University of Southern California

university of southern california accreditation

University of Southern California Degree Programs

The University of Southern California appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Great Value Public Administration Master’s Online.

The University of Southern California has 23 schools from which students may choose to earn an undergraduate or graduate degree. They are as follows:

  •  Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
  •  Leventhal School of Accounting
  •  School of Architecture
  •  Roski School of Art and Design
  •  Iovine and Young Academy
  •  Marshall School of Business
  •  School of Cinematic Arts
  •  Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
  •  Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
  •  Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry
  •  School of Dramatic Arts
  •  Rossier School of Education
  •  Viterbi School of Engineering
  •  Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
  •  Gould School of Law
  •  Keck School of Medicine
  •  Thornton School of Music
  •  Mrs T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
  •  School of Pharmacy
  •  Sol Price School of Public Policy
  •  Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work.

There are 19,907 undergraduate students enrolled at USC. USC’s academic calendar is semester-based. Some of the most popular undergraduate disciplines at this university are communications,  visual and performing arts, engineering, marketing, management, business, and social sciences. There are over 150 majors and minors offered by the USC curriculum. There are currently over 20,000 undergraduate students enrolled in the university.

There are more graduate students than there are undergraduates at USC. 27,500 graduate and professional students are currently studying at USC’s 22 professional and graduate schools.

A popular undergraduate degree offered by USC is the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing for Screen and Television. This program offers students the opportunity to gain training for both fiction and non-fiction for television and the screen. The School of Cinematic Arts offers this degree. USC’s School of Cinematic Arts is of note because of its famous alumni, which include George Lucas and Judd Apatow. Lucas donated $175 million to the school in 2006. This school is the largest and oldest film school in the United States of America. This film school has undergone significant change in the last few decades. For example, the school created an Interactive Media and Games Division in 2001.

A popular graduate degree offered by USC is the Master of Management in Library and Information Science, which is offered through an online option. This program prepares its students for the field of information science and high-level library careers. This degree is facilitated by the Marshall School of Business and is highly regarded by library professionals.

USC students have the opportunity to study abroad; these students can choose from over 50 city destinations. The average class size at this university is 26 students. There are many research opportunities open to USC students. Between 2017 and 2018, the university received over $764 million in sponsorship funds for research.

About the University of Southern California

This university was founded in 1880. The founding of this university was only possible due to Judge Robert M. Widney’s ability to secure initial funding. USC has a 226-acre, urban area campus. The campus includes 23 libraries. In 1887, the university’s first library was opened. This institution has almost four million printed volumes in its collection. Tuition was originally only $15 for students. Los Angeles’ Downtown Arts and Education Corridor is home to USC’s central campus. The current university president is Carol Folt, who has performed this position since 2019.

With 50 fraternity and sorority chapters, USC has a thriving Greek life on campus. A fifth of undergraduate students participates in Greek life. There are over 1,000 organizations based on campus, which range from sports clubs to religious groups. Cardinal and gold are the two colors of USC. Athletes of this Californian university are known as Trojans. In 2018, the student to faculty member ration was eight to one. There are over 375,000 alumni of USC and they are located worldwide.

USC campus is featured in many Hollywood movies. The following movies and television series have scenes filmed on the USC campus:

  •  The Social Network
  •  Harold &Kumar Go to White Castle
  •  The Graduate
  •  Legally Blonde
  •  Forrest Gump
  •  The Office
  •  Gilmore Girls
  •  The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
  •  House M.D.
  •  90210
  •  How to Get Away With Murder
  •  Entourage

There are many famous alumni of USC. Some of these famous figures are:

  •  Neil Armstrong
  •  O.J. Simpson
  •  John Wayne
  •  Will Ferrell
  •  Patrick J. Adams
  •  John Ritter

In the 2020 edition of U.S. News and World Report USC was ranked No. 22 for the “National Universities” list. Additionally, this university is ranked No. 5 for “Best Colleges for Veterans” and No. 56 for “Best Undergraduate Teaching.”

University of Southern California Accreditation Details

USC has been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges since 1949. The WASC is a regional accrediting organization that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

University of Southern California Application Requirements

Successful undergraduate students of 2018 had an average GPA of 3.79. These same students had SAT scores ranging from approximately 1350-1530. In 2017, successful applicants had an average GPA of 3.76 and SAT scores between 1300-1500. There is a base application fee of $85 for undergraduate applications at USC. On average, 13 percent of undergraduate applicants are accepted per year.

Graduate applications are evaluated more individualistically. Each program has unique academic and document requirements for successful applicants to provide. Students looking to apply for graduate programs at USC are encouraged to inquire directly with department-specific websites and staff.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For the 2019-2020 school year, undergraduate students pay $57,256 in tuition. Alternatively, students of graduate programs have tuition costs that are program-specific. Graduate students writing dissertations will be required to pay approximately $7,712.

Almost 40 percent of full-time undergraduate students are offered some type of financial aid by USC. Yearly, $611 million is awarded to students in financial aid. This allocation is determined by a needs-based system. It provides students with either grant awards or scholarships. The Student Financial Services department of USC continually works to help students better understand the university’s financial aid system.

The University of Southern California is a multifaceted institution aiming to provide a diversified experience for its students.