USC Location

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Southern California
41

Relatively speaking, Compton is not so close to USC (about ten miles) but it is one area among many in LA that should not be taken lightly. I know people who have worked in Compton and were given specific instructions by the employer about how to drive to avoid car jacking in daylight, i.e., don’t pull too close behind a vehicle in front of you at a stop sign or signal (always leave room in front of you to escape) in case another car boxes you in from behind. In terms of the USC area (2 to 5 mile radius) I am sure that parts of Vermont and Adams in day time are safer than others. In my view, one should keep one’s eyes open and not be naive about the location around USC. It is generally safe given all the security but it is in a particular radius.

I am glad that USC has the Uber and Lyft service for students. No doubt that will help students feel safe in the majority of the area around USC that they would need to go. However, it does not change the area itself, quite urban and there are gangs that are residing not so far away.

42

Not sure if any of you actually live in LA, but I spend more time warning my sons about other drivers than random homeless people. Driving in the rain in LA is probably the greatest concern since drivers aren’t used to it, and the roads become instantly slick from oils that have built up from long dry spells. However, anyone who is fearful about LA neighborhoods can easily research statistics. Here is an informative page on car jacking provided by the LAPD:

http://www.lapdonline.org/crime_prevention/content_basic_view/1368

43

At least USC has a well-established and well-staffed DPS zone, which in essence endeavors to extend the safety measures way beyond campus - to where most students live and shop. Its campus cruisers and free Lyft rides especially make a monumental difference.

On our trips to colleges, we saw no other DPS zones similarly monitored beyond the main campus boundary at most elite colleges we visited. Maybe they were there, but I saw no obvious evidence of it, for example, at Duke, Brown, Columbia, Penn, Hopkins or Yale. And at those urban environments, it seemed especially warranted. Duke is not urban, but it still seem warranted. I did see it at Princeton (where it seemed unnecessary), FSU, UF & UTampa.

I know that when I went to JHU, everyone knew exactly where the safety line ended… at the campus border itself. Their safety patrols did not venture a single foot off campus, and the Baltimore Police failed to monitor the area around campus sufficiently. I certainly hope it is better there now.

The bottom line about USC and safety is that you either have concerns or not. If you do… listen to current students primarily or go visit yourself and see how you feel. With 55K+ applicants yearly, it does not seem that USC itself needs to worry about its perception. But despite that, I see and applaud their efforts. They do spend significantly on student safety measures, and the efforts yield results. I have seen drastic improvements in just the time period from April 2014, our first visit, to now…

44

@stardustmom, thanks for the link. I have spent a lot of time in L.A. on business and pleasure and have friends and colleagues who attended USC and UCLA. I would add that not just driving in the rain but driving in general is something many students who are not used to big cities such as L.A. and the congestion might take some getting used to. Not saying one should be fearful of USC, just not to have eyes closed to the reality that it is very urban and close to some “sketchy” areas.

On another note, crime occurs anywhere and all over big cities, including L.A…I know people who were robbed getting off the Metrolink in West. L.A last year. Crime is everywhere. Homelessness can be an issue at many campuses, most notably Cal Berkeley, but others too. The issue around USC safety is not particularly about homelessness.

@WWWard, agree that USC is making valiant efforts to enhance safety and security for students. Other urban campuses do not seem to do as good a job. I don’t know about Johns Hopkins, but I was concerned driving from D.C. to UMD last year (Maryland), just a few short miles from campus.

45

Like any urban center, you gotta be careful when you are out, but really the area around USC is changing very fast, thanks in part to USC buying up tons of real estate in the area. The metro stop is right on campus practically and you do not need a car necessarily. Spent a beautiful day there yesterday. There is crime everywhere.

46

I agree re USC and Berkeley. I was an undergrad at one, and a grad student at the other.

But I think you meant West and Southwest of Berkeley. East takes you to fancy Piedmont.

47

This will be a non-issue in a generation. Due to the high cost of housing in Los Angeles, the area between Culver City and USC is gentrifying. One of the few places where large, nice (renovated) homes can still be had for under $1 million — take a look on Redfin.

As an undergrad, I was wary of going west of Vermont. Now I’m going to open houses there.

48

@jjalfonso1, not sure if this will be a non issue in a generation, as crime and socioeconomic disparity is not likely to be eliminated so quickly, but we can hope. No doubt, as some have pointed out earlier on this thread, the USC village and expansion makes for a better feel of USC, and security is very good.

That being said, it cannot be denied that it is a kind of bubble and that when one ventures beyond a couple miles, the area starts to become much lower socioeconomically. Through streets like Vermont and Figueroa go many miles in the direction of “Watts” where some gangs reside. People travel along these through streets to get to the freeway and downtown. Of course there are good people living in those areas and most are upstanding citizens, but it cannot be denied that you have some significant crime and gangs not that far from USC. I would still have no problem sending my S to USC and he is in fact considering attendance this fall. However, (IMHO) one needs to be aware and vigilant, especially at night in the area around USC and might be true of most large urban areas. It’s definitely true of many other areas surrounding top universities such as JHU, Columbia, Penn, and others.

