Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California is the oldest private research university in California, located in the University Park neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles. Spanning a red-brick, Romanesque-style campus just south of downtown museums and entertainment centers, USC connects academic rigor with global professional networks across media, business, technology, healthcare, and athletics. You can review its founding history and urban expansion through the USC Wikipedia historical reference.
When you join USC, you become a lifelong member of the legendary "Trojan Family," a global network of over 400,000 alumni known for active career mentorship and professional collaboration. Living in Los Angeles gives you immediate access to internships and career opportunities across Hollywood studios, Silicon Beach startups, financial firms, and international trade hubs.
Premier Academic Programs
USC houses 22 professional schools and academic divisions, holding elite national rankings across high-demand disciplines:
- School of Cinematic Arts (SCA): The oldest and largest film school in the United States, producing leaders in film production, screenwriting, animation, and interactive media. Explore degree paths on the USC School of Cinematic Arts portal.
- Viterbi School of Engineering: Global leader in astronautics, artificial intelligence, game development, cybersecurity, and biomedical engineering.
- Marshall School of Business: Renowned for global supply chain management, international finance, corporate strategy, and venture development.
- Gould School of Law: Delivers top-ranked legal instruction in entertainment law, corporate litigation, intellectual property, and ADR practice.
- Keck School of Medicine: Drives clinical research breakthroughs and urban healthcare delivery in partnership with Keck Hospital of USC.
"Palmam qui meruit ferat, translated from Latin as Let him who has earned the palm bear it, serves as USC's official motto, honoring achievement earned through dedication and merit."
Campus Culture and Mascot
Your daily undergraduate experience takes place on a vibrant urban campus adjacent to Exposition Park and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Campus spirit centers around Traveler, a majestic white Andalusian horse who gallops around the stadium field after every USC football touchdown, accompanied by a rider dressed as Tommy Trojan. You can read about the history of this living mascot on the Traveler the Mascot page. With the world-famous Spirit of Troy marching band, over 1,000 student clubs, and rich athletic traditions, you will experience an extraordinarily passionate campus community.
Research Infrastructure and Technological Innovation
USC supports a multi-billion-dollar research enterprise driving solutions across digital media, computing, and life sciences:
- Information Sciences Institute (ISI): A major research center that played a key foundational role in developing the Domain Name System (DNS) and early internet infrastructure.
- Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT): Army-sponsored research center conducting advanced studies in virtual reality, computer graphics, simulation, and artificial intelligence. Learn more via USC Office of Research.
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience: Interdisciplinary research facility synthesizing physical sciences, engineering, and medicine to solve complex diseases.
Notable Alumni Legacy
You walk alongside an accomplished network of global figures, creative visionaries, and astronauts, including:
- George Lucas: Iconic filmmaker, creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and pioneer of modern visual effects technology.
- Neil Armstrong: NASA astronaut and first human to walk on the Moon, who earned his Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at USC.
- Shinzo Abe: Former Prime Minister of Japan who studied public policy during his time at USC.
- Will Ferrell: Beloved actor, comedian, and producer who earned his degree in Sports Information at USC.
- Lily Collins: Golden Globe-nominated actress who studied broadcast journalism at USC's Annenberg School.
USC provides full merit-based scholarships and need-blind financial aid for admitted domestic students. Review entry requirements and deadlines on the official USC Undergraduate Admission page.