USC Freshman Class Size

September 7, 2022
By AdmissionSight

USC Freshman Class Size

How Big Is the Freshman Class At USC?

How big is the freshman class at USC? A total of around 69,000 applications were submitted to the University of Southern California for membership in the Class of 2026. Only 8,198 students were selected for admission out of around 69,000 total applicants. Therefore, the admittance rate was only a hair under 12%, which is a tad lower than the 12% statistic from the previous year.

Since 2019, the acceptance rate has never been lower than 12%; this marks a decline from 12.41% in 2021 and 15.8% in 2020 when it was at those respective highs. After reaching a record high of 70,971 the previous year, the number of applicants saw a minor decline this time around.

USC freshman class size for fall 2021 had a total enrollment of 3,668 students which reflects a yield rate of 41%. Learn more about the Class of 2025 admission numbers.

The institution received a record-breaking number of 70,971 applications for the class of 2025, yet it only selected 8,804 students for admission, representing a mere 12% acceptance rate.

Students talking while holding their books.

Going back, the USC admissions office revealed that each of the 69,000 applications for the Class of 2026 was examined by one of the 65 staff members working in the Office of Admission at the University of Southern California for five months and more than 30,000 hours of work.

Where Are Most USC Students From?

If you’re curious about where are most USC students from, as in previous years, California was the state with the most admitted students, making up 38 percent of the total. After New York came Texas, then Washington, then Illinois, and finally Florida. The number of overseas students increased, topping 18%. The countries with the highest number of representatives are China, India, Canada, South Korea, and Brazil.

Young woman looking outside while holding her books.

Let’s shift our focus now to the composition of the USC Class of 2025’s student body.

The following list details the states that produced the highest number of new students for the class of 2021–2022.

  • New York
  • California
  • Texas
  • Illinois
  • New Jersey
  • Florida
  • Washington
  • Illinois
  • New Jersey
  • Florida
  • Washington

The following nations contributed the most students to the foreign student body in the academic year 2021-22: China, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.

The residents of states that have thousands of talented applicants have the most difficult time getting into highly selective universities since the competition is so fierce (the entire Northeast & the West Coast).

It is more likely that your location will provide a boost to your admissions prospects if you come from a state with a lower population density, such as Alaska, North Dakota, or Montana.  The University of Southern California (USC) strives to enroll approximately forty percent of its undergraduates from the state of California, which is its home state. The percentage of USC freshman class size from California in the fall of 2021 was 42%.

There are several high schools located within the state of California that send a significant number of students to the University of Southern California on an annual basis.

These are the high schools that 2021 sent the most graduates to USC:

  • Foshay Learning Center in Los Angeles: 40
  • Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach: 16
  • Wilson High School in Los Angeles: 15
  • Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego: 14
  • Palos Verdes High School in Palos Verdes Estates: 14
  • Harvard-Westlake in North Hollywood: 11
  • Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose: 11

What Are the Demographics of USC?

What are the demographics of USC? Black students now make up nine percent of the student body, up from eight percent in 2021. USC News does not reveal the percentage of Latinx applicants for the class of 2022. In 2021, they stated that 18% of admits were Latinx, an increase from the year before. According to the university’s study, three out of every four of its admitted students identify as being of African, Latinx, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander descent, or as having several ethnicities.

Diversity and access remain top priorities, as evidenced by the fact that the percentage of first-generation college students has recently surpassed 20%, marking a new record for this rate.

Students talking while on the school campus.

The Bovard Scholars program is an effort of the University of Southern California that helps high-achieving high school seniors who can establish a financial need to be accepted into top universities around the country. The University accepted 28 students from the program. In the prior academic year, the University granted admission to 44 candidates who had applied to the program.

The admissions process at the University of Southern California is need-blind, which means that students’ levels of financial need are not taken into consideration. The total amount of financial help awarded by universities each year to undergraduate students surpasses $460 million.

