LSE (London School of Economics) vs. USC (University of Southern California)

College Search & Selection
1

Hi, I’m an international senior student facing this difficult choice.

I was admitted to USC and given an extremely easy LSE conditional offer. I want to study Sociology for undergrad and then apply for a master degree in the US. LSE will be surely much cheaper to attend (like $35000 per year cheaper), but my parents are saying they don’t really care… and will pay for the tuition whatsoever.

I’ve heard that LSE would be a bad starting point if I want to pursue master education in the US, and I do prefer LA to London (nobody likes the weather there). I also want to get a general liberal art education than just focusing on my sociology major. However, the prestige of LSE is a problem (it’s like HYPSM for our area); and many around me don’t even understand going to USC over LSE.

So maybe the question really is, does a more prestigious name matter that much?

Many thanks to anyone replying.

2

There will be no problem entering a masters** in the US with a degree from LSE. If you wanted to major in economics or politics I’d say LSE hands down. Sociology, I don’t know about. Disclosure: I did postgrad in the UK so put me in the camp of those who find the choice of USC over LSE odd… that said, if you want to go to USC more, to get a wider education in the sunshine, and your parents are happy to pay… do it.

** bear in mind many US colleges don’t have terminal masters’ degrees in many subjects, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it’s possible you’d end up back in the UK for that.

3

USC is not worth 35k more a year than LSE, unless you have that extra $ lying around just for sunshine, especially for a sociology degree, with need for further education.

4

It’s not just a matter of the $35k/year cost differential, it’s that you can get your bachelor’s degree from LSE in 3 years versus the 4 years required for US uni. So you’re only paying for 3 years vs 4… ouch.

Getting into a US master’s program with a degree from LSE should be no problem given the stellar reputation of LSE even here in the states.

And even here in the US, LSE has a much better reputation than USC if that sort of thing plays into your decision.

5

LSE because it is dramatically cheaper ($140,000 plus one year of LSE tuition = approximately $175,000 total difference) while offering worldwide prestige. However, I know very little about studying sociology at the undergraduate level.

The top ranked US graduate programs in sociology are at: Harvard, Princeton, UCal-Berkeley, & Michigan.

The next group is : Stanford, UNC, Wisconsin, UCLA, Chicago, Northwestern, Columbia, NYU, Penn & Texas.

Next: Duke, Indiana, Cornell, Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota & Washington.

Then: Yale, UC-Irvine, Brown, Arizona, Maryland, Johns Hopkins, CUNY & Rutgers.

Next: UC-Davis, UMass-Amherst, UC-Santa Barbara, Notre Dame, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Emory, SUNY-Albany, UC-San Diego & Iowa.

Last (tied at #40) = SUNY-Stony Brook & USC (University of Southern California).

Last time I checked, money comes in handy at all 41 of these graduate programs.

6

So what is the end goal after a master’s in sociology from the US?

The environment will be quite different (London U with no real campus vs. SoCal U with a true American college experience with big time sports and all that) but besides that and cost, the flexibility and teaching/evaluation methods probably matter more. At USC, you could easily change majors and study something else. Not so at LSE.

How are you so sure you want to pursue a sociology masters after undergrad, for instance? Are there other subjects you are interested in? What are your life goals?

Reputational difference between USC and LSE for getting in to sociology masters programs in the US actually probably doesn’t matter. Perception of schools where you come from may. LSE is an IB and consulting feeder, for instance (though I’m not as sure about sociology) while USC isn’t nearly as much. On the other hand, USC has a famously dedicated alumni base though mostly located on the US West Coast. No UK alumni base would come close, and definitely not LSE.

7

LSE has a great reputation in the US for economics & politics.

8

I am struggling to get my head around your question, so when I get stuck I go back to first principles: what is your overall plan / goal?

Masters? PhD? and then what?

Follow up question: what is your (real) main goal from your university experience? 4 years of fun in the sun? prep for a career in sociological research / public policy? get enough of an undergrad degree that you can get into a grad program?

9

Why don’t you just go to LSE and do an exchange program with the US (IIRC there’s an exchange for 10 students each year with Berkeley)?

10

LSE for 3-year undergrad > USC for 2-year grad school.

11

LSE alumni here (Economics) - I maybe biased but go with LSE. I currently live and work in US and LSE is well regarded.

12

LSE. No problem expected getting into US masters programs as long as you are aware of what coursework and experiences the US programs are looking for. I also question the assumption that you will be getting a masters in sociology. Once you determine your specific interests in sociology (poverty, workplace issues, etc) there will be more suitable masters programs for those interests that may end up generating more employment opportunities than a masters in soc.

13

I’m going to push back against all the LSE love (even though it is very well-respected all over the world and with Oxbridge are the only UK schools that are Ivy-equivalents by alumni achievements; USC is not) because

  1. Unless there is a specific reason which makes LSE a much better option (like costs or aiming for IB), I’d much prefer the USC college experience over the LSE undergrad one (which is more like a grad school experience).
  2. The flexibility of choosing what you want to study. Lots more at USC where you can switch majors and life goals much more easily.

If costs aren’t an issue, undergrad at USC followed by a master’s from LSE would be my personal preference.

But I’m with @collegemom3717: What are underlying desires and goals?

14

@Twoin18: the LSE/Cal exchange would be very competitive to get in to from LSE. As you mentioned, only 10 slots per year and there are thousands of LSE undergrads entering each year. USC would have far more extensive study-abroad arrangements with UK unis (and if you qualify, you could take the General Course at LSE).

15

Can your parents pay without incurring debt?
In that case, USC for undergrad then LSE for grad school.
USC = real campus, student community, alumni network, different modes of instruction, college experience, different culture, flexibility to switch majors or add another major.
If you have enough money to pay, that will be more important than LSE’s prestige.

However, why sociology? And CAN your parents truly afford to send you to USC?

16

Thank you for your reply!

My parents can pay for the tuition of USC with ease.

And what you mentioned about USC are exactly the reasons why I’m preferring USC at this stage. I loved studying sociology in HS, where I don’t need to be worried about future career etc. However, tbh, I’m not sure if I want to study sociology ONLY for undergrad or pursue a sociological research career. I also have a interest in media and economics. I do want the flexibility that USC can offer me, which LSE can not.

17

Sorry for not clearing things up at the first place…

I’ve heard of the future IB factory name of LSE, and I don’t particularly like it. For undergrad, I want to explore many different things (like other than sociology), and then decide on my future career and what I want for masters.

18

What I’m aiming for in undergrad is more to explore things I want to do for the rest of my life, and then apply for the masters degree I’ve decided on after clearing myself up.