Yale University vs University of Southern California (USC)

Yale University and the University of Southern California (USC) stand as two prominent institutions of higher learning, each offering a distinct educational experience. Yale, an Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, boasts a long history of academic excellence and a highly selective admissions process, with an acceptance rate of just 6.3%. USC, a private research university in Los Angeles, California, is known for its strong programs in film, music, and engineering, and attracts a diverse student body from across the globe, with an acceptance rate of 16%. While both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Yale is known for its strengths in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, while USC excels in fields such as business, engineering, and the arts. Explore the comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two prestigious universities and find the best fit for your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of Southern California logo

University of Southern California

Yale University logo

Yale University

Overview

Location Los Angeles, California New Haven, Connecticut
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
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% 98.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 12.5% 5.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $90
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $105
SAT range 1410 - 1540 1480 - 1580
ACT range 32 - 35 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 31.0% 54.0%
Students submitting ACT score 19.0% 35.0%
Total number of applicants 71,031 47,240
Total number of admissions given out 8,884 2,509
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,668 1,786
Yield rate 41.3% 71.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $81,659 $82,170
Average net price $26,021 $20,605
Tuition $60,446 $59,950
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,098

Meal plan: $6,634
Room/dormitory: $10,100

Meal plan: $7,700
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

72.0%
Average amount $40,690
58.0%
Average amount $58,715
Students receiving federal student loan 22.0%
Average amount $4,215
5.0%
Average amount $4,879
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $29,056
0.0%
Average amount $5,094

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 20,790
Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
6,536
Men 48.6% Women 51.4%
Graduate students 28,528
Men 44.3% Women 55.7%
8,031
Men 46.3% Women 53.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 49.9% 93.6%
International students 23.8% 21.6%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 8,700 5,576
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas New York Illinois Florida California New York Connecticut Texas New Jersey

Academics

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

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.0% 96.9%
Dropout rate 7.2% 2.5%
Transferred out N/A N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,998
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $168,803
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $150,882
  • Year 2: $147,858
  • Year 3: $167,455
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,705
  • Year 2: $132,032
  • Year 3: $165,012
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,023
  • Year 2: $132,866
  • Year 3: $142,164
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,929
  • Year 2: $111,017
  • Year 3: $117,291
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $95,157
  • Year 2: $98,213
  • Year 3: $112,141
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,985
  • Year 2: $95,473
  • Year 3: $95,527
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,166
  • Year 2: $86,621
  • Year 3: $91,001
Medicine (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,834
  • Year 2: $63,625
  • Year 3: $73,597
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,489
  • Year 2: $58,522
  • Year 3: $72,034

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