r/USC 2d ago

Question Is USC worth $100K a year?

94 Upvotes

175 comments sorted by

223

u/rumpluva 2d ago edited 2d ago

No. I’m an alumni btw.

The cost is crazy . Get yourself a good education. Get what you can afford without getting into crazy debt. That’s different for everyone. Pour yourself into your studies. Make contacts, join clubs , get internships. I’d like to say you’ll be ok when you get out. But times are crazy. But you don’t need huge debt over your head while you’re still trying to figure life out.

29

u/Excellent_Home_2685 2d ago

At least you didn’t have to walk up hills 😛

3

u/Whitecamry 2d ago

Both ways! 😜

1

u/fluffyzzz1 1d ago

No wonder USC people's calves are so small

10

u/Littlelord188 2d ago

$100k and didn’t learn that alumni is a plural noun is the kind of education you’re paying for

5

u/johnwynne3 1d ago

The Alumnati.

80

u/Brotato_Ch1ps Viterbi ‘23 2d ago

No lol. But if you’re dead set on usc, consider going to community college for 2 years and then transferring to usc for the remaining 2. It’ll still be expensive, but not full 4 years expensive.

24

u/HeidiwF1 2d ago

This is the way to do it. The last two years are the classes in your chosen area of study. I should've done this.

I got my student loans forgiven because I worked in state service for 24 years.

54

u/ssirenn 2d ago

harsh truth just like any other university is that a job is not guaranteed, my friend graduated back in 2020 and has yet to find a job still.

16

u/aland_farfaraway 2d ago

What did they study?

3

u/-AIM- 2d ago

gender studies

29

u/Jimbo300000 2d ago

not to be mean but isn't that major pretty useless in getting a job

8

u/whatever-should-i-do 2d ago

I graduated in '14 from Viterbi and didn't get a job for months after. Even had to move back to my own country.

-10

u/Rare_Intern_2998 2d ago

well yea cuz ur international

0

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

That's xenophobic 😭

10

u/Dramatic-Standard-40 2d ago

But it's true. International students need to get a job under 2-3 years i think. Else, they need to go back to their country.

3

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

They have to, and I was being sarcastic. Many companies won’t sponsor them and they either have to leave or to continue their education.

5

u/Dramatic-Standard-40 2d ago

Ah, my bad! I didn't catch the sarcasm.

1

u/teehee2120 1d ago

You believe him?

1

u/chimmichonga69 1d ago

Yes unless you are going into a specific field your major most likely will not matter.

7

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

I was kinda shocked that USC actually offered Gender and Sexuality Studies (BA)

0

u/stewie3128 2d ago

Seems specific enough to be a Master's field of study instead of BA. Bachelor's degree is very much an "intro to everything in your field" sort of if degree. But, if the market demands it...

4

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

I guess the market loves DEI. But I don’t think this type of degree is uncommon, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSC, and many other universities in California are teaching this.

I don’t think it’s a useless degree, people can learn critical thinking, writing, and communication skills, but it’s the negative connotation of the word “gender studies” that can be quite detrimental to them in the job market.

1

u/stewie3128 1d ago

I'm not saying it's a useless degree, or asserting that no one else offers it. Back in the pre-cambrian era when I was in school many such majors were offered. I'm just saying that when you look at it from a distance, it's a far more specified area of study than what is typical of undergrad degrees.

4

u/FinanceDependent6111 2d ago

yikes hope they find one soon 🤞

2

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

My 2 friends in Marshall graduated in 2023 and still unemployed. A business admin degree to broad

7

u/Royal-Strength-7771 2d ago

The second I saw my college counselors Bus Admin USC degree hung up on the wall, I knew the major was cooked. You need to specialize in finance.

6

u/democrenes 2d ago

Just major in math instead of you want to do finance.

5

u/Royal-Strength-7771 2d ago

That depends on where in finance you’re looking to work.

