University of Southern California is a private institution that was founded in 1880. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 18,445, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 226 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Southern California's ranking in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 25. Its tuition and fees are $48,280 (2014-15).

The University of Southern California’s central campus, referred to as the University Park campus, is located in Los Angeles’s Downtown Arts and Education Corridor. USC has other campuses in L.A. in addition to sites around Southern California and in Sacramento, Calif., and Washington. Students can participate in the more than 700 on-campus organizations, ranging from religious groups to club sports. USC students are not required to live on campus, but the university offers housing in its 40 or so residence halls and apartment buildings. A thriving Greek life comprises more than 60 chapters representing more than 3,500 students. The USC Trojans compete in the Pac-12 Conference and are known for their legendary football program.

USC is comprised of the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, and 17 graduate and professional schools. The number of graduates exceeds the number of undergraduates at USC, with students enrolled in such programs as the highly ranked Marshall School of Business, Rossier School of Education, Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering, Gould School of Law, Keck School of Medicine and School of Social Work. USC is also well known for its Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and its highly esteemed School of Cinematic Arts, which has graduated students such as directors Judd Apatow and George Lucas. Films including "The Graduate," "Legally Blonde" and "Forrest Gump" all filmed scenes on USC’s campus.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

Located in the heart of Los Angeles, a global center for arts, technology and international trade, the University of Southern California is a world-renowned private research institution enrolling more international students than any other U.S. university and operating an integrated academic medical center that serves more than a million patients each year.

USC operates from two main campuses. The University Park campus, south of downtown Los Angeles, is adjacent to the museums and recreational facilities of historic Exposition Park. With its park-like atmosphere and rich architectural history, the campus fosters a stimulating academic environment as well as a vibrant cultural community. The Health Sciences campus, northeast of downtown, offers world-class patient care, classroom and laboratory facilities that draw scientists, patients and students from around the world, forming a dynamic, interactive environment shaping the future of health care.

Within the USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and 18 professional schools, USC encourages all students to cross traditional boundaries in their pursuit of knowledge. The university offers bachelor's degrees in 162 majors. As of fall 2012, graduate students were enrolled in nearly 380 master's, certificate, doctoral and professional degree programs. With 155 different academic and professional minors, USC offers the broadest selection of any U.S. university. Selected students may participate in Thematic Option, USC's interdisciplinary undergraduate honors program. The Renaissance Scholars program honors students who study subjects across disparate fields.

USC also presents opportunities for travel, independent discovery, and addressing basic questions of human value and social challenges affecting our country and the world. The Global Scholars program honors undergraduates who excel both at home and abroad, the Discovery Scholars program recognizes students who demonstrate original research and creativity, and the USC Dornsife Scholars program honors graduating college seniors who combine the talents sought in the USC Discovery and Global Scholars programs with an added emphasis on positive human impact.

At the graduate level, each year the Provost's Ph.D. Fellowship Program supports 100 doctoral students who show exceptional promise. The USC Annenberg Graduate Fellowship Program funds cutting-edge study in communication and digital media, and USC's Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program offers grants and fellowships to increase the involvement of women in science and engineering. The new Provost's Postdoctoral Scholars Program in the Humanities eventually will attract up to 10 outstanding humanities scholars to USC.

The university also commits itself to fostering research with wide-ranging social impacts and is one of a few premier research institutions upon which the United States depends for a steady stream of new knowledge, art and technology.

Unusual among major research institutions, the University of Southern California is home to six arts schools, in the disciplines of cinematic arts, music, dramatic arts, architecture, fine arts, and dance. Other top-ranked programs include art history, creative writing, a master's program in professional writing and the new USC International Artists Fellowships, graduate fellowships for promising artists from across the Pacific Rim, Latin America and Southeast Asia.

The university's innovative and university-wide Visions & Voices arts and humanities initiative has few parallels in higher education. It features a spectacular array of events conceived and organized by university faculty and schools, including presentations by critically acclaimed artists and distinguished speakers, theatrical productions, music and dance performances, film screenings, lectures and workshops on both USC campuses, as well as a variety of opportunities to experience the dynamic cultural landscape of Los Angeles.

University Park

Los Angeles, CA 90089

Phone: (213) 740-2311

2014-2015 Tuition & Fees

$48,280

Students

18,445 enrolled

50% male / 50% female

Admissions

Jan. 10 application deadline

19.8% accepted