University of Southern California
Academics
How strong are the academics at University of Southern California?
Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.
8:1
Student to faculty ratio
26
Average class size
74%
4-year grad rate
Class Sizes
Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.
USC has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.
Class Sizes
Most Common
10-19
2-9
568
10-19
1,374
20-29
365
30-39
218
40-49
262
50-99
263
100+
111
Honors Programs
University of Southern California has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.
Learn more about honors options on USC's website.
Outcomes
It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at University of Southern California:
96%
First-year retention rate
74%
4-year grad rate
92%
6-year grad rate
Majors
Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are University of Southern California's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:
Management Science
Computer Science
Human Biology
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Psychology, General
-1.6
267.92
537.44
806.96
1076.48
1346
The Full List
Major
Graduates
Architecture And Related Services
- Real Estate Development 110
- Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology 65
- Architecture 8
Area
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 7
- East Asian Studies 6
- African-American/Black Studies 3
- Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 2
- Near and Middle Eastern Studies 2
- East Asian Studies 2
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
- American/United States Studies/Civilization 2
- Asian-American Studies 1
- African-American/Black Studies 1
- Area Studies, Other 1
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
- Neuroscience 90
- Biology/Biological Sciences, General 73
- Biochemistry 40
- Pharmacology and Toxicology, Other 28
- Neurobiology and Neurosciences, Other 20
- Computational Biology 17
- Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology 4
- Biotechnology 3
- Ecology, Evolution, Systematics and Population Biology, Other 2
- Biophysics 1
- Computational Biology 1
- Neuroscience 1
- Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography 0
Business
- Management Science 1346
Communication
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 235
- Journalism 85
- Public Relations/Image Management 76
- Speech Communication and Rhetoric 17
- Journalism 3
- Public Relations/Image Management 2
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
- Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics, and Special Effects 14
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
- Computer Science 352
- Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation 45
- Informatics 18
- Informatics 17
- Human-Centered Technology Design 1
Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering 93
- Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 73
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 61
- Industrial Engineering 53
- Electrical and Computer Engineering 50
- Computer Engineering, General 36
- Chemical Engineering 30
- Structural Engineering 26
- Chemical Engineering, Other 8
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 8
- Civil Engineering, General 5
- Civil Engineering, Other 3
- Water Resources Engineering 0
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
- Engineering-Related Fields, Other 33
English Language And Literature/Letters
- Creative Writing 39
- English Language and Literature, General 31
- English Language and Literature, General 3
- Creative Writing 1
Foreign Languages
- Spanish Language and Literature 14
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 12
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 12
- Spanish Language and Literature 8
- Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services, Other 7
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 4
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 4
- Linguistics 3
- French Language and Literature 3
- Italian Language and Literature 2
- Comparative Literature 2
- French Language and Literature 2
- Comparative Literature 1
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
- Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
- Linguistics 1
- Russian Language and Literature 1
- Italian Language and Literature 0
- Russian Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
- Behavioral Aspects of Health 82
- International Public Health/International Health 34
- Occupational Therapy/Therapist 9
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 6
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 6
- HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 6
- Pharmaceutics and Drug Design 2
- Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 0
History
- History, Other 48
- History, General 30
- History, General 4
- History, Other 3
Homeland Security
- Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism 49
Legal Professions And Studies
- Advanced Legal Research/Studies, General 4
Mathematics And Statistics
- Computational and Applied Mathematics 94
- Financial Mathematics 50
- Mathematics, General 18
- Computational and Applied Mathematics 9
- Mathematics, General 1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
- Human Biology 278
- Cognitive Science, General 64
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 35
- Gerontology 20
- Cognitive Science, General 6
- International/Globalization Studies 5
- Human Biology 4
- Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 3
Natural Resources And Conservation
- Environmental Science 52
- Environmental Studies 12
- Environmental Studies 7
Parks
- Exercise Science and Kinesiology 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
- Philosophy, Other 61
- Philosophy 15
- Philosophy, Other 4
- Philosophy 4
- Religion/Religious Studies 2
- Jewish/Judaic Studies 1
- Religion/Religious Studies 0
Physical Sciences
- Physics, General 21
- Chemistry, General 18
- Astronomy 3
- Geology/Earth Science, General 2
- Physical Sciences, General 1
- Physics, General 1
Psychology
- Psychology, General 223
- Psychology, General 15
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
- Public Policy Analysis, General 45
Social Sciences
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 178
- International Relations and Affairs 124
- Political Science and Government, General 120
- Sociology, General 49
- Social Sciences, General 29
- Political Economy 20
- Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 19
- International Relations and Affairs 15
- Geographic Information Science and Cartography 12
- Urban Studies/Affairs 7
- Anthropology, General 7
- Political Science and Government, General 7
- Anthropology, General 4
- Sociology, General 4
- Social Sciences, General 4
- Archeology 3
- Political Economy 1
Visual And Performing Arts
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production 90
- Acting 79
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies 74
- Music Management 72
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 58
- Design and Visual Communications, General 50
- Playwriting and Screenwriting 31
- Game and Interactive Media Design 28
- Digital Arts 25
- Dance, General 22
- Music Performance, General 19
- Art/Art Studies, General 19
- Jazz/Jazz Studies 15
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology 14
- Fine/Studio Arts, General 13
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 11
- Musical Theatre 10
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 10
- Voice and Opera 9
- Music Theory and Composition 9
- Stringed Instruments 8
- Keyboard Instruments 6
- Music, General 5
- Music, Other 5
- Art/Art Studies, General 4
- Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other 4
- Brass Instruments 3
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 3
- Film/Cinema/Media Studies 2
- Art History, Criticism and Conservation 2
- Cinematography and Film/Video Production 1
- Music, General 1
- Acting 1
- Visual and Performing Arts, General 1
- Stringed Instruments 1
- Digital Arts 1
- Percussion Instruments 0
- Woodwind Instruments 0
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