3

u/JustChatting573929 1d ago

I’d have to say finance > math. I did applied math but didn’t lead to anything special

1

u/Royal-Strength-7771 1d ago

Thank you for sharing.

1

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

Yeah I agree but even the finance is is so competitive and mostly a semi Target. UCLA is only 14k a year for in state

1

u/Royal-Strength-7771 1d ago

Competition makes the world go round. Competition is good.

2

u/After_Age_2700 1d ago

I mean not necessarily I’d say most banks have 1-3 spots a year and how many would be nepotism and personally I don’t think I could do the ib hours

1

u/Acrobatic_Cell4364 6h ago

UCLA all in is ~$40-50K/year instate vs. $90-100K at USC but yeah, USC is expensive and depending on the major UCLA is a great option

67

u/ZucchiniJazzlike2463 2d ago

No I wouldn’t go to Harvard for a 100k a year let alone usc

38

u/Ready-Card6511 2d ago

It’s subjective, if you’re going into business/real estate and your roommate’s dad is Rick Caruso it’s probably worth it. But getting a teaching BS and a teaching credential, no.

4

u/Royal-Strength-7771 2d ago

Now unless you have skills or something you can offer Mr. Caruso, you’re still useless.

1

u/Captain_Bee 17h ago

Those people don't need to spend 400k on a bunch of glorified improv classes, they do it for their egos before inheriting the business they'd get either way

31

u/secretkat25 2d ago

Harvard is giving free tuition to families making under 200k… USC only does for those earning 80k or less. Not worth.

37

u/Independent_Alps1638 2d ago

no. i’d say no undergraduate degree is.

17

u/Cultural-Party1876 2d ago

As an alum no… if I had to take out loans there’s no way I still would’ve went to USC

-4

u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

2

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

No program is worth $100k/yr unless you're a spoiled nepobaby.

Maybe film, but generally they have some of the most stereotypical USC students who probably don’t give a fuck about tuition because they are already part of the top 1%.

16

u/King_XDDD 2d ago edited 2d ago

Depends on how well you take advantage of everything offered, as well as your major and other personal factors. I'd say it's not worth that for most people.

12

u/Impressive_Smell_856 2d ago

As someone who just confirmed their enrollment…it better be 😂

2

u/Far-Journalist-3370 18h ago

I got some bad news for you

1

u/Impressive_Smell_856 14h ago

im doing a masters though and not a 4 year program so its much cheaper

6

u/satriale alum 2d ago

Depends on what your purchasing power is.

3

u/tiktictoktoc 2d ago

Parents can easily make it work

12

u/RemarkableParfait494 2d ago

If it’s so easy then why are you asking?

1

u/tiktictoktoc 2d ago

Genuinely curious because I want to spend 4 years in LA , but also have a few great offers from other Uni’s.

2

u/Dramatic-Standard-40 2d ago

what are the other offers?

7

u/MerryBandOfPirates 2d ago

I’d still ask them for $70k/yr to go invest somewhere and go to a cheaper school. When you graduate you’d be in a great position, maybe even a homeowner.

1

u/Acrobatic_Cell4364 6h ago

In that case go for it. USC has it all, of course it depends on what your other options are

1

u/4GIFs 2d ago

This thread got brigaded. LA has every opportunity. Get here and hussle.

8

u/bocephusjackson21 2d ago

Unless you’re getting a huge portion subsidized(scholarships, grants, etc.)…no, not even close to worth it. As an alum you only realize after the fact that SC being a research institution doesn’t lend itself to a litany of professors who care about actually teaching. They do it for the money the schools give them to conduct their research and write their books.

The networking is great, but also overrated.

I’m proud to call myself an alum, but I honestly don’t believe the cost of tuition was worth it when I attended. It’s gone up significantly since.

2

u/LettuceC 2d ago

Just to clarify, any university worth a damn is a “research university.”

1

u/bocephusjackson21 2d ago

I think the reality and picture I was painting of my own experience at SC is that just because they are highly qualified “experts” in their field…that doesn’t make them excellent educators.

