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University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) vs University of Southern California (USC)

Envision yourself as a student, standing at the crossroads of two prestigious universities: the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) and the University of Southern California (USC). Both institutions offer a world-class education, but they differ in several key aspects. UPenn, an Ivy League school located in the heart of Philadelphia, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher graduation rate compared to USC, a private research university situated in the vibrant city of Los Angeles. While UPenn's student body is predominantly made up of out-of-state students, USC attracts a larger proportion of in-state students. Explore the comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two esteemed universities, considering factors such as acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, to help you make an informed decision about your academic future.
University of Pennsylvania logo

University of Pennsylvania

 		University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Overview

Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Los Angeles, California
Campus setting City: Large 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 5.9% 12.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75
Graduate: $90
Undergraduate: $85
Graduate: $90
SAT range 1480 - 1570 1410 - 1540
ACT range 33 - 35 32 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 49.0% 31.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0% 19.0%
Total number of applicants 56,332 71,031
Total number of admissions given out 3,304 8,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,418 3,668
Yield rate 73.2% 41.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA 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 $80,496 $81,659
Average net price $14,578 $26,021
Tuition $54,652 $60,446
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,358
Meal plan: $5,946
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)

 52.0%
Average amount $50,778 		72.0%
Average amount $40,690
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,030 		22.0%
Average amount $4,215
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,160 		2.0%
Average amount $29,056

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students 11,292
Men 44.7% Women 55.3% 		20,790
Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students 16,746
Men 43.8% Women 56.2% 		28,528
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 82.7% 49.9%
International students 22.8% 23.8%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 6,400 8,700
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Pennsylvania New York California New Jersey Florida California Texas New York Illinois Florida

Academics

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

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.2% 92.0%
Dropout rate 2.8% 7.2%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $189,905
  • Year 2: $201,334
  • Year 3: $249,574
International/Global Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,528
  • Year 2: $182,280
  • Year 3: $234,875
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,404
  • Year 2: $198,043
  • Year 3: $227,605
Real Estate (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $119,383
  • Year 2: $169,894
  • Year 3: $224,847
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $186,571
  • Year 2: $177,119
  • Year 3: $218,410
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $245,155
  • Year 3: $214,930
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $177,203
  • Year 2: $202,922
  • Year 3: $214,927
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $169,238
  • Year 2: $174,994
  • Year 3: $208,033
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,195
  • Year 2: $138,932
  • Year 3: $197,810
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $179,063
  • Year 2: $175,674
  • Year 3: $186,790
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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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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