In terms of the students’ ethnic identities, the Class of 2025 was made up of the following individuals:

  • Asian American: 24%
  • Hispanic: 20%
  • African American: 9%
  • International: 13 %
  • White: 26%
  • With More Than One Ethnicity: 6%

The proportion of females to males in the Class of 2025 USC freshman class size was significantly higher than expected:

  • Male: 47%
  • Female: 53%

The following is a distribution of the academic institutions into which members of the Class of 2025 were accepted:

  • The Dornslife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences: 46%
  • Marshall School of Business: 15%
  • Schools of Visual and Performing Arts: 16%
  • Viterbi School of Engineering: 12%
  • Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism: 5%

What Are the Top Majors At USC?

The Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences is the sole liberal arts institution that the University of California has to offer. The educational establishment provides students with a selection of 22 different undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools to meet the needs of the thousands of students who apply each year.

Students have access to a wide range of highly regarded academic programs at the University of Southern California. These include the renowned Marshall School of Business, Rossier School of Education, Andrew and Erna Viterbi School of Engineering, Gould School of Law, Keck School of Medicine, and School of Social Work.

Young woman standing next to a shelf full of books.

Let’s now find out what are the top majors at USC. There are many majors at USC that have an exceptionally high level of competition for admission. Here are the nine most popular majors for 2020 graduates:

  • Business, Management, Marketing, and Other Related Support Services: 23%
  • Social Sciences: 12%
  • Visual and Performing Arts: 12%
  • Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs: 9%
  • Engineering: 8%
  • Studies in Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Fields: 6%
  • Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services: 5%
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences: 4%
  • Psychology: 3%

It should come as no surprise that the majority of undergraduate degrees given by USC are in business, as the university’s Marshall School of Business is consistently ranked among the top research facilities in the country. Students majoring in business take part in what is effectively an internship in marketing while taking classes such as MKT 406, which is titled Practicum in Advertising and Promotion Design. Students organize themselves into marketing agencies and develop intricate communications strategies for real-world customers.

The Communication and Journalism Department of the University of Southern California has a prized possession in the form of the USC Annenberg Media Center. Students majoring in journalism work with journalists who have won the Pulitzer Prize in this environment to cover critical issues in cities all around the world. By the time students receive their diplomas, they will have amassed a varied portfolio of experiences in writing, producing, directing, and hosting

Within one year of graduating from USC, every single member of the class of 2020 who majored in journalism found work in their field. Students often go on to exciting careers in the media at places such as ESPN, Entertainment Tonight, and NBC after graduating from the program.

USC freshman class size students will also have the choice to create an interdisciplinary degree, which requires the student to take courses from more than one academic discipline. This is chosen by nearly one in ten students.

Students who enroll in a program such as the Bachelor of Arts in Intelligence and Cyber Operations, for instance, gain the knowledge and skills necessary to address issues such as how nations utilize cyber technology to disseminate false information and how nations can defend their systems against such strategies. Some minors span multiple disciplines, such as one that focuses on consumer behavior. Students who major in this area investigate the psychological underpinnings of consumer decision-making and uncover the specific cultural, economic, and social elements that play a role in shaping spending preferences.

Is USC A Large University?

Is USC a large university? The University Park Campus of the University of Southern California spans 229 acres and is located about five kilometers south of Downtown Los Angeles. The campus features a lively combination of classic and modern building styles, as well as fountains, sculptures, and other outdoor art.

The vast range of academic opportunities available to students at USC is primarily responsible for the university’s stellar reputation. Students who are looking for a college experience that is more hands-on may find the University of Southern California (USC) to be an appealing option because of its high-quality facilities, an extensive list of opportunities for experiential learning, and location in one of the top entertainment hubs in the world. Additionally, living on campus is not required of students attending USC; nonetheless, there are over 40 different resident halls and apartment complexes available to those who wish to do so.

Students sitting in a couch in a room.

