Some of our nation’s elite universities have remained steady atop the annual all-important US News & World Report college rankings. Some schools have dropped over the years, while others have risen precipitously. The University of Southern California is one such institution that has steadily climbed the ranking through the years.

Is USC An Ivy League School?

But no matter how much USC climbs in the US News ranking, despite what a USC student-journalist would have you believe in a piece she penned some years back for The Daily Trojan (more on her later!), it is quite unlikely it will ever be an Ivy League school since the Ivy League has never expanded since its founding as a football league. And USC shouldn’t wish to be an Ivy League school anyway.

Besides, all Ivy League schools are in the northeastern United States. Even the prestigious Stanford University in northern California is not an Ivy League institution. Thus, USC should focus on being an outstanding institution rather than imitating the eight Ivy League schools.

USC’s Climb in the US News & World Report Rankings

In 1996, USC ranked #44 in the annual US News & World Report college ranking. In 2001, the school ranked #35. In 2025, the school ranked #27 (and although its rank has been higher historically, its climb over the years has been fairly steady).

So just how good of a school is USC, and does the school belong with the elites of the elites?

USC Acceptance Rate

The University of Southern California offered admission to 7% of Early Action applicants to its Class of 2028 and to 5.9% of Early Action applicants to its Class of 2027. The 2022-2023 admissions cycle marked the first year in which USC provided students the option of applying Early Action after announcing an Early Action policy in September 2022. Of those students who applied EA that first year, 94.1% were deferred admission. No student was denied outright after the Early round.

So, in light of the Los Angeles, California-based institution’s infinitesimal acceptance rates for the 2023-2024 and 2022-2023 Early Action rounds, is the school on the verge of climbing even further up the annual US News rankings to be listed among la crème de la crème of colleges in 2026?

A Projection for USC’s US News & World Report Ranking

As loyal readers of our college admissions blog know all too well, we at Ivy Coach have a crystal ball, and we hereby forecast USC will climb — albeit slightly — in the 2026 US News ranking. We believe USC will slightly jump in light of its Early Action acceptance rate for the Class of 2029.

Is USC A Good School?

Over the years, USC, already one of our country’s best universities, has made many efforts to boost its prestige and be considered among our nation’s finest. However, some of those efforts were undone by scandal. After all, no school was more at the center of the 2019 Varsity Blues college admissions bribery and cheating scandal than sunny USC.

In fact, years before the scandal, back in 2012, the aforementioned USC student-journalist published an article in The Daily Trojan outlining how the institution could establish itself among the Ivy League elites. The piece, by Rachel Bracker, was entitled: “USC should pursue an Ivy League brand.”

Wrote Ms. Bracker, “Indeed, changes in the university’s academic selectivity and output over the last few decades have already launched USC toward a more Ivy-like reputation. Most notable has been USC’s rise in national college rankings, a change that is essential in transforming any university.”

Optimizing Your Admission to USC with Ivy Coach

If you’re interested in giving yourself the best chance of earning admission to USC, fill out Ivy Coach’s complimentary consultation form, and we’ll contact you.