49

Thanks for all of the information. With a newly admitted D, I read with great interest. If you Google USC crime statistics, you should be able to find a link to the daily reports of crime on campus and in the immediate area. I read through a few days of the log and it looked pretty Garden variety to me. (I’d post the link but CC won’t allow). Perhaps that would be helpful to those with similar concerns.

50

@3littlebirds Having two daughters there now, I of course did the same before. And with 18K undergrads and about the same # of grads (although it never seems that crowded on campus), you might expect more reports actually. I get copied on DPS emails and alerts. They usually average out to maybe 1-3/wk… but usually very minor stuff. Often they just report accidents around campus and where to avoid, etc.

Good Luck

51

clearly the area surrounding USC is not a good area. Anyone who knows LA can verify this. I’m not country folk either, I’ve lived in NYC, including Brooklyn, and three major European cities that have their own challenges. I’ll admit that one of the factors that has me rooting for other schools over USC, including UCLA, is that I don’t think the immediate area around USC is the best place to send my 18 year old D. She’s grown up walking around NYC and other major cities in Europe alone so it isn’t about her wits. It’s just that like JHU, the area of USC will possibly result in some stories that will make your toes curl.

52

@byeretirement

Well, I personally went to JHU (and had crime issues, so did friends) and would not even consider it or places like Penn for my daughters.

But we did visit USC of course and researched the area and the DPS zone extensively. My oldest daughter would not be about to graduate from there had I not. But our experience has been fine… zero issues in almost four years. And my youngest is a freshman there now. And they both came from the FL suburbs with no “city sense” at all.

We have found the online rumors of safety concerns (especially what I had read all over CC) to be largely over-blown. Use common sense, avoid the areas that you should, stay within the monitored DPS zone (which is patrolled and covers a large area around campus), use the free Campus Cruisers or take Lyft/Uber for free within the zone, or simply take Uber or Lyft or the Metro to travel to Venice, Santa Monica, Hollywood, etc (my oldest is an actress who has had to go all over the L.A. metro area for auditions and jobs, etc.) and you should be fine.

Here are links for those curious about DPS, their safety plans and the zone they cover…

http://dps.usc.edu/

http://dps.usc.edu/patrol/

http://transnet.usc.edu/index.php/campus-cruiser-program/

http://dps.usc.edu/safety-tips/getting-around/

53

Just fyi - UPenn has been totally fine for my son and friends we know with students attending there. And he really likes Philly. My other son (DS18) may go to Tulane - I grew up in NOLA and we are comfortable with the campus (visited again recently) and surrounding area. I do think before students decide to attend a school it is a good idea to visit not just the campus but the area around it and how security works as well.

54

I suppose perception has a lot to do with it. I have friends with kids at UPenn and they say it’s safe because of that wall that was built to keep the environment contained. I understand what WWWard is saying vis-a-vis USC but it feels like a tradeoff i’d rather my kids not make. It reminds me of when i visited Israel and hosts would say "you can go here but not here etc. etc. I went to Columbia in the 80s and felt it to be the safest environment possible. Yet most of the people I have spoken to about it always make remarks about how dangerous it must have been, None of these places are Damascus, although Baltimore comes close, but just saying that as a parent, my personal preference is for an environment that at leas ton paper is safer.

55

Clearly some good points above. And if there is no overriding or compelling reason to attend any specific university, then of course any sort of reservation may divert your interest elsewhere. For example, my youngest is now enrolled at the highest rated film school in the world. She chose USC over Princeton… and primarily due to the opportunity of attending the USC School of Cinematic Arts. My oldest is an actress who wanted to learn and work in L.A. Many fall in love with USC for their own personal reasons. Would I prefer USC to be in a setting like Princeton? Sure. I even prefer UCLA’s location in Westwood. But you have to evaluate any prospective college or university as it is… & not how you want it to be. In the end, we were fine with USC’s location… and nothing about it was sufficient to dissuade my girls from attending. Location and safety though were likely just a couple of the 20 or so things they were thinking about when deciding where to attend.

The #1 thing in my opinion is simply going there, exploring and deciding for yourself. My daughters were not shy about their opinions once they visited a # of campuses and surrounding areas. They liked USC, Brown, UTexas, Princeton & FSU. They did not like JHU, Penn, UMiami, Columbia or NYU. They liked Yale, Rice, Emory and Duke as far as the campuses… but they did not like the areas around them. But these are all subjective opinions. While they tended to agree with each other, they did not necessarily even agree with me. And every teenager is different of course. Visiting and feeling an in-person connection is key I believe. Much of the rest is irrelevant “smoke and mirrors”, especially if the kid cannot properly envision themselves being comfortable there for the next four years.

