USC vs. UCLA vs. UC Berkeley vs. UCSD

Should I go to University of Southern California or University of California Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USC or UCLA is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Southern California vs. University of California Los Angeles vs. University of California Berkeley vs. University of California San Diego comparison
University of Southern California University of California Los Angeles University of California Berkeley University of California San Diego
University of Southern California University of California Los Angeles University of California Berkeley University of California San Diego
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Overview

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
Location Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, CA Berkeley, CA La Jolla, CA
Setting Large City Large City Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 47,147 46,678 45,699 42,376
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #36 #62 #64 #88
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website usc.edu ucla.edu berkeley.edu ucsd.edu
Team Colors                                        

Costs

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
Tuition (In State) $66,640 $11,834 $11,834 $11,834
Tuition (Out of State) $66,640 $42,611 $42,611 $42,611
Room & Board $19,198 $17,148 $22,692 $17,198
Avg Net Price $41,496 $15,166 $16,997 $13,293
Avg Grant Aid $43,208 $22,441 $25,951 $24,176
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 49% 50% 64%

Admission

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
Applied 80,808 145,903 125,910 130,771
Admitted 8,094 12,736 14,677 32,062
Acceptance Rate 10% 8.7% 11.7% 25.5%
Enrolled % 44.9% 51.7% 45.2% 47.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.92 3.87 3.82
Typical High School Grades A- A- A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme Very High High
ACT Range 32/35 29/35 30/35 28/34
SAT Range 1440/1550 1300/1530 1310/1530 1270/1480
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025 Nov 30, 2025

Academics

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 18:1 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Engineering (10%)
  • English and Literature (5%)
  • Natural Resources Conservation (5%)
  • Biology (18%)
  • Social Sciences (16%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • General Studies (5%)

Outcomes

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
Graduation Rate 90% 90% 90% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,500 $70,700 $74,700 $67,900
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 78% 79% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,375 $16,300 $14,200 $18,500
Median Loan Payment $231 $168 $146 $191

Diversity

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
% Men 25% 15% 14% 11%
% Women 30% 14% 13% 9%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No No
% White 40% 27% 27% 21%
% Black 4% 3% 2% 1%
% Hispanic 14% 21% 14% 16%
% Native American 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5% 5% 5%
% International 13% 13% 14% 17%
% Unknown Race 1% 2% 3% 2%

Students

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
% In-State 43% 79% 79% 79%
% Out-of-State 38% 13% 10% 10%

Campus

 USC UCLA UC Berkeley UCSD
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Southern California is larger than than UCLA based on total student enrollment (47,147 students vs. 46,678 students)

USC vs. UCLA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC or UCLA?

  • University of Southern California is 463.1% more expensive to attend than UCLA for in-state tuition ($66,640.00 vs. $11,834.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 56.4% higher at USC than University of California Los Angeles ($66,640.00 vs. $42,611.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Los Angeles than USC ($15,166 vs. $41,496)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Los Angeles are 12% lower than costs at University of Southern California ($17,148 vs. $19,198)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Southern California than University of California Los Angeles (68% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Southern California students is 92.5% larger than aid received University of California Los Angeles ($43,208 vs. $22,441)

USC vs. UCLA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USC or UCLA? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCLA or USC .

  • The average SAT score at University of Southern California (1391) is 52 points higher than at UCLA (1339)
  • Incoming USC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at UCLA (31)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at USC (3.83)
  • USC has a higher acceptance rate (10%) than UCLA (8.7%)

USC vs. UCLA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC or UCLA? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UCLA and USC.

  • The graduation rate at USC is the same as at University of California Los Angeles (90% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from University of Southern California earn on average $14,800 more per year than UCLA graduates after ten years. ($85,500 vs. $70,700)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $6,075 lower median federal student loan debt than USC graduates. ($16,300 vs. $22,375)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $63 less per month on federal student loans than USC graduates. ($168 vs. $231)
  • More USC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UCLA students, three years after graduation. (81% vs. 78%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/