USC Housing Costs

$12,271 On-Campus Room Typical Cost

$7,660 On-Campus Meals Typical Cost

$1,200 Books & Supplies Typical Cost

$1,818 Other Living Expenses Typical Cost

Living Expenses and How They Compare at USC?

There are additional costs associated with college other than tuition. Find out below exactly how much you will be spending to attend University of Southern California.

On this page you will find:

Living Expenses Outline
Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
References

Living Expenses at USC

This school offers students separate housing and dining options. The on-campus housing charge for an average student was $12,271 in 2026, and a standard meal plan cost $7,660. Altogether, a typical on-campus student at University of Southern California faced a yearly bill of about $24,955 in 2026 in total yearly living costs beyond tuition.

The table below shows the expected costs of on-campus and off-campus housing and dining plans for University of Southern California.

Expense	On Campus	Off Campus
Room and Board	$21,937	$21,937
— Housing	$12,271
— Meals	$7,660
Other Living Expenses	$1,818	$1,818
Books and Supplies	$1,200	$1,200
Total	$24,955	$24,955

Will You Spend Four Years On Campus? Four-Year Forecast: $111,936

Room and board is a moving target: it tends to creep up every year you are enrolled. Looking at the trend gives you a realistic picture of what you will actually spend by graduation.

The projected four-year total comes to about $111,936 in room, board and other essentials.

Below is how room and board has changed across recent reported years — and where current trends point — at University of Southern California.

Year	Room & Board
Three Years Ago	$18,956
Two Years Ago	$19,138
One Year Ago	$21,016
Most Recent Year (2026)	$21,937
One Year From Now *	$23,086
Two Years From Now *	$24,297
Three Years From Now *	$25,570
Four Years From Now *	$26,911

* estimated

On-campus room and board has trended up an average of 5.2% a year over the last three years. If current trends continue, incoming first-year students would pay about $26,104 in housing, food and other costs their first year.

By their final year, a student might pay about $29,929 in year four — and a two-year student about $27,315 by the end of a two-year program.

Across all four years, on-campus living costs would total approximately $111,936 over four years — compared with roughly $53,419 for two years on campus.