Quad
University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Management Science (22% of graduates). 9 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 84% of colleges. 59% of faculty are full-time. Spends $49,674 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

5,778 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 42% of graduates; 122 programs in 24 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Management Science 52.130122% 1,244
  2. Computer Science 11.07016.5% 378
    Graduates in this field earn $192,897 4 years out
  3. Human Biology 30.27015.1% 292
    Graduates in this field earn $69,751 4 years out
  4. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 45.06034.4% 255
    Graduates in this field earn $94,435 4 years out
  5. Speech Communication and Rhetoric 09.01014.1% 238
    Graduates in this field earn $75,864 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Computer science, 2.2% → 7.8% of graduates since 2014–15 (450 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Science$192,897 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $137,284

    4 years after completion$192,897
    National median: $107,009Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $139,302 · Non-Pell: $152,172(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $19,625 · 592 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Computer Engineering$166,369 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$166,369
    National median: $109,015Above typical

    Median federal debt: $6,625 · 79 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Real Estate$143,977 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $98,763

    4 years after completion$143,977
    National median: $84,821Above typical

    Median federal debt: $19,500 · 41 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$131,532 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $89,684

    4 years after completion$131,532
    National median: $100,647Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $114,804 · Non-Pell: $116,778(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $18,497 · 24 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$125,514 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $78,980

    4 years after completion$125,514
    National median: $98,207Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $100,681 · Non-Pell: $97,550(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $20,030 · 104 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college9 to 1
9 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 84% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 9 to 1 in its Common Data Set (20,487 students, 2,339 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

60%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 12% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–953417%
10–191,39444%
20–2939812%
30–392297%
40–492468%
50–992829%
100+1083%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Accelerated program
  • Cross-registration
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • Dual enrollment
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Liberal arts/career combination
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad
  • Undergraduate research

Requires coursework in English composition, a foreign language, history, humanities, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty59%
National median: 67%Below typical
Average faculty salary

$163,106

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$49,674
$49,674
← Lessmore than 98% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$195,295
$195,295
← Lessmore than 87% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;University of Southern California Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;University of Southern California Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)