We Are Southern California
USC, L.A. and California’s southland are inextricably linked, having grown together from a literal "cow town" in the 1800s to today’s global epicenter in creativity, diversity and innovation. As a great private research university that serves the public good, we foster a symbiotic relationship across the city and throughout SoCal — advancing society and elevating humanity.
Briefly stated, the enduring relationship between them.
History of USC and Los Angeles
Since the beginning, USC reflects the ethos of our home city. From our open invitation for everyone to benefit from the university to serving others through research, the building of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to attract the Olympics and more, we come alive with the forces of L.A. in everything we do.
USC and SoCal Today
It’s simple: At USC, we care about being good neighbors. We love partnerships. We dig into the communities around us. We’re everywhere across the city. While generating billions to the region annually, ultimately we pride ourselves on the contributions that can’t be measured — our relationships.
Around the Community
USC students, faculty, staff, partners, volunteers and more create the fabric of a large-scale research university that takes one-on-one time with people in our surrounding community.
Homelessness, high rents weigh heavily on Angelenos, USC Dornsife study finds
LABarometer survey highlights how county residents prefer to solve homelessness, and finds a quarter of all residents want to leave L.A.
What you need to know for USC home games, from tailgating to the Coliseum
Trojan traditions make USC football Saturdays unique. Stay on top of the details to make the most of it all.
An explosive kickoff to a landmark arts event
USC will host a spectacular fireworks display at the Coliseum to mark the opening of the arts extravaganza PST ART. Also on the agenda: art exhibitions and a symposium.
Creative Industries at USC
Powerful technology is built from the ideas and advances that came before it. Similarly, USC’s creative research comes from the deep collaboration between creators, technologists and artists’ real-world experiences as well as the visions allowed to grow in our university. These emerging forms of media and technology are then disseminated through the powerhouse of the music and film industries, which are housed within the city. These industries have taken the seedlings formed in our academic places and given them real-world applications.
When Local Means Global
USC reflects L.A.’s diversity, which reflects the world’s. Our countless nationalities and ethnic groups shape the nuance and detail we give to every aspect to our academic experience. Alongside our community focus, we never forget where we are on the Pacific Rim. Our place in the world gives us the advantage to receive and foster innovation, because being here is unlike being anywhere else.
From USC to the Screen
Hollywood, our neighbor, is the epicenter of the latest technological developments in creative storytelling. The Light Stages at USC are used to create ever-more realistic virtual characters, from USC-led initiatives such as the Institute for Creative Technologies’ partnership with the U.S. Army to major studios like Sony Pictures Imageworks, who come to USC to create photoreal digital actors as part of Academy Award-winning visual effects in Spider-Man 2, King Kong, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Avatar and more.
Every Person Counts
People experiencing homelessness in Los Angeles is a priority issue for the USC community. Data from the annual LA homeless count demographic survey is analyzed by the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics, which helps the LA Homeless Services Authority better allocate resources and serve people.
A Grounded View
It’s true: Southern California sits in earthquake country. USC experts keep a close eye on the geophysics of the surrounding area and beyond to gain deep knowledge of earthquakes and provide societies with key ways to prepare and recover.
Key Partnerships for Climate Action
USC aims to be carbon-neutral by 2025, turning to renewable energy sources such as solar power. An agreement between USC and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has reduced the university’s carbon consumption by 25% while at the same time making renewable energy more accessible and affordable for residents in multifamily dwellings.
Environmental Changemakers
Pristine Catalina Island sits just 22 miles from the mainland and offers unparalleled access to natural systems unaffected by urban human activity. Home to the USC Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies, the island welcomes Trojan researchers, scientists and students who produce solutions-focused investigations at the intersection of people and planet.
A Star-Studded Marching Band
Performing at the Hollywood Bowl is just one of the many thrills of being a part of the world-renowned Trojan Marching Band, aka “the Spirit of Troy.” Having performed many times there with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in 2022 USC band members joined Gwen Stefani on stage to kick off Bowl season with the first-ever joint performance alongside a friendly rival — the UCLA Marching Band.
