University of Southern California

What University of Southern California does

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private, non-profit research university founded in 1880 and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, operating across two main campuses — University Park and Health Sciences — with 10,000+ employees and 23 schools and academic divisions. USC serves prospective undergraduate and graduate students across business (Marshall), law (Gould), medicine (Keck), engineering (Viterbi), cinematic arts, gerontology, pharmacy, social work, and computing/AI, alongside patients receiving care through the Keck Medicine of USC healthcare system and external research collaborators funded by federal agencies and private foundations.

USC's core technology stack spans AI hardware research (high-temperature memristors operating at 700°C, ion-based diffusive memristors mimicking biological neurons), life sciences (tau aggregation inhibitors with granted patent US20200017563A1, blood-based Alzheimer's biomarkers, RUS-PAT 3D imaging developed with Caltech, stem CAR-T therapy), neuroscience (two-way brain-computer interfaces achieving ~92% accuracy), and socially assistive robotics. The $200M Mark and Mary Stevens AI initiative anchors a $1B-plus Frontiers of Computing push that renamed the School of Advanced Computing to the USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence. USC's Alzheimer's research is institutionally distinctive, holding the world's largest Alzheimer's observational data repository and a biorepository of ~5 million specimens used by pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs including lecanemab.

USC's revenue model combines recurring tuition and educational services ($640M+ in annual need-based financial aid commitments), federal and private research grants (NIH, NSF, ARPA-H, NIEHS, PCORI, CIRM), healthcare services through Keck Medicine hospitals and clinics, and philanthropy/endowments including the $200M Stevens gift. Go-to-market operates through traditional academic admissions (with an early decision policy launching fall 2026), graduate and professional programs, online learning via USC Online, the USC International Academy pathway for global students, and clinical trial enrollment at Keck Medicine. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees under President Beong-Soo Kim (13th president, elected February 2026) and operates a newly created Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations function.

Name

University of Southern California

Legal name

University of Southern California

Website

https://usc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

USC is a private, non-profit research university founded in 1880 in Los Angeles with 10,000+ employees and 23 schools serving undergraduate, graduate, and professional students; patients at Keck Medicine of USC; and research collaborators funded by federal agencies and private foundations across AI, life sciences, and engineering.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Health & Biomedical Research Universities (Academic Medical Center–Affiliated) (EDAHABAC), STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB), Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Medical research programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Healthcare clinical services
• Academic research grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, professional programs, and executive education. USC offers need-based financial aid with $640 million in total financial aid awarded annually to undergraduates.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Federal research funding from NIH, NSF, ARPA-H and other agencies supporting academic research across all disciplines. NIH investment totaled $30.7 million for AI4AD2 initiative alone.
3. Healthcare Services (Keck Medicine): Patient care services through Keck Medicine of USC, including hospital, clinic services, and medical treatments.
4. Philanthropy and Endowments: Major gifts from alumni and donors including the $200 million Stevens gift for AI research, and other endowed chairs and programmatic donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

University of Southern California is a private research university offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 23 schools and academic divisions. It operates Keck Medicine of USC as an academic healthcare system and conducts federally and privately funded research across AI, life sciences, engineering, and neurodegenerative disease.

Product overview

The University of Southern California is a private research university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services across 23 schools and academic divisions. The core educational offerings include undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs spanning business (Marshall School of Business), law (Gould School of Law), medicine (Keck School of Medicine with Keck Medicine of USC clinical care), engineering (Viterbi School of Engineering), cinematic arts, gerontology, pharmacy, and social work. USC has launched major AI initiatives including the $200 million Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and AI initiative and the Price AI Knowledge Hub for AI literacy education. Research products include the USC Epstein Family Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI) conducting clinical trials, the AI4AD2 initiative analyzing data from 58,000+ participants, and specialized institutes like the Institute For Actor-Driven Innovation helping performers adapt to AI technology. The university also offers online learning through USC Online and joint degrees like the MS in Data Science and Law combining legal and technical disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Keck School of Medicine of USC: Medical school of USC providing medical education and healthcare services
• Keck Medicine of USC
• USC Marshall School of Business
• USC Viterbi School of Engineering
• USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
• USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
• USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence
• USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Trojan Family Magazine
• Trojans

