Exploring the Location and Landscape of the University of Southern California

The University of Southern California (USC), a private research university, offers its students a vibrant campus life nestled in the heart of Los Angeles. Founded in 1880, USC has grown into a renowned institution, currently ranked No. 28 in National Universities in the 2026 edition of Best Colleges. Its location and campus environment play a significant role in shaping the student experience.

A World-Class City as a Playground

USC boasts a dynamic and culturally diverse campus located in a world-class city which is equally dynamic and culturally diverse. Students benefit from having the sprawling city of Los Angeles as their playground. It's an eclectic place with both high and low culture and some of the best shopping in the world. Hollywood clubs and downtown bars are popular destinations. Art exhibits, concerts, and hip restaurants are everywhere. The great weather of southern California goes without saying.

The University Park Campus: A Blend of History and Modernity

The main campus is in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of downtown Los Angeles. Located off exit 20B of Interstate 110, the campus’s boundaries are Jefferson Boulevard on the north and northeast, Figueroa Street on the southeast, Exposition Boulevard on the south, and Vermont Avenue on the west. The University Park campus spans 229 acres, providing a mix of academic buildings, green spaces, and recreational areas. Since the 1960s, through-campus vehicle traffic has been either severely restricted or entirely prohibited on some thoroughfares.

Most buildings are in the Romanesque Revival style, although some dormitories, engineering buildings, and physical sciences labs are of various Modernist styles (especially two large Brutalist dormitories at the campus’s northern edge) that sharply contrast with the predominantly red-brick campus. Throughout USC’s 229-acre University Park campus, courtyards, grassy areas and other lushly planted public spaces offer popular spots for quiet reflection as well as social interaction.

Historical Landmarks

USC’s University Park Campus provides visitors to Los Angeles a beautiful and immersive experience, which includes USC’s museums and the classic architecture of 12 Historic Cultural Monuments. Take a leisurely walk through the University Park Campus and discover the twelve culturally significant buildings that were recently designated as Historic Cultural Monuments by the Los Angeles City Council. Along with the university’s oldest building, the Widney Alumni House, these iconic structures offer a glimpse into the rich history and architectural beauty of the campus.

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Widney Alumni House, built in 1880, is the oldest university building in Southern California. Bovard Administration Building was completed in 1921 along this parkway, and remains one of the university's oldest and most iconic buildings. The Gwynn Wilson Student Union, Doheny Memorial Library, and Allan Hancock Foundation were completed in 1927, 1932, and 1940, respectively, and remain directly adjacent to the university's central quad (now Hahn Plaza). Many of these were constructed under President Rufus B.

Proximity to Cultural and Recreational Hubs

The University Park campus is within walking distance to Los Angeles landmarks such as the Shrine Auditorium and Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is operated and managed by the university. Discover a lively hub of culture and entertainment at Exposition Park, just across the street from USC’s main campus. Explore museums like the California African American Museum and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, or get lost in the wonders of science at the California Science Center.

The Health Sciences Campus: A Center for Biomedical Research

Located three miles (5 km) from downtown Los Angeles and seven miles (11 km) from the University Park campus, USC's Health Sciences campus is a major center for basic and clinical biomedical research in the fields of cancer, gene therapy, the neurosciences, and transplantation biology, among others. In addition to the Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, which is one of the nation's largest teaching hospitals, the campus includes three patient care facilities: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck Hospital of USC, and the USC Eye Institute. USC faculty staffs these and many other hospitals in Southern California, including the internationally acclaimed Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The health sciences campus is also home to the USC School of Pharmacy and several research buildings such as USC/Norris Cancer Research Tower, Institute for Genetic Medicine, Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Harlyne J.

Other USC Locations

Besides its main campus at University Park, USC also operates the Health Sciences Campus about 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of downtown. In addition, the Children's Hospital Los Angeles is staffed by USC faculty from the Keck School of Medicine, and is often referred to as USC's third campus. USC also operates an Orange County center in Irvine for business, pharmacy, social work, and education, and the Information Sciences Institute, with centers in Arlington, Virginia, and Marina del Rey. For its science students, USC operates the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Studies on Catalina Island just 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Los Angeles, and home to the Philip K. The Price School of Public Policy also runs a satellite campus in Sacramento. A Health Sciences Alhambra campus holds the Primary Care Physician Assistant Program, the Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research (IPR), and the Masters in Public Health Program. In 2005, USC established a federal relations office in Washington, DC., and in March 2023, USC announced the opening of a new Capital Campus in Washington, D.C.