When it comes to the process of constructing their degrees, the versatile options that USC gives its students are a perk that is appreciated by a lot of them. Students have the opportunity to integrate aspects of a wide variety of interests thanks to the school’s extensive selection of interdisciplinary degree programs.

The University of Southern California (USC) is home to some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country, such as the School of Architecture (which was the first of its kind in Southern California) and the School of Cinematic Arts (the oldest in the nation).

Students in the Visual and Performing Arts Department have access to the Warner Brothers Archives, which is the largest collection held by a single studio anywhere in the world. This is just one of the many benefits of the school’s location so near to Hollywood.

Students have access to over one thousand different clubs in what is widely regarded as one of the most dynamic cities in the United States, and the school’s athletic teams receive the same level of praise as its academic accomplishments.

At USC, there is a robust presence of Greek life; about one in every five undergraduates is a member of a sorority or fraternity.

In the greater Los Angeles area, a good number of these organizations have a strong commitment to community service and routinely arrange volunteer activities such as tutoring sessions, park cleanups, food drives, and other types of fundraising events.

There are so many opportunities for the members of the USC freshman class size to make friends and build professional networks based on common interests, and students have the luxury of learning under the direction of faculty members who have won awards for their teaching. USC is the place to investigate everything. There is a collaborative community of students for every conceivable interest, ranging from community service organizations and Acappella ensembles to consultancy organizations and virtual escape room clubs.

Speak to Lead is an organization that is committed to assisting undergraduates in improving their skills in public speaking. International students, students who live with learning challenges, and students who have reserved personalities are the types of students the organization is particularly interested in recruiting.

The Concerto Chamber Orchestra remains a well-liked choice for a club among individuals who have an interest in music. The organization is entirely student-run and invites everyone who plays symphonic instruments, regardless of their level of experience (members do not have to be music majors to participate). In addition to making appearances at various events held on campus and in the surrounding community, the ensemble puts on two public concerts each semester.

The University of Southern California has a reputation for having some of the most successful athletic programs in the country. The Trojans have won a total of 131 national championships, 108 of which were earned through participation in NCAA national championship tournaments.

USC has won more championships than any other school except UCLA and Stanford. Football is without a doubt the sport that holds the number one spot when it comes to participation on campus.

Undergraduate students at the University of Southern California look forward with great anticipation to the opportunity to attend football games. Having said that, there are a huge number of other teams that are generating excitement among the student body.

The women’s track and field team at USC, for instance, has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA championships on twelve separate occasions. Female track stars from the University of Southern California were among the first athletes at any level to win four consecutive NCAA 100-meter sprints.

Since the 1976 Summer Olympics, when USC swimmers won more gold, silver, and bronze medals than swimmers from any other country, the men’s swimming and diving team has dominated the competition at every level (except for the United States). Since that time, male swimmers from the University of Southern California’s Trojan swimming team have participated in 143 Olympic competitions and have been awarded a total of 88 medals.

The women’s beach volleyball team from the University of Southern California is another formidable opponent. After making its debut in 2012, the team finished third in the nation in both 2013 and 2014 before taking first place in the AVCA national championship the following year (2015). They have even sent several representatives to the Olympic Games.

A student may apply to USC just because of its location. From Hollywood and Beverly Hills to some of the nicest beaches on the west coast, Los Angeles and the surrounding area provide a setting that is bright and sunny throughout the whole year.

University education at USC is also more attainable than it is at a number of the institution’s primary competitors. USC is unique in that it does not consider a student’s financial situation when making admissions decisions; as a result, two-thirds of the most recently admitted class received some kind of financial assistance from the university.

It appears that the University of Southern California (USC) will remain at the top of numerous college rankings lists for at least the foreseeable future. Seeing the USC freshman class size and the admission statistics this year only proves that USC is a popular yet extremely selective institution. Getting into USC will be challenging but AdmissionSight is here to help.

We have assisted thousands of students in the tough selection processes of the top universities. AdmissionSight has programs to help boost the various aspects of the student’s application. Book an initial consultation for further discussion.

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