33,760 students applied for admission to the undergraduate class of 2011, with 8,553 being admitted (25%) and 2,963 enrolling (35% yield). Among admitted students, the interquartile range for SAT composite scores was 1950 - 2200 and the average GPA was 3.8.^[65] 21 percent of admitted and attending students are SCions, or students with familial ties to USC, while 11 percent are the first generation in their family to attend any form of college. There were also 220 National Merit Scholar winners and 5 National Achievement Scholars in the admitted class. USC ranks among the top five schools in the nation in terms of its enrollment of National Merit Scholars.

The College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, the oldest and largest of the usc schools, grants undergraduate degrees in more than 130 majors and minors across the humanities, social sciences, and natural/physical sciences, and offers doctoral and masters programs in more than 20 fields.^[21] USC College is responsible for the general education program for all USC undergraduates, and houses a full-time faculty of approximately 700, more than 6500 undergraduate majors (roughly half the total USC undergraduate population), and 1200 doctoral students. In addition to 30 academic departments, the College also houses dozens of research centers and institutes. In 2007, Howard Gillman, Professor of Political Science, History, and Law, was appointed the 20th Dean of the College. In the 2008-2009 academic year, 4,400 undergraduate degrees and 5,500 advanced degrees were awarded. All Ph.D. degrees awarded at USC and most masters degrees are under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School.^[22] Professional degrees are awarded by each of the respective professional schools.

The George Lucas Building, former center of the School of Cinematic Arts

The School of Cinematic Arts, the oldest and largest film school in the country, confers degrees in six different programs.