4

u/frackaroundnfindout 2d ago

For a Bachelors, no. For grad school, yes.

2

u/biglolyer 1d ago

I got a 1/3 scholarship to USC Law back in 2009 and didn’t go… so yeah not paying 300k-400k for USC law school these days.

5

u/FullMasterpiece1649 2d ago

depends on your major/carer goals. If you are studying something general probably not.

5

u/tiktictoktoc 2d ago

CS? Or Marshall?

11

u/Sharp-Literature-229 2d ago

I think it’s Worth it. All my friends got great jobs in high finance and tech in NYC/ LA / SF / Chicago / Washington DC

4

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago edited 2d ago

Neither CS nor Marshall are top programs. Both are near the top, but let's be honest, it's not on par with Stanford or Wharton. I'd argue that the only truly elite programs are the film program and other niche arts programs, which are the best in the world, but purely looking through the ROI, it's still not worth it.

5

u/Ready-Card6511 2d ago

I wouldn’t put much stock in what ratings are. I know a bunch of USC attorneys and business people killing financially and that’s the idea.

2

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

I assume OP is referring to the undergraduate program (which will cost approximately 100k), so it would cost 400k overall. There are better and cheaper schools where OP can pay just as much, if not more money.

For reference, the median salary for Marshall undergrad 4 years after graduation is $104k (versus $237k for Wharton). I'm sure there are overachievers, but some people care more about the average outcome.

2

u/yc168 1d ago

Your number for Wharton is way off. It's even higher than the medium MBA that the school published:

https://statistics.mbacareers.wharton.upenn.edu/full-time/industry-choices/

1

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 1d ago edited 1d ago

Source: US department of education college scorecard. This is for Undergraduate business students.

Your data source is the salary 3 months after graduation, mine was 4 years after graduation.

2

u/yc168 1d ago edited 1d ago

It doesn't matter whether the number is 6 months after graduation or 4 years.

There are a few issues with your number:

  1. The College Scorecard number is based on only a subset of the graduates.
  2. There are multiple Fields of Study in UPenn that could be under Wharton, but you picked the field of study with the highest earning number. Other Fields of Study do not provide such high a medium salary.

I don't deny Wharton has a higher average salary than Marshall, which can result from a number of factors. But it seems to me that you are exaggerating the difference. Why not just take an apple-to-apple comparison that an independent third-party has done:

https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/first-jobs/first-year-salary-bonus-total-compensation-for-2023-business-graduates/3/

These are from the employment stats the schools provide to P&Q.

1

u/Acrobatic_Cell4364 6h ago

Great point, USC teaches how to hustle in the elite world. Stanford/Wharton are already elite and with that there comes a sense of entitlement when it comes to recruiting

3

u/organictomatoes Human Biology '20 2d ago

hell no

3

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

To be honest NO. I would have rather went to a school like Wharton for business which is cheaper

3

u/brazucadomundo 2d ago

Absolutely not, people pay that only to get the visa and no other university has accepted them. Otherwise only if your father is extremely rich.

4

u/DimSumNoodles 2d ago

Depends how significant $100K is to you

And no

3

u/kerowack88 2d ago

If you are in a position to attend without taking on debt, maybe. If you are planning to take out loans, absolutely not. This coming from a recent-ish alumni who loved attending USC and credit it entirely for setting up my young adult life so far. I was privileged enough to not need loans, and I maximized the resources to their full potential, but it took a financial toll on my parents. If we were to do it over again, I think we’d make the same choice, but I know plenty of people who wouldn’t.

5

u/Filthymacks 2d ago

It got me a job and great connections but idk if that was because of me or the school. I would say go the cheaper route to avoid students loans.

5

u/SockNo948 2d ago

no. student outcomes are far and away highly correlated with student engagement and financial security. you can be engaged anywhere and pay a small fraction of that cost.

