The University of Southern California started during the 1880’s, when Los Angeles was just a small town without electricity and paved streets. At that time, there were only 50 students and 10 teachers, but today there are over 43,000 students and almost 4,000 full-time faculty. Today, the University of Southern California is located in one of the most densely populated, biggest metropolises in the world. The University of Southern California is one of the most successful private research universities in the world. They are a central cultural institution to the city of Los Angeles because they maintain global centers for arts, business and technology. The university promotes academic opportunities for interdisciplinary study and encourages student researchers to collaborate with highly advanced programs and professionals.

Every year, there are around 19,000 undergraduate students and 25,000 graduate and professional students who attend the university. These numbers include 10,000 students who are from foreign countries. The University of Southern California has a competitive admissions process that results in just 16 percent of applicants being accepted. The average unweighted GPA of incoming freshman is 3.75 and the average SAT score is from 1950 to 2210. The six-year graduation rate is 92 percent, which is double the national average for higher learning institutions. The University of Southern California has produced some of the most recognizable figures in the fields of business, athletics, music, politics, film and music. This includes astronaut Neil Armstrong, producer Brian Grazer and band leader Herb Alpert. Hollywood directors John Carpenter, Ron Howard, George Lucas and Sam Peckinpah graduated from the University of Southern California. Popular actors John Wayne, Will Ferrell, LeVar Burton, Joe Flynn, Daryl Hannah, Michael Landon, Timothy Olyphant, John Ritter and Tom Selleck graduated from the University of Southern California. Hollywood film composers include Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, James Newton Howard, Bear McCreary and Basil Poledouris,

University of Southern California Accreditation Details

-Since 1949, the University of Southern California has been accredited through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

-The Bachelors of Science in Computer Science are accredited through the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) of ABET.

University of Southern California Application Requirements

The admissions committee expects incoming freshman to have completed a difficult high school curriculum in the subjects of English, math, science, social studies, the arts and foreign language. They also take into account individual talents and personal circumstances. As a result, there is no required curriculum for high school students, but they expect all applicants to have taken the highest available classes. GPAs are analyzed alongside class rank, curriculum rigor and the number of advanced courses taken. The admissions committee pays attention to students who make steady improvements throughout their sophomore, junior and senior years. All first-year applicants and transfer applicants who have less than 30 college credits must submit SAT or ACT scores.

The University of Southern California’s application requires an activity summary that highlights the student’s special skills, talents, experiences and accomplishments. The admission committee prefers experiences that indicate potential for leadership and community involvement. The application includes an essay and short answer section to analyze the student’s style, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, organization and thoughtfulness. All first-year applicants must submit a School Report through providing a personal reference. Personal interviews are not required, but offered for students to learn more about the university and for the admission committee to learn more about the students. Certain majors have additional requirements like an audition, portfolio, writing samples and letters of recommendation. These requirements are common in the departments of music, fine arts and architecture.

Tuition and Financial Aid

It may cost up to $60,000 every year to attend the University of Southern California. This includes $45,600 for tuition, $12,900 for on-campus housing, $1,500 for books and supplies and $700 for various fees. Fortunately, the University of Southern California receives over $500 million a year in endowments and has over four billion dollars in sponsored research. The university’s annual budget is around five billion dollars. The university strives to cap tuition increases to maintain affordability for students. The expensive cost of attendance is possible through one of the largest financial aid programs in the country. Every year, the university provides $300 million in financial aid and students receive an additional $160 million from external sources.

The Most Popular Degree

The University of Southern California has one of the strongest technical programs in the country. Their Bachelors of Computer Science is the preferred choice of IT students who want to pursue careers in global corporations and Fortune 500 companies. Graduates of this program are trained to apply the computational theories and analytical approaches to think critically and solve problems. Students are trained to become productive leaders, computer science professionals and contributing members of their communities. The core curriculum trains students to analyze problems, define requirements and identify solutions. Students learn how to design, execute and evaluate computer-based systems, processes and programs. They learn how to effectively function on multidisciplinary teams to accomplish shared goals and how to effectively communicate with a wide range of audiences. The Bachelors of Computer Science program stresses continuing professional development to understand new tools, skills and modeling theories.

Students have the option of choosing the Computer Engineering and Computer Science (CECS) specialization that offers an equal amount of hardware and software courses. Graduates of this program learn to apply analytical processes and critical thinking principles to computer engineering problems. Students learn about science, math and engineering, so they can design and conduct experiments as well as to analyze and translate data findings. Students are trained to design systems and components that meet safety, economic, sustainability and manufacturability needs. There are additional degree options. For example, the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Games) degree program provides students with a cross-disciplinary background in game development. The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Business Administration (CSBA) is offered through a joint venture between the Computer Science department and the Marshall School of Business. The University of Southern California is one of the leading research universities in the country and offers exclusively unique academic opportunities to students around the world.

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