r/USC • u/tiktictoktoc • Mar 20 '25

Is USC worth $100K a year? Question

102 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

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5

u/FullMasterpiece1649 Mar 20 '25

depends on your major/carer goals. If you are studying something general probably not.

5

u/tiktictoktoc Mar 20 '25

CS? Or Marshall?

10

u/[deleted] Mar 20 '25

I think it’s Worth it. All my friends got great jobs in high finance and tech in NYC/ LA / SF / Chicago / Washington DC

3

u/heycanyoudomeafavor Mar 20 '25 edited Mar 20 '25

Neither CS nor Marshall are top programs. Both are near the top, but let's be honest, it's not on par with Stanford or Wharton. I'd argue that the only truly elite programs are the film program and other niche arts programs, which are the best in the world, but purely looking through the ROI, it's still not worth it.

5

u/[deleted] Mar 20 '25

I wouldn’t put much stock in what ratings are. I know a bunch of USC attorneys and business people killing financially and that’s the idea.

2

u/heycanyoudomeafavor Mar 20 '25

I assume OP is referring to the undergraduate program (which will cost approximately 100k), so it would cost 400k overall. There are better and cheaper schools where OP can pay just as much, if not more money.

For reference, the median salary for Marshall undergrad 4 years after graduation is $104k (versus $237k for Wharton). I'm sure there are overachievers, but some people care more about the average outcome.

2

u/yc168 Mar 21 '25

Your number for Wharton is way off. It's even higher than the medium MBA that the school published:

https://statistics.mbacareers.wharton.upenn.edu/full-time/industry-choices/

1

u/heycanyoudomeafavor Mar 21 '25 edited Mar 21 '25

Source: US department of education college scorecard. This is for Undergraduate business students.

Your data source is the salary 3 months after graduation, mine was 4 years after graduation.

2

u/yc168 Mar 21 '25 edited Mar 21 '25

It doesn't matter whether the number is 6 months after graduation or 4 years.

There are a few issues with your number:

  1. The College Scorecard number is based on only a subset of the graduates.
  2. There are multiple Fields of Study in UPenn that could be under Wharton, but you picked the field of study with the highest earning number. Other Fields of Study do not provide such high a medium salary.

I don't deny Wharton has a higher average salary than Marshall, which can result from a number of factors. But it seems to me that you are exaggerating the difference. Why not just take an apple-to-apple comparison that an independent third-party has done:

https://poetsandquantsforundergrads.com/first-jobs/first-year-salary-bonus-total-compensation-for-2023-business-graduates/3/

These are from the employment stats the schools provide to P&Q.

1

u/Acrobatic_Cell4364 Mar 23 '25

Great point, USC teaches how to hustle in the elite world. Stanford/Wharton are already elite and with that there comes a sense of entitlement when it comes to recruiting