by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview covers the essential stats on University of Southern California Graduate School, including its rankings, graduate degree programs, diversity, and more. You can jump to any section of this page using the following list.
College Factual began publishing its yearly rankings to help students identify graduate schools that put a high emphasis on educational quality as well as helping students succeed.Our methodology places a high weight on things such as post-graduation wages, time to graduate, and student-per-faculty ratio. Post-graduation debt, faculty and staff diversity, and other factors are also taken into account.
University of Southern California came in at #8 out of the 4,630 colleges and universities that were ranked in College Factual’s 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking.So, the school sits firmly among the Top 5% of colleges and universities in the nation when it comes to overall quality.As a result, USC is a recipient of this year’s Best Master’s Schools badge.In addition, USC took the #2 spot for Best Master’s Degree Schools in California.
USC was ranked #8 in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking out of the 4,630 schools that were included in the ranking.This means that the school is among the Top 5% of the nation when it comes to overall quality.USC was awarded this year’s Best Doctorate Schools badge for this accomplishment.In addition, USC took the #2 spot for Best Doctorate Degree Schools in California.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingOut of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, USC came in at #8. USC also ranked #2 for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in California.
Out of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, USC came in at #8. In addition, USC took the #2 spot for Best Graduate Schools in California.
For the last year in which we have data, 25,936 graduate students decided that University of Southern California was the best place for them.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Keep reading to learn more.
Women make up 53.9% of the total graduate student body at USC while men make up 46.1%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
Racial-ethnic minorities* make up 40.2% of the graduate student population at USC.Americans aren’t the only ones who appreciate the graduate programs at USC. Around 36.8% of graduate students are international.The following chart shows the distribution of racial-ethnic groups at the school. If you click on it, you’ll find more detailed information.
The average graduate full-time tuition and fees is shown in the table below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $80,184 | $80,184 |
| Fees | $1,756 | $1,756 |
The typical graduate student at USC who borrowed carries a median debt of $15,729.
Graduate students who earn their master’s degree at USC enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $100,418.
The average early-career salary for doctoral degree recipients from USC is $112,015.
Graduate students who earn their professional degree at USC enter the workforce with an average early-career salary of $164,019.
The average early-career salary for post-master’s certificate recipients from USC is $131,410.
The graduate programs at USC lead to a range of early-career salaries. The table below lists the graduate fields of study at the school whose recent graduates report the highest early-career earnings.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Nursing | $225,065 |
| Computer Science | $207,395 |
| Advanced Dentistry & Oral Sciences | $199,940 |
| Law | $199,180 |
| Other Health Professions | $195,019 |
| Real Estate Development | $192,849 |
| Business Administration & Management | $189,372 |
| Other Legal Professions | $178,778 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | $169,227 |
| Marketing | $168,481 |
University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution situated in Los Angeles, California.Los Angeles is a great location for students who prefer city over country life. Get more details about the location of University of Southern California.
Contact details for USC are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089 |
| Phone: | 213-740-2311 |
| Website: | www.usc.edu/ |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/usc |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/usc |
About 52.0% of the graduate students at University of Southern California took at least one online class.For that same period, 23.3% of grad students took all of their classes online.
The only degree programs listed here are those in which master’s degrees were awarded.
Just like the master’s degree programs, only programs that had doctorate degrees awarded are shown here.
Only the programs in which a graduate certificate was awarded are shown here.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Hospitality Management | 32 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which University of Southern California awarded a professional degree.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Dentistry | 172 | $122,473 |
| Law | 220 | $199,180 |
| Medicine | 172 | $139,886 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 170 | $170,231 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 232 | — |
Only the programs in which a post-masters certificate was awarded are shown here.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References