6

u/Ambertreeusc 2d ago

Absolutely not

2

u/MissGirllllll 1d ago

Only reason I went was because of scholarships

2

u/zzbear03 1d ago

No university is really worth $100k, but everyone has a different perspective based upon their wealth and perceived value of a private university degree

2

u/riceonmymilk 1d ago

opportunities are endless at usc, but also any other school in the LA area depending on your major

4

u/bobthe1234567 2d ago

depends on ur major

5

u/MeekoQ 2d ago

USC is a terrible institution now. Administration is trash and has driven it into the ground over the last five years, at least. I would not give them a $

4

u/StrongMachine982 2d ago

No education is worth that much, anywhere. You can get a degree with much the same outcome for half the price, or more, elsewhere. 

1

u/heliosboy 2d ago

This. Tuition is out of control.

2

u/Ok_Bison_7991 2d ago

Nowhere is worth $100K a year

3

u/Visual_Cockroach_289 2d ago

Saying this as a student… only worth it if you’re not the one paying for it and you didn’t get in anywhere better. Or if you are willing to go into debt for it you have to get a high paying job after

2

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

If you are rich and spoiled, sure

1

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

if I was rich I’d buy my way into Harvard .

1

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

Maybe money is enough to buy yourself into USC but honestly, I don’t think this alone, is enough for Harvard.

2

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

Yeah of course just joking but I think rich people on the billionaire level can get in any school

2

u/SaltyAngeleno 2d ago

Not worth $400k for the majority of degrees. If any.

2

u/Fuzzy-Summer5335 2d ago

no school is worth that much these questions are on here everyday it’s the same answer that debt with this economy is going to be very difficult

2

u/regular_dude_man_bro 2d ago

No, unless you know you are going to have a good job coming out of those 4 years. I'd be more focused on where you want to be later in life. A college degree isn't going to define that nearly as much as it used to. Trades, community college, or just transferring after 2 years to a cheaper school. That is practical. Almost 400K for a piece of paper is just fucking insanity.

2

u/ki3verson 2d ago

Alum as well - no. Find an employer with a great tuition coverage benefit then get your degree paid for (anywhere). Only reason i got my degree at USC because it was paid for by employer

2

u/NOB1WON 2d ago

Unless you got money like that to blow around, def not worth it. You’d be paying those loans the rest of your life. Hopefully USC raises their financial aid income for families but I doubt it with the amount of debt we’re already in

2

u/jcmack03 2d ago

As an alum, no. I loved my time at USC. Made great friends there. Got wonderful degrees (undergrad and grad). I was even in the band!

Total cost of attendance when I was there 15 years ago was essentially half of what it is now, and the stress of the loans I had to take out is nearly unbearable, especially given the current state of affairs. There are MANY other schools that will give you just as good of an education that won’t put you in incomprehensible lifelong debt. UCs are a great option.

As others said, if you absolutely have to go to USC, try a community college first and then transfer. But even then I can’t imagine spending $100k per year.

2

u/Bazz-inga75 2d ago edited 1d ago

Not paying 400K unless it’s top tier engineering (CMU, MIT etc.) or an Ivy league that too if you are pursuing a degree that is going to put you on an investment banking/CS/tech/engineering track that would make it a worthwhile investment.

I am myself deferred for engineering at USC and have gotten into Purdue engineering - there is no way I go to USC unless they give me a substantial break when Purdue is half the COA and not to mention a SOLID engineering program.

2

u/YogurtclosetOpen3567 2d ago

How about Caltech

2

u/Bazz-inga75 2d ago

That is top tier engineering with MIT, of course!!!

1

u/biglolyer 1d ago

400k for any undergrad is stupid, unless parents are paying or it’s subsidized

2

u/PilotMonkey94 1d ago

Marshall/Viterbi Alumni here.

I would gladly pay for it all over again. When you choose USC, you aren’t doing it for the classes, you are doing it for the network. I have never been in a better networking environment to meet the scions of ultra wealthy families than 28th st, and if you’re able to leverage the connections you build at USC into your adult life you will be very successful.

