Pomona College vs University of Southern California: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

Pomona College is the more selective of the two, admitting 7.1% of applicants versus 9.2% at University of Southern California. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $7,890 per year at Pomona College versus $20,567 at University of Southern California. Pomona College's yield rate is 50.0%, versus 40.0% at University of Southern California.

Pomona College vs University of Southern California: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricPomona CollegeUniversity of Southern California
Overall acceptance rate7.1%9.2%
Early acceptance rate13.0%8.4%
SAT middle 50%1500–15501450–1530
Avg unweighted GPA3.923.86
Yield rate50.0%40.0%
Class size4363,498
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$7,890$20,567
Net price, over $110,000 income$39,567$55,234

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pomona College harder to get into than University of Southern California?

Yes. Pomona College admits 7.1% of applicants, compared with 9.2% at University of Southern California, making it the harder school to get into, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Pomona College or University of Southern California?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $7,890 per year at Pomona College and $20,567 at University of Southern California, so Pomona College is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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