History
- Los Angeles was a rough-and-tumble frontier town in the early 1870s, when a group of public-spirited citizens led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney first dreamed of establishing a university in the region.
- It took nearly a decade for this vision to become a reality, but in 1879 Widney formed a board of trustees and secured a donation of 308 lots of land from three prominent members of the community.
Education
- The university’s commitment to becoming the world center for innovative interdisciplinary research and undergraduate education is reflected in the emphasis on providing opportunities for students to participate in research and related scholarly endeavors.
- Our academic programs span the spectrum from basic to applied research with a high degree of societal relevance.
- This focus on undergraduate participation in the creation of knowledge is a principal ingredient of the academic experience at USC.
- In addition to formal academic major and minor programs, USC offers undergraduates an academic life full of opportunities .
Research
- The University of Southern California is home to research centers and institutes spanning the arts and humanities, social and natural sciences, and engineering and technology.
- These centers and institutes are the locus of research for collaborative groups of investigators pushing the frontiers of knowledge forward.
Career
- The Career Center hosts two Career Fairs each year - one in the fall and one in the spring. Employers participate in the Career Fair to recruit for full–time, part-time, and internship opportunities.
University Ranking
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2024
62 -4
2023
58 -5
2022
53
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2025
72 2
2024
74 -9
2023
65
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2025
125 -9
2024
116 18
2023
134
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2025
-
2024
79 1
2023
80
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Student services
- This section guides new international students through the visa application process, arriving at USC, registering for courses and much more to help them prepare for their studies.
Housing services
- USC provides students with an easy answer to their storage and shipping needs.All it takes is a click, and our professional movers will be at your door on the scheduled date.
- We then take your belongings to our secure storage facility, and deliver them to your new residence when you are moving in.
Library services
- The USC Libraries actively support the discovery, creation, and preservation of knowledge.
- We develop collections and services that support and encourage the academic endeavors of faculty, students, and staff; build a community of critical consumers of information; and help develop engaged world citizens.
- USC has 23 libraries and information centers and the USC Digital Library.
ICT services
- This page lists all the items that USC faculty, staff, and students may request through ServiceNow, ITS’s customer service ticketing system.
Student Services
- Organizational and Specialty Accounts
- Educational Technology
- Classroom Equipment Request
- Email and Collaboration
- Information Security
- Networks and Voice
- Penetration Testing
- Risk Assessment
- Special Handling Request for Static Address Registration
Medical services
Medical Services:
- Primary Care -The Eric Cohen Student Health Center provides primary care services to all registered USC students on the HSC campus free of charge.
- Women’s Health - Health Center offers women’s health care by the primary care and gynecology teams.
- Specialty Care - Specialty services are provided in-house by specialists in gynecology, dermatology
- Vaccines and Lab Draws
Campus life
- USC Village is home to a freshman honors college, a sophomore honors college, and six themed colleges for second-year students.
- The residential college experience at USC Village provides our newest Trojans a built-in community from the moment they arrive, fostering the success of USC students during their time at the university.
Sports facilities
Men's Sports:
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Swimming & Diving
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Rowing
- Beach Volleyball
- Soccer
- Swimming & Diving
- Tennis
- Track and Field
- Volleyball
- Water Polo.
Student clubs
- We encourage all graduate students to join student organizations throughout USC. Organizations exist for multiple affiliations, interests, professions, and more.
- USC has more than 800 student organizations that host programs, events, seminars, and other gatherings.
- Viterbi Student Graduate Association
- Viterbi Graduate Student Liaison (VGSL)
- USC Student Organizations
Accreditation
- In addition to WASC accreditation, several USC schools and programs have specialized or professional accreditation through related bodies.
- For more information on specialized or professional accreditation, please visit the websites for those schools and programs.