USC vs. Northwestern

Should I go to University of Southern California or Northwestern University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USC or Northwestern is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Southern California vs. Northwestern University comparison
University of Southern California Northwestern University College 3 College 4
University of Southern California Northwestern University
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Overview

 USC Northwestern
Location Los Angeles, CA Evanston, IL
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 47,147 23,203
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #36 #16
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usc.edu northwestern.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 USC Northwestern
Tuition (In State) $66,640 $64,887
Tuition (Out of State) $66,640 $64,887
Room & Board $19,198 $20,334
Avg Net Price $41,496 $23,341
Avg Grant Aid $43,208 $64,463
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 52%

Admission

 USC Northwestern
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 80,808 51,769
Admitted 8,094 3,703
Acceptance Rate 10% 7.2%
Enrolled % 44.9% 57%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 3.92
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Very High Extreme
ACT Range 32/35 33/35
SAT Range 1440/1550 1490/1560
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 USC Northwestern
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 6:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (25%)
  • Communication (14%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)

Outcomes

 USC Northwestern
Graduation Rate 90% 94%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,500 $89,800
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 87%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,375 $19,378
Median Loan Payment $231 $200

Diversity

 USC Northwestern
% Men 25% 27%
% Women 30% 33%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 40% 50%
% Black 4% 6%
% Hispanic 14% 12%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 5%
% International 13% 8%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 USC Northwestern
% In-State 43% 22%
% Out-of-State 38% 67%

Campus

 USC Northwestern
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Southern California is larger than than Northwestern based on total student enrollment (47,147 students vs. 23,203 students)

USC vs. Northwestern Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC or Northwestern?

  • University of Southern California is 2.7% more expensive to attend than Northwestern for in-state tuition ($66,640.00 vs. $64,887.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.7% higher at USC than Northwestern University ($66,640.00 vs. $64,887.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Northwestern University than USC ($23,341 vs. $41,496)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Southern California are 5.9% lower than costs at Northwestern University ($19,198 vs. $20,334)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Southern California than Northwestern University (68% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Northwestern University students is 49.2% larger than aid received University of Southern California ($64,463 vs. $43,208)

USC vs. Northwestern Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, USC or Northwestern? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Northwestern or USC .

  • The average SAT score at Northwestern University (1460) is 69 points higher than at USC (1391)
  • Incoming Northwestern students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at USC (32)
  • Accepted freshman Northwestern students have a 0.09 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at USC (3.83)
  • USC has a higher acceptance rate (10%) than Northwestern (7.2%)

USC vs. Northwestern Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC or Northwestern? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Northwestern and USC.

  • The graduation rate at Northwestern is higher than University of Southern California (94% vs. 90%)
  • Graduates from Northwestern University earn on average $4,300 more per year than USC graduates after ten years. ($89,800 vs. $85,500)
  • Northwestern University students graduate with a $2,997 lower median federal student loan debt than USC graduates. ($19,378 vs. $22,375)
  • Northwestern graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than USC graduates. ($200 vs. $231)
  • More Northwestern graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USC students, three years after graduation. (87% vs. 81%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/