USC fell one spot among the 2026 U.S. News & World Report "Best National Universities," earning an overall score of 84 out of 100, compared to 85 in 2025.
According to U.S. News, the rankings weigh 17 measures of academic quality, with student outcomes determining 57 percent of the score. That includes graduation rates, debt levels and post-graduation earnings. USC reported a 92 percent six-year graduation rate overall, and a 90 percent rate for Pell Grant recipients. The university also maintained an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, another of the factors U.S. News used in its rankings.
Last year, USC and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) tied for the 27th spot. In 2026, USC comes in just ahead of UC San Diego. Georgetown, Emory and the University of Virginia all ranked higher, tying for 24th.
Among California universities, Stanford (No. 4), Caltech (No. 6), UCLA (No. 15) and UC Berkeley (No. 17) all placed higher.
Despite the dip, USC remains one of the nation’s most selective universities, ranking No.10 in lowest acceptance rates. The school also posted an early acceptance rate of nearly 12 percent. Among the admitted students who submitted test scores, half scored between 1450 and 1550 on the SAT or 25-32 on the ACT.
USC also earned top rankings for specific academic programs. Its undergraduate business program tied for No.8 with UNC, Indiana University-Bloomington and Cornell. Specialties in accounting (No.7), marketing (No. 10) and international business (No.10) are also recognized. The college also ranked No.1 in game and simulation development, No. 3 in real estate and No. 10 in best colleges for veterans.
The top five remain unchanged: Princeton, MIT, Harvard, Stanford and Yale. The complete rankings can be found at USNews.com.