Location
- Boston University
- Boston, MA
- University of Southern California
- Los Angeles, CA
Boston University vs University of Southern California
Boston, MA · Los Angeles, CA · largest Scorecard gap: avg net price
Scorecard match plate
Pair MA:CA
PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-SPLIT · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-NET
- PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
- CROSS-STATE MA × CA
- ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
- NET-SPLIT Net-price split
- EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
- DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
- COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
- GAP-NET Largest gap · Avg Net Price
Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.
Decade path · College Scorecard
Nearly parallel enrollment growth
ENROLL-RACE · narrow · 2013–2023
Undergraduate headcount rose at both Boston University and University of Southern California across 2013–2023 on similar paces, while acceptance rates tightened on both sides, a growth-under-squeeze pattern rather than a pure size race.
- University of Southern California: enrollment grew +15.1% over 2013–2023; fitted +285 students/yr fitted, r² 0.94.
- Boston University: enrollment grew +8.4% over 2013–2023; fitted +135 students/yr fitted, r² 0.66.
- Boston University: acceptance rate tightened -76.2% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.92).
- University of Southern California: acceptance rate tightened -49.5% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.80).
College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.
Scorecard metrics
Undergraduate Enrollment
- Boston University
- 18,248
Avg Net Price
- Boston University
- $24,402
Median Debt at Graduation
- Boston University
- $23,250
Median Earnings (6 yr)
- Boston University
- $65,655
Acceptance Rate
- Boston University
- 11.1%
Median Earnings (10 yr)
- Boston University
- $83,238
In-State Tuition
- Boston University
- $68,102
Out-of-State Tuition
- Boston University
- $68,102
Loan Repayment Rate (Completers)
- Boston University
- 86.8%
Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.
| Metric | Boston University Boston, MA | University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Boston, MA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Undergraduate Enrollment | 18,248 | 20,443 |
| Avg Net Price | $24,402 | $32,740 |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $23,250 | $18,000 |
| Median Earnings (6 yr) | $65,655 | $74,461 |
| Acceptance Rate | 11.1% | 9.8% |
| Median Earnings (10 yr) | $83,238 | $92,498 |
| In-State Tuition | $68,102 | $72,097 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $68,102 | $72,097 |
| Loan Repayment Rate (Completers) | 86.8% | 83.9% |
Largest gaps: Boston University vs University of Southern California
- AVG-NET-PRICE Boston University leads on avg net price ($24,402 vs $32,740 at University of Southern California)
- MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA University of Southern California leads on median debt at graduation ($18,000 vs $23,250 at Boston University)
- MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(6 University of Southern California leads on median earnings (6 yr) ($74,461 vs $65,655 at Boston University)
Boston University profile · University of Southern California profile · Compare other colleges
Also on the Scorecard board
Avg Net Price and other Scorecard questions
On avg net price, who leads between Boston University and University of Southern California?▼
Boston University leads on avg net price at $24,402 versus $32,740 at University of Southern California. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Boston University and University of Southern California?▼
University of Southern California leads on median debt at graduation at $18,000 versus $23,250 at Boston University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (6 yr), who leads between Boston University and University of Southern California?▼
University of Southern California leads on median earnings (6 yr) at $74,461 versus $65,655 at Boston University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); avg net price focus for this pair · 2025