How Much Will It Cost to Study Abroad?

Most forms of financial aid and scholarships can be applied to the total cost of study abroad, and tuition-based scholarships can be applied to study abroad tuition. Scroll down to check out our section on Financial Aid, and you can also visit our Study Abroad Scholarships page.

Tuition

There are two different tuition structures:

USC Home School Tuition
Regular USC tuition, currently $37,692 per semester (2026-27), applies to:

  • USC Madrid Program
  • USC Paris Program
  • Chinese University of Hong Kong Exchange
  • Sciences Po Exchange
  • Trinity College Dublin Exchange

Program Provider Tuition + Administrative Fee
For all other programs, USC charges the host institution’s tuition and adds an administrative fee of $5,000. Tuition amounts for each program can be found on each program’s page on this website.

Living and Travel Expenses

Room and board costs are usually established by the program provider. Living expenses vary greatly by location and are influenced by a student’s spending habits. Estimated living costs for each program can be found on each program’s page on this website.

Financial Aid & Study Abroad

USC’s strong commitment to the study abroad experience is reflected in its policy of allowing all financial aid (grants and loans) to be applied to the cost of semester or year-long overseas programs for up to two semesters abroad.

The Office of Overseas Studies estimates costs for personal and travel expenses (e.g., airfare, passport fees, visa fees, personal expenses, additional travel, etc.) based on information from the program provider and other sources. After a student has been accepted to a particular study abroad program, the USC Financial Aid office will adjust the student’s financial aid package on the basis of the estimated cost of attendance for that program. Each semester all financial aid recipients who are accepted to a study abroad program are invited to a Financial Aid Meeting, where they get more information on how study abroad may affect their financial aid.

For students who receive financial aid, the estimated family & student contribution (EFC) remains the same as it would be on campus, regardless of whether the estimated cost of attendance at the overseas program is less or more than the cost of a semester or year on campus.

The USC Tuition Assistance Benefit (TAB) for children of USC employees can be applied to study abroad tuition.

For more information, refer to the Financial Aid Office’s website