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Harvard vs University of Southern California (USC)

Harvard University and the University of Southern California (USC) stand as two of the most prestigious and sought-after institutions of higher learning in the United States. While they share a reputation for academic excellence, these universities offer distinct experiences for their students. Harvard, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its rigorous liberal arts education and boasts an acceptance rate of just 4.5%. USC, situated in Los Angeles, California, is known for its strong programs in film, music, and engineering, and has a more accessible acceptance rate of 16%. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these universities, including popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Harvard University logo

Harvard University

 		University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Overview

Location Cambridge, Massachusetts 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 96.0% 96.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.0% 12.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75
Graduate: $105
Undergraduate: $85
Graduate: $90
SAT range 1480 - 1580 1410 - 1540
ACT range 33 - 36 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 54.0% 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 31.0% 19.0%
Total number of applicants 57,786 71,031
Total number of admissions given out 2,318 8,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,951 3,668
Yield rate 84.2% 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 $78,028 $81,659
Average net price $13,910 $26,021
Tuition $51,143 $60,446
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,705
Meal plan: $7,236
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)

 56.0%
Average amount $59,840 		72.0%
Average amount $40,690
Students receiving federal student loan 3.0%
Average amount $5,180 		22.0%
Average amount $4,215
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $8,080 		2.0%
Average amount $29,056

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students 9,579
Men 49.0% Women 51.0% 		20,790
Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students 21,766
Men 46.3% Women 53.7% 		28,528
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A 49.9%
International students 23.9% 23.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 12,874 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 Texas Illinois New Jersey California Texas New York Illinois Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Legal Profession
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 7:1 9:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.7% 92.0%
Dropout rate 2.0% 7.2%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,193
  • Year 2: $128,716
  • Year 3: $240,408
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $184,307
  • Year 2: $165,340
  • Year 3: $199,043
Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $171,333
  • Year 2: $171,907
  • Year 3: $187,553
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $140,072
  • Year 2: $128,737
  • Year 3: $163,896
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Graduate/Professional Certificates)
  • Year 1: $151,371
  • Year 2: $174,023
  • Year 3: $163,512
Public Health (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,508
  • Year 2: $117,916
  • Year 3: $129,281
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $121,832
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,707
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $121,771
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $97,905
  • Year 2: $98,670
  • Year 3: $107,389
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,745
  • Year 2: $71,486
  • Year 3: $106,375
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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