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Programs & majors brief

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# University of Southern California Majors & Programs

Updated September 30, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-southern-california/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-southern-california/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-southern-california/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-southern-california/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/university-of-southern-california/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at USC?

[Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 42 bachelor's programs at University of Southern California, and the highest-earning fields cluster in engineering and computing. Computer Science tops the list with a median of $192,897 four years after completion, alongside 287 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #15.

Computer Engineering follows at $166,369 on 45 degrees awarded. Among the university's largest programs, earnings spread widely.

Business Administration and Management, the biggest by degrees awarded at 832, shows a median of $109,128 and an Azimuth national rank of #11. Communication and Media Studies awards 326 degrees and reports $75,864, while Human Biology reaches $69,751 on 261 degrees awarded and holds an Azimuth national rank of #3.

### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

-   Business**1,222 · 21.7%**
-   Visual and performing arts**642 · 11.4%**
-   Social sciences**638 · 11.3%**
-   Communication**495 · 8.8%**
-   Engineering**455 · 8.1%**
-   Other**2,181 · 38.7%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

72 of 72 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer Science 287 degrees awarded**
$192,897

**Computer Engineering 45 degrees awarded**
$166,369

**Real Estate 41 degrees awarded**
$143,977

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 18 degrees awarded**
$131,532

**Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering 49 degrees awarded**
$125,514

**Accounting and Related Services 160 degrees awarded**
$121,101

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs

Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks

| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Computer Science | 287 | $192,897 | #15 |
| Computer Engineering | 45 | $166,369 | #4 |
| Real Estate | 41 | $143,977 | #1 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering small degree count | 18 | $131,532 | — |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 49 | $125,514 | #1 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 160 | $121,101 | #6 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 32 | $115,839 | — |
| Industrial Engineering | 57 | $112,150 | #8 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 832 | $109,128 | #11 |
| Real Estate Development | 100 | $107,292 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 34 | $106,308 | #3 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 56 | $105,415 | #14 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 119 | $104,649 | #18 |
| Applied Mathematics | 147 | $101,094 | #10 |
| Chemical Engineering | 36 | $100,646 | #42 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 24 | $96,120 | #6 |
| Economics | 210 | $94,435 | #53 |
| Cognitive Science | 62 | $93,440 | #8 |
| Public Health | 128 | $89,522 | #2 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 121 | $89,203 | #2 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 55 | $89,022 | #3 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 77 | $87,946 | #3 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 165 | $84,866 | #8 |
| History | 82 | $79,940 | #11 |
| Journalism | 92 | $79,776 | #2 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 70 | $78,741 | #4 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 65 | $78,731 | #3 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 326 | $75,864 | #11 |
| Political Science and Government | 139 | $75,090 | #45 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 49 | $74,511 | #11 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 69 | $72,428 | #1 |
| Sociology | 56 | $70,555 | #11 |
| Psychology, General | 183 | $70,461 | #16 |
| Human Biology | 261 | $69,751 | #3 |
| Mathematics small degree count | 15 | $69,377 | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 19 | $64,421 | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 66 | $63,353 | #2 |
| Biology, General | 68 | $63,125 | #89 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 76 | $59,455 | #37 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 27 | $59,345 | #44 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 40 | $59,088 | #49 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 178 | $58,623 | #4 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 41 | $57,246 | #60 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies small degree count | 10 | $55,208 | — |
| Chemistry small degree count | 19 | $54,966 | — |
| Philosophy | 65 | $51,831 | #26 |
| Social Sciences, General small degree count | 17 | $42,038 | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 37 | $41,637 | #39 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 135 | $40,415 | #32 |
| Music | 78 | $34,124 | #138 |
| Architecture small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Area Studies small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Electrical and Computer Engineering | 27 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering small degree count | 14 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Pharmacology and Toxicology small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| International/Globalization Studies small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Gerontology small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geography and Cartography small degree count | 18 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Anthropology small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Archeology small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 36 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Dance | 25 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 172 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| International Business small degree count | 17 | Too few graduates to report | — |

[Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## What are the largest programs at USC?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
832

**Communication and Media Studies**
326

**Computer Science**
287

**Human Biology**
261

**Economics**
210

**Psychology, General**
183

**Film/Video and Photographic Arts**
178

**Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods**
172

**International Relations and National Security Studies**
165

**Accounting and Related Services**
160

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do USC majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering**#1**
2.  Fine and Studio Arts**#1**
3.  Real Estate**#1**
4.  Journalism**#2**
5.  Neurobiology and Neurosciences**#2**
6.  Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management**#2**
7.  Public Health**#2**
8.  Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#3**
9.  Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication**#3**
10.  Civil Engineering**#3**
11.  Human Biology**#3**
12.  Design and Applied Arts**#3**
13.  Architectural Sciences and Technology**#4**
14.  Computer Engineering**#4**
15.  Film/Video and Photographic Arts**#4**
16.  Engineering-Related Fields**#6**
17.  Accounting and Related Services**#6**
18.  Industrial Engineering**#8**
19.  Cognitive Science**#8**
20.  International Relations and National Security Studies**#8**
21.  Applied Mathematics**#10**
22.  Communication and Media Studies**#11**
23.  Public Policy Analysis**#11**
24.  Sociology**#11**
25.  Business Administration, Management and Operations**#11**
26.  History**#11**
27.  Biomedical/Medical Engineering**#14**
28.  Computer Science**#15**
29.  Psychology, General**#16**
30.  Mechanical Engineering**#18**
31.  Philosophy**#26**
32.  Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft**#32**
33.  Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other**#37**
34.  Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies**#39**
35.  Chemical Engineering**#42**
36.  English Language and Literature, General**#44**
37.  Political Science and Government**#45**
38.  Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**#49**

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

[How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

University of Southern California awards bachelor's degrees across fields where outcomes diverge widely. 42 programs carry a national rank and 50 have published earnings data.

Business accounts for 21.7% of degrees awarded. Visual & Performing Arts and Social Sciences follow at 11.4% and 11.3%.

Those counts reflect degrees conferred in one academic year rather than distinct students. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) Fine and Studio Arts #1 nationally, with median earnings of $72,428 four years after completion.

Computer Science reports the highest program earnings at $192,897, from 287 degrees awarded. The largest program is Business Administration and Management, at 832 degrees awarded and ranked #11 nationally, with median earnings of $109,128 four years after completion.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).