paying the fee would cause a financial hardship.
What are the application requirements for an International student?
As an international student, your application will be considered within the context of your country’s educational environment.
International students should follow the application steps for first-year students, as the admission requirements are the same. View some exceptions and additions below:
- On the application, you are to write your name as it appears on your passport.
Kindly note the following:
- If the name on your passport is not the same as the name on your academic record; kindly enter the name from your academic record in the “Preferred name” section.
- You are to provide a permanent, physical mailing address (that is not a post office box).
- You are to provide official copies of academic records from all your secondary or senior secondary schools, pre-university programs, and colleges and universities attended.
Kindly note the following:
- Your academic records are to be sent directly from the schools (whenever possible)
- Your academic records should be submitted in the native language, but, it should be accompanied by an English translation, if the native language is not English.
- You are to send external examination results or predicted results. For instance, predicted IB results, Indian board exam results, GCSE/IGCSE results, predicted A-levels, Australian ATAR, etc.
- You are to submit any additional documents required by USC Office of Admission.
- Submitting your Standardized Test Score is optional. USC has extended its test-optional policy for two more years. So, you can apply for admission and scholarships to USC for the 2022-23 and 2023-24 Academic Years without submitting SAT or ACT scores. If you however wish to submit your scores, you can.
- You are to submit your TOEFL (or TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition), IELTS (or IELTS Indicator), Duolingo or PTE academic scores if your native language is not English. This is required to show English proficiency.
Kindly note the following:
- Your TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic and Duolingo scores must be recent, earned within two years of the USC application date.
- USC is not accepting TOEFL ITP Plus for China at this time.
- You may still be admitted without the following minimum scores. However, if you are unable to show your English proficiency, USC still requires your exam prior to registration for classes. Your exam results will determine whether or not you must enroll in English language courses at the American Language Institute (ALI) at USC.
- You are to submit Financial Support Documentation.
What is the cost of studying at USC?
2021-2022 estimated tuition two-semester tuition for a full-time USC undergraduate (taking 12-18 units each semester) living in university housing:
On/Off-Campus With Parents or Relatives
Tuition (12-18 units for two semesters) $60,446 $60,446
Fees $1,015 $1,015
Housing $10,102 $2500
Dining/meals $6,630 $3,500
Books and supplies $1,200 $1,200
Personal and miscellaneous $1,640 $1,640
Transportation $584 $1,920
Total $81,659 $72,263
(Add $450 New Student Fee for your first semester.)
What is student life like at the University of Southern California (USC)?
The University of Southern California is one of the universities where all the students are united.
You study together, live together, and get to socialize without any discrimination. The university has a reasonable student-faculty ratio- 8:1; smaller class sizes make learning speedy as you get the undivided attention of your instructor.
There are clubs you can join that will help expand your academic and leadership skills. There are also clubs that you can join to relax, have fun, make friends and share experiences and ideas with fascinating people. There are multiple workout areas with state-of-the-art equipment. You can explore the area’s natural wonders with your hiking boots. There are clubs where you are introduced to Los Angeles’ food, cultures, and art.
You can also get to meet your favorite celebrities as film crews are always on campus. If you are lucky, you may be in the background of a show or movie.
Life at USC is a “Total Joyous Package.” If you don’t like the accommodation given to you, you can request that USC re-assigns you to different housing. As a student, you have easy access to libraries, the Lyon Recreation Center, and other facilities. If you don’t want to walk, and want to save your dollar, there is a free USC bus, and Campus Cruiser/Lyft service.
In conclusion, the University of Southern California is home to highly ranked academic programs like Arts and Sciences, technology, international business, and other exceptional academic schools and units. As the biggest private-sector employer in the city of Los Angeles, it is responsible for $8 billion annually in economic activity in the region. The university has a learner-centered curriculum that will uniquely prepare you to face the challenges of the 21st century.
FAQ
What are the programs of study at the University of Southern California (USC)?
Over 150 Programs are comprising “Majors & Minors” at the University of Southern California (USC).
Below are the Schools & Programs at USC
- Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
- USC School of Architecture
- Roski School of Art and Design
- Iovine and Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation
- Marshall School of Business
- USC School of Cinematic Arts
- Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
- Kaufman School of Dance
- USC School of Dramatic Arts
- Viterbi School of Engineering
- Davis School of Gerontology
- Keck School of Medicine
- Thornton School of Music
- Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
- Gould School of Law
- USC School of Pharmacy
- Price School of Public Policy
- Pre-professional Emphasis
What are University of Southern California (USC) Majors
- Business (MBA)
- Education, Engineering
- Fine Arts
- Health
- Law, Library Studies
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Public Affairs
- Science, Social Sciences and Humanities
