When most people think about the University of Southern California, one thing comes to mind: football! But USC is a whole lot more than its elite sports programs. Found in sunny southern California (surprise!), the school is also the home of stellar graduate programs that deserve at least as much attention as its football team!
So what will it take to get into USC grad programs? First of all, you’ll need great GRE scores–preferably those that fall into the middle 50% or higher of USC GRE scores for those recently admitted into their programs. Read on to see what you’ll need to make the cut!
Average GRE scores for USC – Engineering and Education
Engineering and Education program hopefuls are in luck: these two programs provide actual GRE scores for USC admits to US News & World Report every year. This means that you can find out exactly what types of scores will help–or hurt–your application.
With that in mind, here’s the US News & World Report data on the Engineering and Education programs at USC:
Program | Average Verbal Scores for Admitted Students | Average Quantitative Scores for Admitted Students |
---|---|---|
Engineering – Master’s | 152 | 165 |
Engineering – PhD | 154 | 167 |
Education – Master’s | 152 | 156 |
Education – PhD | 153 | 157 |
Estimating USC GRE Scores in Other Disciplines
If you’re not looking to apply for Education or Engineering programs at USC, are you out of luck when it comes to finding a GRE score range for USC? Not at all!
Although USC only provides concrete GRE score ranges for admits from Engineering and Education, we’ve been able to use these scores and the programs’ rankings to come up with score ranges for other USC programs. Are these scores precise? No, but they’re great estimates to use when setting your GRE goals. Take a look at where your program falls in the grand scheme of USC GRE scores:
Program | US News Rank | Estimated Verbal Range | Estimated Quantitative Range |
---|---|---|---|
Biological Sciences | 46 | 152-156 | 152-156 |
Chemistry | 46 | 155-159 | 159-163 |
Computer Science | 24 | 153-157 | 164-168 |
Earth Sciences | 33 | 156-160 | 156-160 |
Economics | 38 | 157-161 | 164-168 |
English | 32 | 159-163 | 152-156 |
Fine Arts | 53 | 156-160 | 151-155 |
History | 38 | 158-162 | 151-155 |
Mathematics | 37 | 156-160 | 166-170 |
Physics | 55 | 155-159 | 160-164 |
Psychology | 35 | 154-158 | 151-155 |
Public Administration | 4 | 159-163 | 159-163 |
Social Work | 72 | 149-153 | 145-149 |
Sociology | 34 | 156-160 | 153-157 |
To find out how these GRE scores stack up, take a look at GRE percentile rankings.
Resources to Get the GRE Scores You’ll Need for USC
Need more help preparing for the GRE? Check out the following links:
Notes about Comments
While I’d love to give everyone some kind of hard and fast number for your chances (it’s a nerve wracking, opaque experience, I know), I unfortunately can’t. This is because there are numerous factors involved in the admissions decisions and most of those factors aren’t the GRE. The best I can do is tell you below/at/above the score range, but that information you can see for yourself above. My universal recommendation is that you check where you stand compared to the tables above. Then have a look at the forums to see student experiences. Good luck! 🙂
Comments
28 responses to “USC GRE Scores”
I have GRE-304 (Q-154 V-150 AWA-3) Acad-59%
Please advise me if it is worth taking a chance to apply for ms in Material science and engineering at USC?
Hey Sachin! Those scores are admittedly a bit on the low side for a school like USC. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but I would definitely expand my options if I were you. )
Best,
Chris S
Hello, I have scored 311 in GRE and *& in TOEFL. My academic CPI is 8. So, are there any chances for me to get admission in USC , LA for MS in CS ?
Hey Mugdha! The CS programs at USC are quite competitive, so it’s impossible to say what someone’s chances are. The best advice is to make sure the rest of your application is in order. 🙂
Chris S
HI
I HAVE A GRE SCORE OF 320 QUANT 170 AND VERBAL 150 WITH A AWA SCORE OF 3.0. I HAVE PUBLISHED AROUND 15 PAPERS IN SAE INTERNATIONAL USA AND TWO PATENTS ARE PENDING. I HAVE A WORK EXP OF MORE THAN 2 YRS IN AUTOMOTIVE R&D. I HAVE ALSO STARTED MY OWN DESIGN FIRM FOR WHICH I GOT AWARD FOR US BERKELEY AND WITS SOUTH AFRICA AND MANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL AWARDS. I WAS FEATURED IN NATIONAL TELEVISION MANY TIMES FOR AGGRESSIVE BUSINESS STATERGY AND INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS.
MY QUESTION IS WITH A LOW AWA SCORE DO I STAND A CHANCE IN GETTING ADMITTED TO OHIO STATE, PENN STATE, UMICH, CORNELL, CLEMSON AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES OF THIS RANGE.
REGARDS
JAIDEEP SINGH
P.S. YOU BLOG IS REALLY HELPFUL.
Hey Jaideep! Those are impressive experiences. If you’re worried about the AWA, then I’d reach out to those programs to see how heavily they weight them. It will vary by school. The good news is that a lot of times you can make up for this in your Statement of Purpose and other writing samples.
