+28%
Median federal debt at exit
Median federal debt at exit at University of Southern California rose 28% between 2007 and 2010 ($14.5k → $18.6k).
California · Private nonprofit · Predominantly bachelor's
USC
Los Angeles, California. 20,817 undergraduate students. 341 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
Earnings, completion, debt, and enrollment anomalies at USC
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
-100%
3-year cohort default rate
3-year cohort default rate at University of Southern California fell 100% between 2021 and 2024 (0.5% → 0.0%).
+17%
Out-of-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition at University of Southern California rose 17% between 2021 and 2024 ($61.5k → $72.1k).
+15%
In-state tuition
In-state tuition at University of Southern California rose 15% between 2007 and 2010 ($35.8k → $41.0k).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
USC earnings, debt, and completion vs. the California median
Each tile compares this institution to the California median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$92,498+24% · 6→10y
California median $42,588$74,461
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry92.0%+34% · '97→'24
California median 61.3%$16,112+28% · '97→'10
At program completion20,817+17% · '96→'10
latest IPEDS96.5%+1% · '04→'10
first-time, full-time10.0%-71% · '01→'24
latest cohort$68,237+70% · '00→'10
out-of-state $68,237SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How USC earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings at USC
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
2.3%Median federal debt $16,112 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $92,498 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
USC enrollment, completion, and debt over time
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
+34%
USC · completion · 150% rose
68.6% → 91.8%
+61%
USC · completion · 100% rose
46.3% → 74.5%
+70%
USC · in-state tuition rose
$24,123 → $41,022
+199%
USC · out-of-state tuition rose
$24,123 → $72,097
+28%
USC · median debt rose
$14,500 → $18,625
-100%
USC · cohort default rate fell
2.5% → 0.0%
+51%
USC · earnings_median_8yr rose
$58,000 → $87,601
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
USC programs ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$225,065Computer Science$207,395Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences$199,940Law$199,180Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$194,000Real Estate Development$192,849Business Administration, Management and Operations$192,109Computer Science$180,906Legal Professions and Studies, Other$178,778Marketing$176,716Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$170,231Computer Software and Media Applications$165,219Systems Engineering$163,073Computer Engineering$161,292Marketing$158,415Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$148,578Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$147,157Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$146,714Real Estate$145,650Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management$145,157Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other$144,949Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering$144,597Business Administration, Management and Operations$143,040Engineering, Other$143,002
Showing top 24 of 113 ranked programs.
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
113 USC programs with earnings, grouped by field
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCES · CIP 11
EDUCATION · CIP 13
Educational Administration and Supervision$127,355Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$65,143Student Counseling and Personnel Services$82,260Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language$58,536Special Education and Teaching$66,583Educational Administration and Supervision$76,818
ENGINEERING · CIP 14
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering$144,597Engineering, Other$143,002Mechanical Engineering$128,483Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering$142,250Mechanical Engineering$107,591Industrial Engineering$137,590Biomedical/Medical Engineering$112,503Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering$123,215Computer Engineering$161,292Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering$113,915Civil Engineering$110,412Biomedical/Medical Engineering$119,617Chemical Engineering$106,401Civil Engineering$116,779Systems Engineering$163,073Petroleum Engineering$120,257Engineering, General$102,373
FOREIGN LANGUAGES · CIP 16
LEGAL PROFESSIONS · CIP 22
ENGLISH LANGUAGE & LITERATURE · CIP 23
LIBERAL ARTS & GENERAL STUDIES · CIP 24
LIBRARY SCIENCE · CIP 25
BIOLOGICAL & BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES · CIP 26
MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS · CIP 27
MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES · CIP 30
PHILOSOPHY & RELIGIOUS STUDIES · CIP 38
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & SOCIAL SERVICES · CIP 44
SOCIAL SCIENCES · CIP 45
VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS · CIP 50
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$53,923Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$30,649Film/Video and Photographic Arts$61,697Music$24,763Music$32,062Fine and Studio Arts$61,391Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management$42,388Design and Applied Arts$79,947Visual and Performing Arts, General$55,678Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$55,652Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management$145,157
HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51
Public Health$83,253Medicine$139,886Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$170,231Dentistry$122,473Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$86,384Health and Medical Administrative Services$136,971Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$147,157Public Health$81,522Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$225,065Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$146,714Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences$199,940Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$71,407Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$81,034Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$194,000Health and Medical Administrative Services$125,128Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions$89,483
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52
Business Administration, Management and Operations$104,833Business Administration, Management and Operations$192,109Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$148,578Accounting and Related Services$107,531Business Administration, Management and Operations$143,040Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations$86,835Real Estate$145,650Marketing$158,415Taxation$125,124Marketing$176,716Accounting and Related Services$117,723Finance and Financial Management Services$135,370
HISTORY · CIP 54
NATURAL RESOURCES & CONSERVATION · CIP 03
ARCHITECTURE · CIP 04
AREA, ETHNIC & CULTURAL STUDIES · CIP 05
COMMUNICATION & JOURNALISM · CIP 09
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Institutions similar to USC in California
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“USC graduates earn $X” — not “USC makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending USC caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.