So visit if you can… and choose wisely. Make the most of your college experience :slight_smile:

56

We heard about the safety issue around USC campus and it was one of the considerations that made us visit the place during the Admitted Students Day event some two years

We arrived at LA at past 8pm and took the cab to bring us to our hotel at Radisson along Figueroa. A few hours later upon arriving and finished checking in at the hotel, we were across Exposition Blvd taking our quick dinner and surprised to see many students hanging around at past 10. There were also many policemen taking their break in that area.

After that visit, we were convinced that USC is the place where my kid should be attending school.

57

I was PM’d by a couple folks that suggested I put this reply in this thread so it isn’t buried in the 2022 thread, sorry if repetitive, but here goes:

I have had 3 kids at USC for the last 7 years and one as an athlete, so I spent A LOT of time at the campus, on the campus, in apartments (stayed in kid’s apartment many times), and around campus more weekends than I can count. I have dined at virtually every place within a two square mile of the place. I have walked and walked and walked around USC, at all times of the day and night. I have been out at 3am. I will be down there again next weekend.

When first one started, I wasn’t a fan of the area - typical mom sending first off to college, worried about all these silly things that mothers do. But frankly 7 years ago is a lot different than it is today, for me and the school. People always go back to the 2 kids killed, that was literally when my first was going (so 7 years ago), so of course that brought up fears and crazy worry. We were actually there visiting campus when it happened. But I have to tell you, what I learned is they were way off campus and on the proverbial “wrong side of the tracks.” I drove by where it happened. Not blaming them of course in any way, but in 7 years, my students have never been anywhere near that area at any time of the day. It is not where students go or live. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time which can be anywhere as we all know. So I had to disregard that as irrelevant to my student’s experience. It’s not that I wasn’t concerned, but let’s face it, hundreds of thousands of kids have gone there without incident over these last 7 years and decades before that.

What I learned by spending a lot of time there is the neighborhood around USC is really lower middle class, filled with great families trying to get by in expensive California. Mixed among the student housing aound Adams, there are adorable kids walking to school in the morning in their little uniforms. So it’s not like the neighbors are evil scary people, quite the contrary. But of course, particularly close to the commercial establishments - the eateries and CVS outside of campus - you have your typical urban grime and wanderers. These aren’t the people to worry about frankly, it is the people that come in from other areas randomly - this is the case everywhere - and was the case in both horrible crimes that happened there. If you want to have fun and see a slice of neighborhood life, go to Ralph’s grocery at Adams and Vermont, now that is a melting pot. I love it there (except for the parking).

What has happened since we first started, is that USC got crazy good and serious about their security. When China threatened to put out a safety advisory on attending, dollars flew into security. They launched Uber, which is now Lyft rides for free. USC funds 40,000 of these every week. Yes, 40,000 every week. Campus Cruiser is a great service used often as well, both running until the wee hours. There are also DPS officers at corners within what is known as the DPS zone 24 hours a day, I have seen them at 3am, around the square mile or so around campus. But perhaps the biggest impact was the building of University Village, which changed everything, as frankly, that area had been the skankiest around the school and is now a glamorous and beautiful residential and commercial center that is all USC. This is changing the entire area. Hipsters are now buying houses near USC because the area is becoming sought after with its affordability and proximity to downtown. Will take awhile, but it is heading in a good direction.

I can tell you, my kids, which are both boys and girls that attend, think I am insane to have ever worried. “You just don’t be stupid” as they say. They have never ever worried or felt unsafe there. As a woman who traveled solo to NYC and Chicago as a young twenty something I see being able to spend time in an urban area in college as ideal. You learn how to navigate a city so you are smart when you travel anywhere else. No it is not suburbia, nor is it the idyllic LAC on the east coast set in a small town. But if you want that, go there. If urban bothers someone, they should eliminate USC, Berkeley, Yale, NYU, UChicago, Northwestern, Columbia, UPenn…the list goes on and on. Urban universities are urban universities. But if you want urban and one of the most beautiful campuses in the world, set to the backdrop of Downtown LA, Staples Center, Hollywood, Santa Monica and access to everything Socal has to offer, then go.

Don’t go if you don’t like urban, but to not go because you are scared of it, imo, well, that would be sad and could be the cause of a lot of regret. The world’s wealthiest and not so wealthy all send their kids to USC, and year after year they are fine and have the best time of their life. Just decide what it is YOU want. Good luck!

58

Thank you for such a thoughtful post. Your assessment is spot on - I worked at USC for over 10 years starting in the early 90’s when gangs were at their height in LA. Even then I never had a problem or felt unsafe walking through the neighborhood. I had been mugged countless times growing up in New York City, so LA and USC felt very safe to me. Yes, there were places that looked seedy and run down near the campus, but the image of rampant crime was overblown.

59

For reference - here is a link to a listing of the top 100 safest universities based on FBI crime stats. USC is #61, UCLA is #62.

https://www.alarms.org/safest-colleges-2017/