USC Admissions: Entering Undergraduate Class Statistics

University sees continued strong interest crossing ethnic, geographic and socio-economic boundaries

Contact: Merrill Balassone at (213) 740-6156 or balasson@usc.edu

September 30, 2013 — The University of Southern California’s entering undergraduate student body is among the most diverse and academically talented in the university’s 133-year history.

Average standardized test scores for the incoming class lie in the 95th percentile. The vast majority of incoming freshmen were in the top 10 percent of their high school class. The average un-weighted GPA of the group was 3.73.

USC received 47,358 applications for 2,922 places in this fall’s freshman class. With this year’s freshman applicant pool, USC’s admission rate was 19.8 percent — the most selective admission rate in the university’s history.

The class represents a highly competitive and highly diverse group of students, with very broad geographic representation:

● The class ranks among the most ethnically diverse ever enrolled at USC, with 22 percent under-represented minority students, including 6 percent African American, 14 percent Latino, 2 percent Native American/Pacific Islander, and 19 percent Asian students. In addition, 13 percent of matriculating students are the first in their families to attend university.

● Outside California, the leading U.S. states supplying new class members at USC are, in order: Illinois, Texas, New York, Washington and Massachusetts. The most represented places of origin outside the U.S. are: China (including Hong Kong), India, Canada, South Korea, Italy and Taiwan.

● Overall, 47 percent of newly enrolled students are from California, with 15 percent international students, representing 48 foreign countries.

“Our entering freshmen have set new standards of quality and diversity for USC. Each year, we seek to enroll students who bring diverse perspectives and myriad strengths to our student body. We have attracted 2,922 talented young adults who are sure to someday have a profound impact on the world,” said USC Dean of Admission Timothy Brunold.

USC enrolls more under-represented minority students (African American, Latino and Native American) than most other private research universities in the country (about 3,400 undergraduates as of fall 2012, or 19 percent of its total undergraduate population).

Moreover, USC enrolls more than 4,200 low-income undergraduate students (as defined by Pell Grant eligibility), also more than most private research universities. Most importantly, low-income and under-represented minority students at USC graduate at rates comparable to the overall undergraduate population.

Financial Aid at USC

USC offers admission without regard to ability to pay, and the university meets 100 percent of the demonstrated need of on-time financial aid applicants.

More than two-thirds of USC’s undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

For information and FAQ about USC financial aid, go tohttps://www.usc.edu/admission/fa/faqsFastFactsUGA.html