USC Price School

USC Price School
Name	USC Price School of Public Policy
Established	1929
Type	Private
Parent	University of Southern California
City	Los Angeles
State	California
Country	United States
Dean	Carol Barrett

USC Price School is the public affairs and urban planning school at the University of Southern California, located in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. The school offers professional degrees and research programs in planning, policy, and management, serving students drawn from the United States and international locations such as China, Mexico, India, and United Kingdom. Faculty and alumni engage with municipal leaders in Los Angeles County, federal agencies in Washington, D.C., and nongovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, and The Rockefeller Foundation.

History

The school traces origins to the Department of Public Administration at the University of Southern California in 1929 and later evolved through affiliations with urban initiatives in Los Angeles and statewide planning efforts in California. Early faculty collaborated with mayors from Los Angeles and planners tied to the New Deal era infrastructure projects. During the postwar period scholars worked with agencies like the Federal Housing Administration and participated in regional plans alongside the Southern California Association of Governments and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The school was renamed following a major gift from alum Randall Arthur Price and subsequently expanded programs connecting to RAND Corporation researchers, consultants from McKinsey & Company, and policy analysts from the Brookings Institution.

Academics

Programs include the Master of Public Administration, Master of Urban Planning, Master of Public Policy, doctoral programs, and executive degrees serving midcareer professionals from organizations such as Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, California Department of Transportation, and international ministries including Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (India). Curricula integrate practicum courses tied to field partners like the Los Angeles Unified School District, LA Metro, and the California State Legislature fellowship programs. Elective offerings draw on collaborations with the USC Marshall School of Business, USC Gould School of Law, and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, enabling dual degrees that intersect with practicum sites such as the Port of Los Angeles and nonprofits including The Nature Conservancy, United Way, and Habitat for Humanity.

Research and Centers

The school hosts research centers and initiatives focused on housing, transportation, sustainability, and social equity, partnering with organizations like the Urban Land Institute, American Planning Association, and the National Institutes of Health for public health–oriented urban studies. Notable centers have collaborated with funders including the Ford Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on projects addressing affordable housing linked to work by scholars who have published in outlets such as Journal of the American Planning Association and reports cited by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Research teams have provided policy analysis for the California Governor's Office and technical assistance to the Los Angeles Housing Department and regional transit authorities including Metrolink.

Admission and Enrollment

Admission to degree programs is competitive, drawing applicants from universities like Harvard University, University of Chicago, Stanford University, Columbia University, and international institutions such as Peking University and the London School of Economics. Enrollment statistics reflect a diverse student body with cohorts including veterans connected to the Department of Veterans Affairs, midcareer professionals from Kaiser Permanente and Google, and recent graduates from liberal arts colleges like Amherst College and Williams College. Financial aid and fellowship support come from sources tied to alumni funds, municipal partnerships with the City of Los Angeles, and federal scholarship programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

Facilities and Campus

Campus facilities are situated near landmarks such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Exposition Park complex, sharing interdisciplinary spaces with the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and research facilities used by collaborators from the California Institute of Technology. Classrooms, design studios, and labs support GIS and data analytics work with software used by practitioners at Esri and consultants from AECOM. The campus environment fosters practicum placements in nearby civic agencies like the Los Angeles Mayor's Office and fieldwork in neighborhoods served by community organizations such as East LA Community Corporation.

Alumni and Notable People

Alumni have served in public leadership roles including mayors, city managers, and cabinet-level appointments, with careers spanning institutions such as the City of Los Angeles, State of California, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and international assignments with the World Bank and United Nations Development Programme. Faculty and alumni have been affiliated with think tanks like the RAND Corporation, Brookings Institution, and Hoover Institution, and have received awards from organizations including the American Planning Association and the Presidential Medal of Freedom–level recognition for civic leadership. Notable practitioners and scholars associated with the school have published and consulted for outlets such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and professional bodies like the Transportation Research Board.

Category:Universities and colleges in Los Angeles Category:Public policy schools in the United States