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University of Southern California - Academics - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Academics

A
Where does this grade come from?View all Academics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Academics Grades:

Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 9:1
Full-Time Student Population 30,577
Part-Time Student Population 4,247
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 1,638
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 1,133
Total FT Faculty 3,223
Faculty with Terminal Degree 90%
Average Faculty Salary $111,411
Full-Time Retention Rate 97%
Part-Time Retention Rate 100%
Transfer-Out Rate 6%
Graduation Rate 89%
Programs/Majors Offered 220
Average Course Load 5–6 courses
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? No
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 Students: 64%
  • 20 to 49 Students: 21%
  • 50 or More Students: 15%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

The most widely discussed issue that students have about academics at USC is that teaching assistants tend to not be entirely fluent in English, which is due to a fair number of international graduate students. Students who feel uncomfortable talking with TAs usually have to fight for their teachers’ attention during office hours. Although this problem tends to be blown out of proportion, the student-TA language barrier has had debilitating effects ome students' level of interest in a class over the course of a semester.

Another widely discussed issue is the grading curve at the Marshall School of Business. Although most undergraduate business schools in the country operate on a grading curve, students have a hard time dealing with the fact that a predetermined amount of As, Bs, Cs, Ds, and Fs are distributed at the end of a semester. All in all, students are happy with the academics at USC. Resourceful students are ecstatic about courses, and passive students have good and bad things to say.

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Southern California Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at University of Southern California

Graceee21

Pre-Medicine Studies '15

5.0
A+

A Ton of OPTIONS

By choosing to go to a big university like USC, you will realize the benefits of a decently large private university with lots of $$ and a very active alumni network. Not only will you have huge donations come in every year which means you can expand programs, update research facilities, and get the best professors, but you will also have the opportunity of lowering your tuition costs and really getting the most out of the money you are paying for. I personally love USC because of the study abroad options and the wide variety in the possible study areas (being as i was an undecided major and am now pre-med with a unique major that I LOVE <--check out Health & Humanity if interested)

May 20, 2012

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Academics at University of Southern California

aguilar28

Acting '15

4.2
A-

Theatre at SC

Its really what you put into it. If you dont want to be in plays, fine. if you do, you can be. There are plenty of options regarding everything pretty much.

Mar 30, 2012

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Academics at University of Southern California

alex_04

Social Sciences '15

4.6
A

Very Good

All of my classes have been challenging, and professors expect you to apply yourself to you fullest ability. 99% of professors have a terminal degree and most are notable scholars in their field(s) of expertise. I am very impressed by the quality of professors. TA's can be less than desirable because many don't speak English well which makes it difficult to understand what they say. There are a ton of Business, Engineering, and Pre-Med students.

Feb 24, 2012

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Page 1 of 19
User rating for University of Southern California - Academics is 4.6 out of 5 based on 55 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: No
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: Yes
Dual Credit: No
Life Experience Credits: No
AP Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 3 or higher
IB Test Score Requirements Possible credit for scores of 3 or higher
Undergraduate Schools/Divisions
  • College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences
  • School for Communication
  • School of Accounting
  • School of Architecture
  • School of Business
  • School of Cinematic Arts
  • School of Dentistry
  • School of Education
  • School of Engineering
  • School of Fine Arts
  • School of Gerontology
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Music
  • School of Policy, Planning, and Development
  • School of Theatre
Degrees Awarded
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Doctorate - Professional practice
  • Doctorate - Research/scholarship
  • Master's degree
  • Other
  • Post-bachelor's certificate
  • Post-master's certificate
Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management: 7%
  • Computer Science: 2%
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering: 2%
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric: 2%
Special Study Options
  • Distance learning opportunities
  • Study abroad
Best Places to Study
  • Doheny Library
  • Leavey Library
  • Study lounges in residence halls
  • Taper Hall
Did You Know?
  • USC athletic teams were called the Methodists before they were named Trojans in 1912.
  • Actor John Wayne, also known as Marion Morrison, played tackle while at USC and graduated in 1929.
  • Battle-bound troops in the Aleutians Campaign during World War II were inspired by USC's "Fight On" song.
  • USC graduates designed the Department of Water and Power Building, St. Basil's Catholic Church, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, and Los Angeles' City Hall.
  • Robert Zemeckis, Ron Howard, George Lucas, and Bryan Singer are all USC film school graduates.
  • Since 1912, USC is the only university in the world to have a gold medal-winning athlete in every summer Olympics.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
BJ Grip
Hometown
Colorado Springs, CO
Major
Theater

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.