The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit school located in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1880, with 53 students attending the first year. As the school and its student body grew, it became a premier research university, and a popular university for international students. There remains a large international student body to this day. During WWII, up to a third of students took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, which helped prepare them for a Naval commission. Today, USC is recognized as one of the best private research universities in the nation.
Mission/Vision
USC’s mission is to use education as a way of developing “human beings and society as a whole”. The school is committed to research as a learning tool. USC sees itself as a global center of academia and believes in using cultural exchange as a way to enrich the minds of its student body.
Campus Setting
The majority of USC’s campus is located just 2 miles southwest of Downtown Los Angeles in the University Park district. Its Health Sciences Campus is located about 2 miles northeast of downtown. In the Fall of 2017 USC opened it’s brand new University Village, a 125 million square foot residential and retail center. The school’s undergraduate enrollment is around 19,000 students, and there are close to 26,000 graduate and professional students. Among universities in the United States, USC has one of the largest percentages of international students. Among the student body, 38% live on campus.
Academics
USC offers nearly one hundred undergraduate academic programs, and the university is split into a number of different schools. One of the most popular is the Dornslife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. Some of the most common majors include management, business, social sciences, engineering, visual and performing arts, and communication. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, and it boasts an impressive freshman retention rate of 96.8%.
The university also offers a large selection of graduate and professional degrees. These programs place an emphasis on preparing students to become leaders in the fields of education and research.
Athletics
USC’s Trojans participate in NCAA Division I sports. Throughout the school’s rich athletic history, their teams have won 123 national championships, 104 of which were NCAA titles. The Trojans have excelled in a number of sports, including basketball, football, track and field, tennis, and baseball. The women’s teams, nicknamed the Women of Troy, have won 26 national team championships and 64 individual NCAA championships.
Tuition & Financial Aid
While tuition at USC is very high, nearly 50% of the student body qualifies for need-based assistance each year. Of those who applied for financial aid, over 94% had their needs meet through financial aid, grants, scholarships, and self-help aid. Please refer to USC’s website for current tuition rates and financial aid information.
Accreditation
The university is fully accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Since 1969, USC has also been part of the Association of American Universities.
Admissions
USC is a selective school with high admissions standards. For the fall semester of 2018, 64,352 people applied to USC, and the university admitted 13% of applicants. For admitted students, the average composite SAT score is around 2020-2240, and the average high school GPA is 3.8. Their application deadline for the Fall semester is usually in mid-January each year, and ACT or SAT scores must be received by February 15.
If you’d like to learn more about USC, their programs, and admissions policies, contact them at:
http://caravan.esd.usc.edu/contactus/uga.asp
USC Office of Admission
Undergraduate
University Park Campus
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0911
Phone: (213) 740-1111
Fax: (213) 821-0200
http://www.usc.edu/admission/undergraduate/