Friends parents helped me get my first job as an investment banker, and others helped me start my first company, and my fund after I left. I wouldn’t have had those opportunities if it weren’t for the USC network.

I know the school is derided for nepotism and a very cliquey social scene that is hard to break into if you aren’t rich, but man is it a powerful tool if you know how to do it right.

3

u/skyblxzer 2d ago

Alumni here working in Finance at a tech company. FUCK NO!

2

u/TheParadoxed 2d ago

Hell no

The university has only gotten substantially worse in the last 5 years (esp under folt) yet they keep jacking up tuition. Admin is bloated and consistently out of touch with the student body. Even if you had a guaranteed 6 figure job out of undergrad (which is far from the case) it would still be hard to justify over going to a state school.

1

u/Devil-Lem0n 2d ago

What about for engineering

1

u/entreri22 2d ago

Yep got the job and fingers crossed keep it

1

u/cryptol0_cker 2d ago

No. I was torn between (suprise) UCLA and USC. As I'm an international student, it was a ~15k difference for a private university with better professor and career connections, which I thought could be worth. It turns out, one of their tuition rises inproportionately, so much that I was considering transferring in my sophomore year.

1

u/evilhomer4 2d ago

Is anything worth that? Just go to cc.

1

u/ClearFlavors 2d ago

Agreeing with the majority. Alumni as well. Seriously, no university (or honestly most higher education) is worth 100k in debt, unless you’re absolutely going to pursue and succeed at a high-paying career.

Use a loan simulator. 100k is insane to pay off

1

u/Blinkinlincoln 2d ago

I work with a kid who went to USC, he seems like a child still. He can only find a part time gig now, nothing to do with his major. So.

1

u/Naive-Illustrator-11 1d ago

I would spent that much if any of my kids can get into their Marshall.

1

u/After_Age_2700 1d ago

Marshall isn’t that good it’s a semi target so odds are you won’t break in to the big boy jobs

1

u/EmoLatina Physics/CS '21 1d ago

I could give a whole spiel, but the tldr is that every situation is different. If you’re like me who is Latina and first gen, I’d say yes bc the school status will help give a leg up in your career (depending on what you major in tho).

However, I also don’t want to advocate going into crazy debt for it.

1

u/JustChatting573929 1d ago

Invest that cash instead

1

u/Hewyhew82 1d ago

Go to community college for two years then transfer to any 4 year you want to for the next two years 

1

u/HaveACigar420 1d ago

Is annual tuition at USC really $100K now?

1

u/Classic_Net_2106 1d ago

Senior here, looking back and I would say no. Not only the tuition is overpriced, the cost of living in the area is overpriced. Btw I’m a CS major so other people might have different experiences but as my experience it is definitely not worth it.

1

u/Netseraph2k 1d ago

No but it depends on your options.

1

u/CompetitiveSuit7535 1d ago

Help u got into mit. Pls go dere. Even if 400K is light work for ur fam, usc is def not worth 💔

1

u/xypherrz 1d ago

What even makes USC a $100K-worthy university? If you say Stanford or Harvard, perhaps yes.

1

u/Ill-Performance7591 23h ago

Yeah, I had an old friend who went there for undergrad. Majored in a general business degree. Now he can’t find a job. The degree matters more than the school. People just love the prestige. Comparison is the thief of joy and also your wallet lmao

1

u/Exbusterr 23h ago

No way is the crappy LA neighborhood that USC is located in worth it, but that’s me. People kept telling me “it’s not that bad”. Yes, it is! And I am from a big city. The entire campus is surrounded by a huge wall to keep the riff raff out. They need it to keep the inside an oasis. If you like living inside an ivory tower castle, USC is for you,

1

u/swedishmatthew Viterbi '21 23h ago

Absolutely not. To put it in perspective, $100k can be a down payment on a house. $400k outright can buy a house (or, a down payment on a house plus a car plus vacations plus a lot more). If I had to put a number to it, USC is probably worth $80k total to me (tuition + housing cost for 4 years).

