University of California Irvine is a renowned public land-grant research university. The university currently offers 222 programs in 100+ study areas. It is among the top 300 universities in the world and is ranked #235 by QS rankings due to its excellent education, state of the art facilities, and international exposure.The University of Southern California (USC) has been ranked among the top 20 universities in the USA and among the top 60 universities in the world. The university is one of the best private research universities and is highly selective about its students.
| University of California | University of Southern California | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 5.5 Out of 10 | 5.9 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 293 QS World University 2026 # 53 Financial Times 2025 # 89 Center for World University Rankings 2025 | # 146 QS World University 2026 # 54 Center for World University Rankings 2025 # 72 Times Higher Education 2025 |
| Subject Strength | # 37 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 180 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 38 for Law by US News 2025 | # 20 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 99 for Medicine by QS World University 2025 # 26 for Law by US News 2025 |
| Programs | UG Programs -54 PG Programs -50 Doctorate Programs -1 | UG Programs -142 PG Programs -124 Doctorate Programs -7 |
| Acceptance Rate | 38.7 % | 12.0 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-630 IELTS-7 SAT-1510 TOEFL-80 | GMAT-690 GRE-306 IELTS-6.5 PTE-68 SAT-1360 TOEFL-100 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 42185 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 30586 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 16677 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 63468 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 25795 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 39862 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Graduate Employability- #301-500 (QS 2020); Average salary- 76,522 USD; Top recruiters- Northrop Grumman Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, Medtronic Inc., The Boeing Company, Walt Disney Company; Highest paying degrees- MBA (160,000 USD), Masters in Science (120,000 USD), Bachelor of Science (100,000 USD), PhD (90,000 USD), Bachelor of Arts (78,000 USD). | Graduate Employability Ranking 2023: 59 QS World University Ranking :#134 Average salaries are given below:
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| application requirements | Academic transcripts, 3 LORs, SOPs/ Essays/ Personal Statement, Resume, Standardized test scores (SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE); Proof of English language proficiency, Additional requirements (work experience, additional information forms, research samples, portfolios, video essays, etc.) | 3 to 4 years of work experience for some graduate programs; at least 2 letters of recommendation; 2 to 3-page statement of purpose |
| Campuses and B-Schools | NA | Marshall Business School |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 8.3/10 Read 7 reviews | 7.8/10 Read 37 reviews |
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| General Facts | University of California | University of Southern California |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1965 | 1880 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 18:1 | 13:1 |
| Male:Female | 47% Male, 53% Female | 48% Male, 52% Female |
| Location Facts | circular-shaped campus centred around Aldrich Park located in southern Orange County; between Los Angeles and San Diego counties; just five miles from Southern California’s sunny shores | Has two campuses located in Los Angeles: University Park having Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and many professional schools; Health Science campus having Keck School of Medicine, School of Pharmacy and three teaching hospitals. |
| Library | 350,000 square feet of library service; Over 1.6 million annual visits; 3.7 million virtual visits; Over 4 million volumes, 1.6 million ebooks, 216,501 journals & serials, 102,868 government documents, 113,300 audio/visual materials, 1 million original documents | Over 22 campus libraries having – Total Volume: 5,919,656; Title Held: 5,007,597; Serials: 77,299; Physical Media: 172,964, Electronic Media: 122,269; Electronic Books: 1,682,067; Electronic Journals: 172,964; |
| Campus Life | 550 clubs and organizations; 200+ student performances and exhibitions by Claire Trevor School of the Arts every year; 18 intercollegiate athletic teams; UC Irvine Medical Center (Orange County's only university hospital and Level I trauma center); UCI Conference Center; over 20 dining locations (cafes, restaurants, food courts, convenience stores, etc.); The Hill (online UCI store). | Cultural Communities: Asian Pacific American Student Services, LGBT Resource Center, International Services, etc; Graduate, Undergraduate and Residential Student Governance; Volunteer Center; Trojan Marching Band; Relationship & Sexual Violence Prevention Services |
| Hostel | #Room & Board - $16677 | #Rooms - $12271 #Room and Board - $19931 |
| Famous Alumni | 180,000 living alumni; Michael Chabon (novelist and screenwriter); David Benioff (Game of Thrones co-creator); Jon Lovitz (Comedian); Yusef Komunyakaa (American poet); Tyler Hoechlin (American actor); Bob Gunton (American character actor); Brady Anderson (Baseball player); Greg Louganis (American diver); Ami Bera (U.S. Representative); Phil Tippett (American movie director); Keston Hiura (Baseball second baseman). | Neil Armstrong (astronaut); George Lucas (creator of Star Wars); Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (former Prime Minister of Pakistan); John Wayne (Academy Award winner); Andrew Viterbi (co-founder of Qualcomm Inc.); Will Ferrell (actor) |
| City Life | Irvine- master-planned city in Orange County & safest cities in the nation; home to ? of Fortune 500 companies offices; Famous attractions: Irvine Civic Center, San Joaquin Wildlife Sanctuary, Balloon ride at Orange County Great Park, "Giant Wheel" at Irvine Spectrum Center, Newport Beach, William R. Mason Regional Park, Irvine Farmers Market, Orange County Soccer Club, UCI Arboretum; Unemployment rate: 2.9% (Jan 2020). | Los Angeles (LA) is the second most populous city of USA; Hollywood is located here; 841 Museums and art gallaries, California Beaches, Disneyland park, Los Angeles offers various concert halls, regular festivals, and bustling nightlife; Ranked 7th on Global City Index and 9th on Global Economic Power Index; Unemployment rate in December 2022 was 4%; Industries employing maximum number of people are healthcare, retail, hospitality, and manufacturing |
| Weather |
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