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The real 4-year cost of University of Southern California in California
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at University of Southern California went from $37,693 to $76,981, an average of 3.9% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $76,981Tuition $37,692/semester (12-18 units); required fees carried forward.source
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $37,693 | – | – |
| 2009 | $39,183 | – | – |
| 2010 | $41,022 | – | – |
| 2011 | $42,818 | – | – |
| 2012 | $44,463 | – | – |
| 2013 | $46,298 | – | – |
| 2014 | $48,280 | – | – |
| 2015 | $50,277 | – | – |
| 2016 | $52,283 | – | – |
| 2017 | $54,259 | – | – |
| 2018 | $56,162 | – | – |
| 2019 | $58,133 | – | – |
| 2020 | $60,275 | – | – |
| 2021 | $61,503 | – | – |
| 2022 | $64,726 | – | – |
| 2023 | $68,237 | – | – |
| 2026 | $76,981 | $76,981 | – |
| 2027 | – | $80,021 | $79,450–$80,592 |
| 2028 | – | $83,181 | $81,999–$84,372 |
| 2029 | – | $86,466 | $84,629–$88,329 |
| 2030 | – | $89,880 | $87,343–$92,472 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $76,981 |
| Year 2 | $80,021 |
| Year 3 | $83,181 |
| Year 4 | $86,466 |
| 4-year total | $326,649 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $286,649
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $166,713
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $21,952/ yr
- rising 4.3% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $93,597
School’s own published rateAverage housing $13,510 + standard meal plan $8,442.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at University of Southern California4-year schools with similar prices in California
Closest to University of Southern California by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Harvey Mudd College$77,280
- Claremont McKenna College$75,720
- Pepperdine University$75,202
- Pomona College$72,080
- California Institute of Technology$71,229
- Occidental College$71,103
- Scripps College$70,926
- Pitzer College$70,496
Use this data
Published figures for University of Southern California from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.