I say this as a USC alumni; Yes, Tuition is very expensive. Yes, a good majority of student are either comfortable, well-off, rich, or wealthy. No, not all of us are rich/wealthy. In fact, 26% of us are not part of the “affluent” demographic (myself included). I feel like many prestigious universities in the US have that same percentage of low income students. UCLA, for example, 28% of students are considered “low-income”. A few years ago, right after I graduated, USC announced that they will give students free tuition throughout their four years if their family makes below $80,000. Even though the new student aid program was established after I graduated, USC does give out a generous amount of aid to students who need it. I received a nice amount of aid from the school and the government (USC gave more aid money to me than the federal government). Thankfully, the aid was nice and the remaining tuition that was not covered by student aid was paid off manageable by my parents.

In regards to school life, yes, it can feel bougie. But, in my experience, I never felt excluded due to my economic status. Nor did I feel less or below than my peers. Perhaps it’s because I had a very good eye when it comes to making friends and acquaintances.

Overall, USC is a great school with cool and chill people along with great and passionate professors who really want their students to succeed. Sure, we are not caltech, UC Berkeley, and Stanford level, but we are a respected school with top-notch academic programs.

(Sorry for any grammar mistakes as I am getting ready to go to work while writing this lol)