Key Facts
Key Information
About
The University of Southern California (USC) is a major private research university located in Los Angeles, California, founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney. It is the oldest private research university in the state and enrolls over 47,000 students. USC offers extensive academic programs across sciences, arts, professional fields, and public policy, emphasizing interdisciplinary study and collaboration. The university is renowned for its film school and Marshall School of Business, with significant contributions to entertainment, media, and business industries. It has produced numerous influential alumni known for innovation and entrepreneurship, maintaining strong ties to technology, entertainment, and business sectors. USC is a founding and charter member of CENIC, providing high-performance networking for education. The campus features a diverse Greek life community, including multicultural, Asian, professional, and historically Black councils, with eleven fraternities disaffiliating in 2022 to form the University Park Interfraternity Council.
USC's founder, Robert M. Widney, played a pivotal role in Southern California's development by bringing the Southern Pacific Railroad to Los Angeles, establishing the city's first horse-drawn trolley, organizing its first chamber of commerce, and serving as the first president of USC's board of directors who helped secure the university's endowment.
Despite its academic prestige, USC has faced several controversies. Notably, it was involved in the 2019 Varsity Blues admissions scandal, where actress Lori Loughlin and others were accused of bribery to secure fraudulent admissions. The university has also been criticized for its handling of sexual misconduct allegations, racial discrimination lawsuits, financial opacity in athletics funding, and faced backlash in 2023 after canceling a valedictorian's commencement speech due to antisemitism concerns related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which led to protests and disinvitations. These incidents highlight ongoing scrutiny of USC's governance, admissions practices, and campus culture.