Chris S
Hello,
Thanks for the reply. Can you suggest me good universities where I can stand a chance of getting admission along with good financial aid. Also guide me if the universities I am applying are correct choice for the scores and profile I have.
Clemson, Ohio State, UMich, Penntate, Michigan Tech, UCSD. Suggest me if my profile can get me admitted to a university with beter reputation then the one selected. I am interested in Master’s in Mechanical with specialization in Dynamics or Combustion.
Regards
Jaideep Singh
Hey Jaideep! That’s research I think you’ll need to do. Harness the power of the internet and you’ll get all of the answers you need. 🙂
Best,
Chris
how much gre score required for MS in Game Design And Development . Does all major required same Gre score or it differ …????
My Gre score – 294
Toefl – yet to give …
Do I need to retake gre for some decent university . Do I have to suffer from any problem with this score during admission and visa …. trying to apply for fall 14 ..
REPLY ….HELP ME FRNDS …I M NEED…
Hey Rohan! That program probably has very similar requirements to the Computer Science degree, which really means high Quant and average verbal. You’ll need the GRE for almost every decent program in the US (there are a few exceptions). Your GRE is likely on the low end for the upper level schools though. Good luck!
Chris S
Hi Team,
My GRE score is 315 (Quant I have high score: 169), But verbal is low (146). I have 2 years of Work experience. My UG % is quite high. CGPA close to 9. What are my admission chances in Southern California University? I heard since the university is in California region, this is still ambitious for me. Please reply back.
Thanks in advance.
Hey Naveen! There are so many factors to consider, it’s quite difficult to say. Most important of which is your intended degree. 146 is low all around, even for science programs, but it is probably doable. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hi Chris,
I intend to do MS in Computer science. I have one research paper to my credit and my academics also good (9.0 CGPA). Is CS difficult in Southern california? At least from your past experiences.
Thanks
Hey Naveen! All of the top CS programs are quite competitive, so you really have to try to stand out. 🙂
Chris S
Hi chris,
My name is Sunny. I am planning to pursue ms in cs with specialization in video game development from USC. I have completed my bachelors and masters in computer application with 68.8% in both and have one year of work experience as a programmer. My main concern is matching up with the admission criteria of USC. I am a little disappointed with my academics. Its my passion forcing me to pursue this course. As a hobby , I have developed a few 2D games using DirectX SDK. I am planning to give GRE by november 2013 and would like to apply for fall 2014 batch. All I want to ask from you is that, will there be any chance of my application being selected in USC , if i score 320 or above in GRE.
Hey Sunny! Unfortunately it’s pretty tough to say one way or the other. A good GRE score and a strong personal statement (showing off just how passionate you are) can go a long way to cover for mediocre academics. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hi Chris, I am planning to apply for USC electrical engineering for spring 2014. GPA 8.75/10 plus 3 yrs of exp in electronics industry . TOEFL 98 , GRE 306 and filed 3 patents. What are my admission chances.
Hey Ananth! Unfortunately it’s pretty difficult to give even an estimation of admissions chances. I’d have a look around on the message boards and with the schools themselves to see what info you can glean. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hello,
I have a gre score of 310( 152-V and 158-Q)
And a CGPA of 8.53. Do I have a chance of getting into the Electrical Graduate program in USC?? Please Let me know if my Quants marks are enough.
Hey Araravi! It’s best to use the scores above as general guide. No scores will guarantee admittance to any program. I’d recommend getting in contact with the school directly to see if they can point you in the right direction. Also, check out the grad school forums to get past students’ experiences. 🙂
Best,
Chris S
Hii,
I got 312 score in GRE.
Verbal-152
Quant-160
My cgpa is 9.6/10
What are my chances of getting admission in USC??
Hey Mansi! I can’t say for certain. Remember there are a lot of different points that adcoms consider when reviewing applications. Definitely reach out to your program to get a better idea!
Best,
Chris S
Hi Chris !
Thanks a lot for this estimate ! I wanted to know the minimum GPA required for USC. If I get around 325-330, will an average CGPA like 7.5 affect my application ?
Hey Ritika! For most programs, there is no “minimum” anything. I’d check with the program directly to see if they can offer any insight!
Best,
Chris S
Thanks a lot, Chris for this significant piece of information.
USC, happens to be my first choice to pursue an MS in Computer Security. Besides, it has plethora of other great CS courses which makes their graduate program a dream to chase especially for an IT professional like me. 🙂
I just wanted to ask, If you could provide me with few more Universities which offer good graduate programs in the field of IT or Computer Security & their respective GRE scores.
Thanks a bunch, for keeping Magoosh immensely precious to be a great GRE companion for every US education aspirant. 🙂
You guys, Rock!
Hey Prashant! Admittedly I’m not too familiar with IT or Computer Security, but I’d check out US News and then head over to thegradcafe.com and see if you can find other people talking about programs.
Best,
Chris S
I am also planning for Computer Security / Information Security . I have listed the following universities, might be helpful for you.
Carnegie Mellon University
Georgia Tech University
University of Southern California
Purdue University
Northeastern University
Hey Thanks a bunch, Sandeep!
I have CMU, & GeorgiaTech already on my list. And, will definitely checkout Purdue & Northeastern!