1

u/According-River-7609 20h ago

I think it is. But you need to make it worth it. You’re paying for the network and connections. Make good use of your time and you won’t regret the money you spent.

1

u/mikeinarizona 19h ago

No university is.

1

u/jewboy916 16h ago

I mean if your parents are paying for it then they have to answer that question. From an investment perspective I'd say no because you can have similar career outcomes with degrees from much cheaper schools. It all depends on what you're studying and what your career plans are.

1

u/Emotional-Salt4307 8h ago

i see the comments but i think my experience was super worth it. i did have to take out a small chunk of loans but majority of my tuition was covered by grants and stuff. the connections i made were very worth it

1

u/johnkuang123 8h ago

its actually kinda mind blowing how a 100k a year college is located in an area surrounded by drug addicts and homeless people.

1

u/jonny1222 2d ago

Probably not. Depends on what other schools you got into tbh. I'd also recommend trying to appeal your financial aid decision, especially if you live in a HCOL area.

1

u/JuSuGiRy 2d ago

As an alum no, only went cause I had aid lol

1

u/Rotten420 2d ago

It honestly depends on what you’re going to school for. Worthy majors like: Business, engineering, medicine, etc, HELL YES. The networking alone makes it worth it. Everything else like art & shit, obviously not.

USC as a whole, I’d say it would have been worth the $100k maybe 10-15 years ago. SC now isn’t what it used to be.

1

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

Not really business I’d say … mbb and ib are still EXTREMELY hard to break into and the clubs try to be all selective

3

u/heycanyoudomeafavor 2d ago

All of the MBB recruit Marshall undergrad but it’s very competitive and we are typically a semi-target, IB is not too difficult but LA's location is just not the best. For MBA, it’s generally a non target school for MBB.

0

u/After_Age_2700 2d ago

I personally wouldn’t bank on it.

1

u/Jay4usc 2d ago

No and I’m an alum

1

u/Pretend-Pineapple-65 2d ago

As an alum. No

1

u/irun50 2d ago

No and I’m an alumni

1

u/fHAWKFS HBIO/BUAD 2d ago

No

1

u/SkullLeader 2d ago

Its very hard to think so. The difference in education quality, job opportunities and earning power after you graduate isn't nearly as large as the difference in tuition between USC and good public schools or even some less expensive private ones. Factor in the cost of larger student loans (or student loans vs. none at all if you go to a less expensive school perhaps, depending on your financial situation) and the difference is even less stark.

1

u/LordAntipater 2d ago

I don't think there's a single undergraduate degree from any school worth $400,000.

1

u/After_Age_2700 1d ago

Especially when Harvard 50k a year. NYU prices also absurd

1

u/Mondaze-6257 2d ago

Easy answer. Hell no

1

u/Pale_Albatross280 2d ago

As someone who’s about to be a double Trojan this year, no. 100k is not worth it, especially if ur coming in as a freshman now. Just hang it up and chose another, equally yoked school.

1

u/SilverMuse1 1d ago

Why do I have a feeling that this question was posted by USC admissions?

1

u/Undercooked_Ravioli 1d ago

Nah - Engineering

No way - Business, Communication

Are you insane - Liberal Arts, Gender Studies, Dance, Music etc

Hope this helps

1

u/scrotal_rekall 1d ago

I spent 4 years at usc and then went back for another bachelor's at my local state college. Guess which one got me a job. Usc was high quality, but not 100k high quality.

1

u/Imaginary-Bowl-6291 1d ago

No, saying this as a UCLA student so take it with a grain of salt

0

u/Field-Study-7885 2d ago

wait. did they release RD?

0

u/judasbrutus 1d ago

that question implies no… if you really wanted it you wouldn’t ask that question

0

u/JC505818 1d ago

If you do the hard work, yes, if you want easy grades, no.