The city of Los Angeles offers some great college options, with two of the biggest names being the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the University of Southern California. You might be looking at these two schools and wondering what the difference is, and if one is a better fit than the other for your academic and extracurricular interests and goals.
One of the key differences is that UCLA is a public university, and part of the UC system. It’s a common misconception that USC is also part of that system, but it’s a private university. Students apply to USC using the Common Application, and to UCLA (and the eight other UC campuses) using the University of California application.
UCLA is ranked #20 among US News’ National Universities and has a 10.8% acceptance rate. Meanwhile USC ranks #27 and has an acceptance rate of 11.2%.
Location and on-campus living
UCLA is located in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood, between Beverly Hills and Bel Air, which are names you might be familiar with from TV shows and movies. It’s a short drive from UCLA’s campus to beaches and Hollywood. USC is located just south of downtown Los Angeles, in a more urban area with a historically diverse population. Nearby attractions include Koreatown and arts districts.
Both campuses guarantee housing for incoming freshmen. UCLA assures three consecutive years of housing, while only about 30% of USC’s students live on campus after freshman year. USC’s campus is 226 acres while UCLA spans 419.
Academics
Eight of UCLA’s twelve schools offer undergraduate degrees—the School of Art & Architecture; College of Letters and Sciences; School of Education & Information Studies; School of Engineering; Alpert School of Music; School of Nursing; Luskin School of Public Affairs; and the School of Theater, Film, and Television. All students are required to complete General Education requirements that fall under the following umbrellas: Foundations of the Arts and Humanities, Foundations of Society and Culture, and Foundations of Scientific Inquiry.
UCLA uses 10-week quarters, so you can move through courses relatively quickly and potentially explore more subjects during your four years. UCLA specifically points to the quarter system as a way for students to sample different fields. In Fall Quarter, freshmen can begin a yearlong cluster of interdisciplinary courses on topics such as Environment and Sustainability or enroll in small-group seminars such as Student Activism from the Sixties to Present.
Meanwhile, schools offering undergraduate programs at USC are Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences; Marshall School of Business; Viterbi School of Engineering;
USC School of Cinematic Arts; Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism; School of Architecture; Roski School of Art and Design; USC Kaufman School of Dance; School of Dramatic Arts; Thornton School of Music; Iovine and Young Academy; Price School of Public Policy; the Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. USC’s Core Curriculum requires nine courses: six general education, two intensive writing, and one course carrying the “m” (multiculturalism) designation.
Students with high grades and test scores can opt for an alternative to the Core Curriculum, “Thematic Option.” Students take interdisciplinary courses connecting literature, politics, history, science, philosophy, etc. Classes emphasize discussion, writing, and debate.
Campus Life
At UCLA, students can choose from more than 1,300 student organizations in a variety of fields. You can partake in interest-based organizations such as Bruin Racing, Cubing Club (for the Rubik’s Cube), Bruin Beekeepers, Archery, Backpacking Club. Or, you can join cultural organizations such as the Samahang Pilipino, K-pop International Student Association, Blaque, and Afro-Latinx Connection. You can also pursue career-based groups such as Undergraduate Business Society, Bruin Consulting, Bruin Surgical Undergraduate Society, Pre-Law Society and more. The campus houses its own art museum and theater/arts centers, as well as 59 club sports teams. There are 60+ fraternities and sororities across six governing councils, with about 4,100 students, or 13% of undergraduates, participating.
USC offers over 800 student organizations. Some unique ones include Escape SC, where students design and build escape rooms, SC E-sports, and Dungeons and Trojans for roleplaying games. Musicians can participate in the Musical Theatre Repertory and The FAM Music, a student organization focused on the music industry, fitting particularly well with USC’s Thornton/Annenberg/School of Cinematic Arts ecosystem. Through the Trojan Research Association, students can participate in research workshops, get matched with USC faculty, and present research at an end-of-year symposium. CLOVER, or Conscientious Living Organization, combines veganism, environmentalism, animal rights, and personal well-being. As for Greek life, USC reports 34 recognized chapters, 4 governing councils, and 2,200+ student members.
UCLA and USC have a fierce rivalry, and students at the two colleges try to play pranks on their rival schools’ mascot statues. During the week before the big football game, the UCLA Bruin in Westwood Plaza is covered in a heavy tarp with a sign reading, “The Bruin Bear is hibernating.” Across town, USC’s Tommy Trojan statue has been the target of many Bruin pranks, including having its sword stolen and being splashed from head-to-toe in blue paint.
The USC vs UCLA debate is one students often ponder over, especially if they are looking at colleges in the LA area, in search of a good undergraduate business or film school, or eyeing specific programs in either college. Look over the similarities and differences carefully and add either or both schools to your list as you see fit.
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