USC Village

In 1999, USC purchased the University Park shopping center, which was demolished in 2014. In September of the same year, the university began construction on USC Village, a 1.25-million-square-foot residential and retail center directly adjacent to USC’s University Park campus on 15 acres of land owned by the university. The USC Village has over 130,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor, with student housing on the four floors above. The $700 million project is the biggest development in the history of USC and is also one of the largest in the history of South Los Angeles.

Getting to USC

Los Angeles International Airport is 15 miles from campus. Taxis and the Super Shuttle are available for the ride between airport and campus. For Super Shuttle, call 310-782-6600 a day or two in advance or when you arrive. Local transportation includes local buses, commuter rail, and USC tram service. USC is served by several rapid transit stations. The Metro E Line light rail service between Downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica wraps around the south and eastern edges of the University Park campus.

Driving Directions

From 10 Fwy (east-bound): Exit the freeway at Hoover Street. At the bottom of the off-ramp, turn right on Hoover Street. Take Hoover to where it ends at Jefferson Boulevard. Turn left onto Jefferson and take it to Figueroa Street. Turn right onto Figueroa.

From 10 Fwy (west-bound): Exit the freeway at Hoover Street. At the bottom of the off-ramp, turn right at the signal and proceed to Hoover Street. Turn right onto Hoover. Take Hoover to where it ends at Jefferson Boulevard. Turn left onto Jefferson and take it to Figueroa Street. Turn right onto Figueroa.

From 110 Fwy (north-bound): Exit the freeway at Exposition Boulevard. At the bottom of the off-ramp, go straight through the signal and keep to the left. Follow the road under the freeway. Cross Flower Street and turn right onto Figueroa Street.

From 110 Fwy (south-bound): Exit the freeway at Exposition Boulevard. At the bottom of the off-ramp, cross Flower Street and turn right onto Figueroa Street. Turn left into campus at USC McCarthy Way (USC Gate #3).

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From L.A. Airport (LAX). (USC is 13 miles from LAX). Exit the Airport going south on Sepulveda Boulevard. Get on the 105 (Century) Freeway East. Exit the 110 at Exposition Boulevard. At the bottom of the off-ramp, go straight through the signal and keep to the left. Follow the road under the freeway. Cross Flower Street and turn right onto Figueroa Street.

From 405 (San Diego Freeway) South or North: Transition to the 10 (Santa Monica Freeway) east heading toward Los Angeles. Take the Hoover Street exit. Turn right at the light. Continue until Hoover Street ends at Jefferson Boulevard. Turn left on Jefferson Boulevard, then turn right on Figueroa Street. Exit the freeway at Exposition Boulevard. At the bottom of the off-ramp, cross Flower Street and turn right onto Figueroa Street. Turn left into campus at USC McCarthy Way (USC Gate #3).

5 (Golden State/Santa Ana Freeway) North or South: Transition to the 10 west (Santa Monica Freeway) and then to the 110 south (Harbor Freeway). Note: An alternate route if you are north of downtown and driving south on the 5: Exit directly to the 110 south and take it through the downtown area to Exposition Boulevard which is just south of downtown. Exit the freeway at Exposition Boulevard. At the bottom of the off-ramp, cross Flower Street and turn right onto Figueroa Street.

Campus Life and Safety

On campus, life is vibrant. There are more than 850 student organizations. Theatrical and musical productions are excellent. School spirit is extreme and infectious. Football games are huge. Drinking is a big part of the social scene as well. Greek life is very big and, on the weekends, a strong contingent of students religiously visits The Row, the street lined with all the fraternity and sorority houses.

USC is committed to providing a secure and safe environment for everyone in our campus community as well as guests and neighbors.

USC Department of Public Safety

The USC Department of Public Safety (DPS) is one of the largest campus law enforcement agencies in the United States, currently employing over 300 full-time personnel, including approximately 96 armed Public Safety Officers, 120 unarmed Community Service Officers, 60 CCTV monitors and dispatchers, and 30 part-time student workers. DPS's patrol and response jurisdiction includes a 2.5 square mile area around each USC campus. The Department of Public Safety headquarters is on the University Park campus, and there are substations in the University Village and on the Health Sciences campus. The department operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. All USC Public Safety Officers are required to be police academy graduates so that under California Penal Code statute they can be granted peace officer power of arrest authority while on duty, enforce state laws and local city municipal codes, and investigate crimes. DPS is overseen by an independent advisory board of 21 faculty, staff, student and community members appointed by the USC president.

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