Housing Guide
Finding a room and roommates could be one of the most nerve-wracking processes to settle in the U.S. For USC students, there are two types of housing; on-campus and off-campus housing. Both have pros and cons. This page is intended to provide some general guidelines and useful tips for housing.
On-Campus Housing
On-campus housing is residences on the USC campus, which requires students to apply for a USC Housing application. It is a great way to connect with other USC students. USC Housing has housing programs for some specific schools or particular types of students. If you are interested, you should apply immediately because good apartments are competitive and prioritized by those who submit their applications first. There is a non-refundable application fee.
USC Housing apartments come fully furnished, which is a big draw for many international students. One benefit of USC Housing is that they maintain these apartment buildings. If something’s broken, you file an online form with facility services and they send people to fix it pretty quickly, free of charge. Another benefit is that the rent price almost always includes the utilities, meaning you will be free from making those contracts by yourself.
USC Housing: https://housing.usc.edu/
Off-Campus Housing
Off-campus housing is apartments or homes in the community that rent to students on a lease or month-to-month payments. Compared to on-campus housing, there is more flexibility and variety in terms of rent prices, areas, and room arrangements.
However, finding off-campus housing is a self-led process. If you prefer to live near the university, the USC free Lyft zone and USC patrol and response areas would be one metric you may want to consider. Read reviews on Google and speak to residents about their experience living in the housing property or neighborhood. Tour the property and the neighborhoods during the day and night. Also, be aware of frauds and scams.
Tip: The following housing guides were created by Viterbi School and those graduate students, yet those are useful for all students looking for housing. These guides include tips to help you decide on housing, the pros and cons of each option, the neighborhood guides, and the practical resources you could search for a room and roommates.
Housing Resource Manual (USC Viterbi Admission and Student Engagement)
Viterbi Graduate Student Living Guide (Viterbi Graduate Student Association)
Tip: This USC Trojans community is also a good way to find a room and roommates, get advice, and hear reputations! To get connected, register here.