USC vs. Reed

Should I go to University of Southern California or Reed College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USC or Reed 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UCLA Stanford NYU Pomona Loyola Marymount Claremont McKenna Cornell UC Berkeley UCSD Notre Dame Emory Whitman College
University of Southern California vs. Reed College comparison
University of Southern California Reed College College 3 College 4
University of Southern California Reed College
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 USC Reed
Location Los Angeles, CA Portland, OR
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 47,147 1,458
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #36 #80
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usc.edu reed.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 USC Reed
Tuition (In State) $66,640 $66,710
Tuition (Out of State) $66,640 $66,710
Room & Board $19,198 $16,820
Avg Net Price $41,496 $36,993
Avg Grant Aid $43,208 $46,317
% Receiving Grant Aid 68% 55%

Admission

 USC Reed
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 80,808 10,045
Admitted 8,094 2,728
Acceptance Rate 10% 27.2%
Enrolled % 44.9% 12.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.83 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Very High High
ACT Range 32/35 29/34
SAT Range 1440/1550 1300/1510
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

Academics

 USC Reed
Student to Faculty Ratio 9:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • Foreign Languages (15%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • English and Literature (9%)

Outcomes

 USC Reed
Graduation Rate 90% 80%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,500 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 81% 84%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,375 $16,000
Median Loan Payment $231 $165

Diversity

 USC Reed
% Men 25% 1%
% Women 30% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 40% 60%
% Black 4% 2%
% Hispanic 14% 11%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 8%
% International 13% 7%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 USC Reed
% In-State 43% 10%
% Out-of-State 38% 83%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Southern California is larger than than Reed based on total student enrollment (47,147 students vs. 1,458 students)

USC vs. Reed Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC or Reed?

  • Reed College is 0.1% more expensive to attend than USC for in-state tuition ($66,710.00 vs. $66,640.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.1% higher at Reed than University of Southern California ($66,710.00 vs. $66,640.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Reed College than USC ($36,993 vs. $41,496)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Reed College are 14.1% lower than costs at University of Southern California ($16,820 vs. $19,198)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Southern California than Reed College (68% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Reed College students is 7.2% larger than aid received University of Southern California ($46,317 vs. $43,208)

USC vs. Reed Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Southern California (1391) is 8 points higher than at Reed (1383)
  • Incoming USC students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (32) than students at Reed (31)
  • Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at USC (3.83)
  • Reed has a higher acceptance rate (27.2%) than USC (10%)

USC vs. Reed Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC or Reed? 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 Reed and USC.

  • The graduation rate at USC is higher than Reed College (90% vs. 80%)
  • Graduates from University of Southern California earn on average $38,300 more per year than Reed graduates after ten years. ($85,500 vs. $47,200)
  • Reed College students graduate with a $6,375 lower median federal student loan debt than USC graduates. ($16,000 vs. $22,375)
  • Reed graduates are paying $66 less per month on federal student loans than USC graduates. ($165 vs. $231)
  • More Reed graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USC students, three years after graduation. (84% vs. 81%)

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