USC Thornton School of Music

The USC Thornton School of Music is a private music school at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, founded in 1884 and named in honor of philanthropist Flora L. Thornton following a $25 million gift in 1999 (the largest donation to a school of music in the United States at the time). Thornton enrolls approximately 1,012 students with a faculty of 171, yielding a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The school offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in more than 20 disciplines across three divisions: Classical Performance and Composition, Contemporary Music, and Research and Scholarly Studies. Billboard named USC Thornton to its list of Top Music Business Schools for seven consecutive years, including 2025.

Programs and Degrees

USC Thornton operates through three divisions with cross-genre opportunities:

Classical Performance and Composition:

• Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts in all orchestral instruments, piano, voice, guitar, and composition
• Faculty includes classical guitarist Pepe Romero, composer Frank Ticheli (whose "Blue Shades" is a wind ensemble staple), pianist Jeffrey Kahane (20-year director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra), and clarinetist Yehuda Gilad
• Distinguished Professor Morten Lauridsen received the National Medal of Arts in 2007

Contemporary Music:

• Popular Music: One of the most selective programs, with acceptance rates as low as 3 percent for songwriters in some years
• Music Production: Highly competitive, similar acceptance rates to popular music
• Jazz Studies: Undergraduate and graduate programs with faculty including saxophonist Bob Mintzer
• Studio Guitar Performance: One of the few comprehensive programs of its kind
• Screen Scoring: The only comprehensive program in scoring for television and film at the conservatory level

Research and Scholarly Studies:

• Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Music Industry (Thornton was one of the first schools to offer an undergraduate music industry program)
• Master's degrees in Arts Leadership, Community Music, and Music Teaching and Learning
• Musicology and Music Theory at the graduate level

Performance venues include Bing Theatre, Bovard Auditorium, Schoenfeld Symphonic Hall, Newman Hall, and the Songwriter's Theater.

Admissions and Tuition

The overall acceptance rate at USC Thornton is approximately 10 percent. Some programs are even more selective: popular music accepts 5 percent or fewer, and the music production program has similar numbers.

Application deadline for undergraduate admission is December 1. All undergraduate applicants who submit a complete application by this date are automatically considered for USC Merit Scholarships.

Tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year:

• Undergraduate tuition: $73,260 per year (same for in-state and out-of-state)
• Fees: $1,902
• Total estimated cost of attendance (on campus): $99,139
• Total estimated cost of attendance (living with parents): $86,581

For the 2026-2027 academic year, tuition increases to $75,384, with a total estimated cost of attendance of $103,162 (on campus).

USC's affordability initiative guarantees that eligible first-year undergraduates from families with an annual income of $80,000 or less with typical assets will attend USC tuition-free. Approximately 67 percent of the annual cost goes toward tuition.

Graduate students in most Thornton programs are eligible for scholarships, graduate assistantships, and fellowships. Students in Arts Leadership and Music Industry programs are not eligible for Thornton scholarship awards.

Real-World Example

A film scoring student accepted into the master's program for fall 2026 pays $75,384 in tuition (2026-27 rate) plus $1,952 in fees. With housing at $13,510, food at $8,442, and additional expenses (books, transportation, personal) at approximately $3,874, the total cost of attendance comes to $103,162 for one year. Over a two-year master's program, the student pays approximately $206,000. The student studies in the only comprehensive screen scoring program at a major music school, has access to USC's state-of-the-art recording facilities, and joins alumni who have scored films including Star Trek (Jerry Goldsmith), Oppenheimer and The Mandalorian (Ludwig Goransson), and Frozen (Christophe Beck). If the student receives a Thornton scholarship covering 30 percent of tuition ($22,615), net tuition drops to $52,769 per year, bringing the two-year total to approximately $160,000.

Notable alumni include composer Ludwig Goransson (Oppenheimer, The Mandalorian), film composer Jerry Goldsmith (Star Trek, Alien), trumpeter and A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert, singer-songwriter Remi Wolf, electronic producer Daedelus, and jazz pianist Gerald Clayton.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

USC Thornton is the right choice if you want to build a career in the Los Angeles music, film, or television industries. The school's location in LA gives you direct access to major record labels, film studios, music supervision companies, and tech firms. The screen scoring program is the only comprehensive one of its kind, and the music industry program was one of the first at the undergraduate level.

The cost is high. At $73,260 to $75,384 per year in tuition alone, Thornton is among the most expensive music schools in the country. However, the affordability initiative means that if your family income is $80,000 or less with typical assets, you can attend tuition-free. Always check your eligibility before assuming you cannot afford USC.

The popular music program is worth applying to if you are a songwriter or performer, but understand that acceptance rates can be as low as 3 percent. Craft fully realized songs with distinct sections and memorable hooks for your audition. For music production applicants, include productions featuring real instruments in commercial genres, not just electronic music.

The faculty is a major draw. Your teachers are not just academics but active industry professionals, including a producer who has worked with Queen, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Pearl Jam (Brian Malouf), and a former concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic (Glenn Dicterow). These connections can open doors that are difficult to access from outside LA.

Visit the official USC Thornton website for full audition requirements and program details.

Related Resources

• Music Schools Directory - Compare USC Thornton with other music schools
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Project streaming revenue while studying
• Sync Licensing Fee Calculator - Estimate sync licensing fees for film and TV placements
• Complete Guide to Making Money as a Musician in 2026 - Career planning for music school graduates