USC Releases Applicant Numbers for Fall 2011

Los Angeles, Calif. (May 31, 2011) — More than 37,000 accomplished high school seniors from all 50 states in the U.S. and 108 other countries have applied for an estimated 2,650 places in the fall 2011 entering class of USC.

Interest was especially high from international students and continued to grow for U.S. applicants — in part because of the university’s need-blind admissions policy, which offers the prospect of financial aid to match the demonstrated need of every student.

Timothy Brunold, USC’s dean of admission, said: “We are pleased at the increase in student interest we have received, both from across the United States and around the world. USC’s strong reputation, focus on undergraduate education, vibrant campus life and location in Los Angeles have helped to make it the college of first choice for many high school seniors. Our incoming freshman class promises to be the highest-quality, most geographically and socio-economically diverse in USC’s 131-year history.”

Last year, USC was named the “Hottest College” of the first decade of the 21st Century by The Daily Beast. The publication noted that “USC does a terrific job showcasing its academic assets, particularly the honors science college and the access to its high-tech research facilities. At the same time, its financial aid is among the most generous nationwide.”

This year, USC increased its undergraduate financial aid budget by 7 percent and is planning to distribute more than $200 million in university funds.

The fall financial aid pool will include 20 full-tuition plus $5,000 stipend scholarships in the first year of the Mork Family Scholars program, funded by a $110 million gift — the largest in the university’s history for undergraduate scholarships — from USC supporters and devoted philanthropists Julie and John Mork.

USC Applicants by the Numbers

The applicant pool this year of 37,164 represents a highly competitive and diverse group of students with broad geographic representation. Last year, a total of 35,794 applicants applied for 2,600 places in the fall class. Here is a general demographic breakdown of the fall 2011 USC applicant pool:

• Among committed freshmen, 16 percent come from outside the U.S., compared to 13 percent last year. Overall, 53 percent of applicants are from California, with 11 percent representing 108 foreign countries and the remainder of the applicant pool coming from the other 49 states and U.S. territories.

• Among committed freshmen, 7 percent are Black, 12 percent Latino, 2 percent Native American/Pacific Islander and 24 percent Asian. Overall, 21 percent of the committed pool are students from under-represented minority populations (Black, Latino or Native American). In addition, 13 percent of committed applicants would be the first in their family to attend college.

• Outside California, the leading U.S. metropolitan areas for applicants to USC are, in order: New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Washington D.C., and Boston. The most-represented foreign countries are China, South Korea, India, Canada and Taiwan.

USC enrolls 22 percent low-income undergraduate students, as defined by Pell Grant eligibility. Most importantly, USC’s low-income students graduate at rates comparable to the overall undergraduate population. USC’s six-year graduation rate is 90 percent, the highest in the history of the institution.

USC enrolls more under-represented minority undergraduates than most private research universities in the country: 3,216 as of fall 2010, or 19 percent of all undergraduates.

Based on the most recent federal data published by The Chronicle of Higher Education, USC also boasts the most diverse faculty among large private research universities in the American Association of Universities. One quarter of USC faculty members belong to a minority group (Black, Latino, Asian or Native American).

Information on USC Admissions is available at: www.usc.edu/admission.

Contact: Carl Marziali at (213) 740-4751 or (213) 740-2215 or marziali@usc.edu