USC vs. Vanderbilt

Should I go to University of Southern California or Vanderbilt University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USC or Vanderbilt 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. Vanderbilt University comparison
University of Southern California Vanderbilt University College 3 College 4
University of Southern California Vanderbilt University
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Overview

USC Vanderbilt
Location Los Angeles, CA Nashville, TN
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 48,945 13,710
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #34 #14
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usc.edu vanderbilt.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USC Vanderbilt
Tuition (In State) $63,468 $58,130
Tuition (Out of State) $63,468 $58,130
Room & Board $17,436 $19,862
Avg Net Price $36,808 $25,606
Avg Grant Aid $45,262 $53,932
% Receiving Grant Aid 71% 65%

Admission

USC Vanderbilt
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 69,062 46,377
Admitted 8,304 3,093
Acceptance Rate 12% 6.7%
Enrolled % 41.2% 52.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 34/35
SAT Range 1450/1550 1490/1570
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2024

Academics

USC Vanderbilt
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Engineering (13%)
  • General Studies (9%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

USC Vanderbilt
Graduation Rate 90% 92%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,500 $83,100
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 83%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,375 $14,000
Median Loan Payment $231 $144

Diversity

USC Vanderbilt
% Men 46% 44%
% Women 54% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 55%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 14% 8%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 13% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

USC Vanderbilt
% In-State 42% 9%
% Out-of-State 40% 79%

Campus

USC Vanderbilt
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Southern California is larger than than Vanderbilt based on total student enrollment (48,945 students vs. 13,710 students)

USC vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC or Vanderbilt?

  • University of Southern California is 9.2% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($63,468.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.2% higher at USC than Vanderbilt University ($63,468.00 vs. $58,130.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Vanderbilt University than USC ($25,606 vs. $36,808)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Southern California are 13.9% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($17,436 vs. $19,862)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Southern California than Vanderbilt University (71% vs. 65%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Vanderbilt University students is 19.2% larger than aid received University of Southern California ($53,932 vs. $45,262)

USC vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Vanderbilt University (1498) is 107 points higher than at USC (1391)
  • Incoming Vanderbilt students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at USC (32)
  • Accepted freshman Vanderbilt students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.89) than students at USC (3.83)
  • USC has a higher acceptance rate (12%) than Vanderbilt (6.7%)

USC vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC or Vanderbilt? 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 Vanderbilt and USC.

  • The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than University of Southern California (92% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from University of Southern California earn on average $2,400 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($85,500 vs. $83,100)
  • Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $8,375 lower median federal student loan debt than USC graduates. ($14,000 vs. $22,375)
  • Vanderbilt graduates are paying $87 less per month on federal student loans than USC graduates. ($144 vs. $231)
  • More Vanderbilt graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USC students, three years after graduation. (83% vs. 81%)

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