HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

University of Southern California vs New York University

New York University clears +$555K in 30-year net value, University of Southern California +$290K — both pay off, New York University by +$264K.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA

30-year net value
+$290K
Total cost of attendance
$349,740
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$72,721
Breaks even by age
—

New York University · New York, NY

clears more

30-year net value
+$555K
Total cost of attendance
$332,896
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$72,523
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “University of Southern California vs New York University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/usc-vs-nyu

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Questions

Is University of Southern California or New York University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, New York University clears +$555K and University of Southern California +$290K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; New York University comes out ahead by +$264K. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does New York University pay off than University of Southern California?
About +$264K over a 30-year horizon (+$555K vs +$290K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from University of Southern California?
+$290K at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $349,740, median earnings ten years out $72,721. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.