Campus & Student Life at University of Southern California

Home to about 19,786 undergraduates in 2020, USC is a very large, private university located in Los Angeles, California. This urban setting might be best suited for students who like the fast-paced city life. Should you tire of the campus however, USC offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by USC can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our USC Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

USC Has a Disability Services Site

For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit USC Disability Services.

USC for the Military

While not a "service academy", USC does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs and there is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit USC Veteran Services . For more information, check out our USC for Veterans Guide.

USC offers On-Campus Day Care

For students with young families, USC does offer some day care. Programs like this are often in very high demand, so be sure to inquire as soon as you can.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at University of Southern California

USC offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at University of Southern California

USC has a comparatively very large, student body. There were 19,786 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 18,560 (93.8%). Part-time attendance was 1,226 (6.2%).

University of Southern California is Ranked #21 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, USC receives top marks for overall diversity. We rank USC #21 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at USC by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the USC Diversity Guide.

University of Southern California Competes in the NCAA

USC has a total of 678 student athletes, 322 men and 356 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.

Athletics Financing

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to University of Southern California Athletics