Products and services

• USC Schools and Academic Units
• Keck Medicine of USC
• USC Online
• USC Mark and Mary Stevens School of Computing and Artificial Intelligence
• MS in Data Science and Law
• Executive Doctor of Geospatial Leadership (DGEO)
• USC Institute For Actor-Driven Innovation
• USC Price AI Knowledge Hub
• USC Epstein Family Alzheimer's Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI)
• USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
• USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
• AI4AD2 (AI for Alzheimer's Disease Phase 2)
• USC Psilocybin Clinical Trial

Quantifiable outcome

• 1% dementia rate in Tsimane and Moseten populations vs 11% in U.S. adults 65+
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability20 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hyundai Motor AmericaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2026Official sponsor of the 2026 National Science Olympiad Tournament held at USC, part of Hyundai Hope CSR initiative focused on education, health, safety, and sustainability.
• Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026One-year joint demonstration starting March 2026 combining Sekisui's Ceglu scaffold material with USC's research capabilities for gene introduction into primary human hepatocytes for drug discovery support.
• OVG HospitalitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWon USC's competitive food and beverage RFP taking over operations for athletic venues including Galen Center, Rawlinson Stadium, Dedeaux Field, and Bloom Football Performance Center, aimed at increasing revenue and enhancing fan experience.
• TempuscoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic collaboration aimed at accelerating innovation across research and patient care, creating a framework to connect research and patient care across USC's healthcare system.
• CaltechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Caltech researchers to develop the RUS-PAT 3D imaging system combining rotational ultrasound tomography with photoacoustic tomography.
• Weill Cornell MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led development and testing of the Living Memory Home digital reminiscence app for dementia patient-caregiver pairs.
• CambiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh-temperature material launched into space aboard USC Rocket Propulsion Laboratory's Daybreak mission, marking first time a university student team successfully launched and recovered a rocket as space payload provider.
• George Washington University and PfizerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGW/Pfizer Global Medical Collaborative grant to expand USC's Dermmunity Telemedicine Initiative to additional grassroots organizations serving communities of color.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• University of Chicago: Private research university with comparable scale, strong federal research funding, and similar emphasis on rigorous multi-disciplinary scholarship. Comparable as elite private research university competing for graduate students and research talent.
• Johns Hopkins University: Private research university with the largest academic research budget in the U.S., leading medical school and healthcare system, and significant AI/biomedical research. Comparable as research-intensive private university with dominant biomedical and health sciences portfolio.
• Harvard University: Private research university with similar scale across multiple schools, extensive healthcare system (affiliated hospitals), and leadership in AI and biomedical research. Comparable as elite private research university with multi-disciplinary structure and significant endowment.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Private research university with comparable strength in computer science, engineering, and AI research, plus significant federal research funding. Comparable as elite STEM-focused private research university competing for the same AI talent pool.
• Duke University: Private research university with strong medical school, federal research funding, and multi-disciplinary structure. Comparable as private research university with integrated academic medical center and significant biomedical research portfolio.
• Washington University in St. Louis: Private research university with strong medical school, significant federal research funding, and multi-disciplinary structure. Comparable as elite private research university with strong biomedical and life sciences research portfolio.
• Stanford University: Private research university with comparable scale, multi-school structure (engineering, business, medicine, law), top-tier federal research funding, and major tech-industry donor relationships. Directly comparable as elite West Coast private research university with strong computer science and biomedical research.
• Columbia University: Private research university with comparable multi-school structure, academic medical center, and significant federal research portfolio. Comparable as elite private research university with integrated healthcare and AI research initiatives.
• Vanderbilt University: Private research university with comparable structure including engineering, business, law, medicine, and education schools, plus similar scale of federal research funding. Comparable as private research university in peer group with integrated academic medical center.
• Northwestern University: Private research university with comparable structure across schools (engineering, business, law, medicine, communications), strong federal research funding, and similar enrollment scale. Comparable as multi-school private research university with interdisciplinary emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/USC
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/USC-Department-of-Public-Safety/194126327268956
• Instagraminstagram.com/uscedu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors10 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Southern California