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University of Southern California Off-Campus Housing

Discover 218 listings near SC in Los Angeles, CA United States

Home University Off-Campus Housing University of Southern California

Homes for Rent near SC

95% of available housing is furnished

Home Exchanges near USC

92% of available housing is furnished

Child-Friendly Housing near USC

92% of available housing is furnished

Pet-Friendly Housing near USC

91% of available housing is furnished

Shared Housing: Private Room for Rent near SC

100% of available housing is furnished

Homes with an office or Writing Sanctuary near Southern Cal

97% of available housing is furnished

Homes offered by Faculty, Staff or Affiliated Scholars

96% of available housing is furnished

Accommodations with House Sitting Requested near USC

97% of available housing is furnished

Home Rentals and Home Exchanges with Outdoor Living Spaces near University of Southern California

98% of available housing is furnished

Southern Cal Information

University Southern Cal
City Los Angeles
State California
Country United States
Official Website
Social Media
Careers Coming Soon.

What Makes USC Unique?

Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California (USC) is the oldest private research university in California and one of the most influential in the country, with particularly deep ties to the entertainment, technology, and creative industries of Los Angeles. Its University Park campus, known for its distinctive Romanesque and Spanish Revival architecture, sits just south of downtown LA, with a separate Health Sciences campus in the northeast of the city. Each year USC draws visiting scholars, postdoctoral researchers, faculty on sabbatical, and graduate students from around the world, who come to work with its faculty and use its laboratories, libraries, and research centers.

For academics planning a semester, a research year, or a short-term fellowship at USC, finding the right housing is often the biggest logistical hurdle. Los Angeles is an expensive and competitive rental market, and university housing for visitors is limited, so most scholars look to off-campus housing instead. That is where SabbaticalHomes comes in. Our community connects scholars with furnished home rentals, sublets, apartments, and home exchanges offered by fellow academics who understand the rhythms of the academic calendar.

What Are the Academic Specialties at USC?

USC is an R1 research university, the highest designation for research activity in the United States, organized into the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and more than twenty professional schools:

  • The School of Cinematic Arts is the first and most famous film school in the country, having graduated more Academy and Emmy Award winners than any other institution.
  • The Viterbi School of Engineering is consistently ranked among the nation's best, with strengths in computer science, AI, and biomedical engineering.
  • The Marshall School of Business is a leading global business school with a strong entrepreneurial focus.
  • The Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is a premier center for media, communication, and journalism scholarship.
  • The Keck School of Medicine anchors a major academic medical enterprise at the Health Sciences campus.
  • The Thornton School of Music and the Dornsife College round out USC's strengths across the performing arts and the liberal arts and sciences.

USC's interdisciplinary culture and its place at the heart of Los Angeles bring a steady flow of visiting scholars, postdocs, and collaborators to the city throughout the year. Many of these appointments run for a semester or an academic year, which makes temporary furnished housing especially valuable.

What Neighborhoods Do USC Faculty and Staff Prefer?

USC's University Park campus sits in central Los Angeles, and the surrounding neighborhoods offer a range of off-campus homes for visiting scholars and faculty:

  • University Park: the campus neighborhood itself, walkable and convenient, with historic homes and apartments alongside restaurants and shops.
  • West Adams: a historic district just south and west with handsome bungalows and a diverse, established community.
  • Downtown LA: a short ride north on the Metro E Line, offering loft and high-rise living with the city's best dining, arts, and nightlife.
  • Koreatown: a dense, central neighborhood north of campus, famous for its food scene and well connected by transit.
  • Culver City: a creative-industry hub west of campus, directly on the Metro E Line, popular with scholars tied to the entertainment and tech sectors.
  • Exposition Park and Jefferson Park: residential areas adjacent to campus, convenient for a short walk or bike commute.

Many SabbaticalHomes listings in these neighborhoods come from academics themselves, which means they are genuinely homes for academics: desks, book-friendly shelving, and hosts who understand semester-based timelines.

What Are Frequently Asked Questions About USC Housing?

How do scholars get around, and do they need a car?

Many visiting academics at USC manage without a car, thanks to the university's central location and transit options. The Metro E Line runs right past campus, reaching downtown Los Angeles in about ten minutes and continuing west to Culver City and Santa Monica without a transfer, and affiliates receive a transit pass through the U-Pass program. USC also runs shuttles, including service between the University Park and Health Sciences campuses and to Union Station, and operates a free evening rideshare program around campus. That said, Los Angeles is a sprawling, car-oriented city, so some scholars find a car useful for trips beyond the transit network. When choosing housing, proximity to an E Line station or a frequent bus route is the most useful filter.

Which neighborhoods are within walking distance of USC?

University Park surrounds the campus and is the most walkable choice, putting scholars within a short stroll of lectures, libraries, and the campus's dining and cultural venues. West Adams, Exposition Park, and Jefferson Park are also walkable or a quick bike ride away. Because USC is in a dense urban setting, it is worth getting to know the specific blocks near campus when choosing a home, and the university's housing resources can help. As walkable units near campus are in demand, setting up a search alert on SabbaticalHomes helps you act quickly when a good match appears.

Can visiting scholars find furnished rentals near USC for a single semester?

Yes. USC hosts a large community of postdocs and visiting researchers, so semester-length furnished stays are common. Many SabbaticalHomes listings come from faculty who sublet or rent out their own homes while away for a term or a sabbatical year. These furnished, four-to-six-month options are difficult to find through conventional rental channels, which favor twelve-month leases, and they spare you the cost and effort of furnishing a home for a stay of only a few months.

Ready to find your home near USC? Browse off-campus home rentals, sublets, and home exchanges across Los Angeles, or list your own home for the scholars headed your way.

Related: Finding Your Perfect Guest House for Rent in LA

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