Brown University vs University of Southern California (USC)

Nestled on the East Coast, Brown University, and its West Coast counterpart, the University of Southern California (USC), stand as two prominent institutions of higher learning, each offering a distinct academic experience. While Brown, an Ivy League university, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, USC's larger size and diverse student population create a vibrant and dynamic campus. Both universities excel in various academic disciplines, with Brown known for its strengths in the social sciences and humanities, and USC renowned for its programs in film, music, and engineering. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these two esteemed universities, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Brown University logo

Brown University

University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Los Angeles, California
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 12.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $90
SAT range 1460 - 1570 1410 - 1540
ACT range 33 - 35 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 51.0% 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 19.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 71,031
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 8,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 3,668
Yield rate 66.4% 41.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $81,659
Average net price $25,028 $26,021
Tuition $60,944 $60,446
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $10,098

Meal plan: $6,634
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
72.0%
Average amount $40,690
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
22.0%
Average amount $4,215
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
2.0%
Average amount $29,056

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
20,790
Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
28,528
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% 49.9%
International students 18.6% 23.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 5,013 8,700
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas California Texas New York Illinois Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 92.0%
Dropout rate 3.7% 7.2%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $104,166
  • Year 2: $187,234
  • Year 3: $221,418
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $167,228
  • Year 2: $163,225
  • Year 3: $161,094
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $106,344
  • Year 2: $126,683
  • Year 3: $148,434
Marketing (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $113,473
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $147,381
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,796
  • Year 2: $116,083
  • Year 3: $146,357
Legal Professions and Studies, Other (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $79,420
  • Year 2: $88,198
  • Year 3: $140,330
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $127,841
  • Year 2: $131,090
  • Year 3: $140,129
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,775
  • Year 2: $135,393
  • Year 3: $136,848
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $121,676
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $134,632
Real Estate Development (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $119,991
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $125,784

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