USC
Abbreviation with 3 meanings
| Stands for | University of Southern California |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 3 |
| Categories | Education & Academia, Law & Legal |
| Also written | U.S.C. |
USC has three meanings. The most common are University of Southern California (university) and United States Code (legal citation); it can also stand for University of South Carolina.
Meanings of USC at a glance
| # | USC stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | Education & Academia › University |
| 2 | United States Code | Law & Legal › Legal Citation |
| 3 | University of South Carolina | Education & Academia › University |
1. University of Southern California
Education & Academia · University Abbreviations
Private research university in Los Angeles, founded in 1880, known for its School of Cinematic Arts, Marshall School of Business and Trojans athletics. USC joined the Big Ten Conference in 2024 along with crosstown rival UCLA.
Example: He transferred to USC to study film production at the School of Cinematic Arts.
USC is the most common meaning of the initials nationally, but the University of South Carolina uses the same abbreviation, especially in the Southeast. Sportswriters sometimes write "Southern Cal" for the Los Angeles school. Its football rivalry with Notre Dame dates to 1926.
2. United States Code (U.S.C.)
Law & Legal · Legal Citation Abbreviations · also used in government
Official codification of the general and permanent federal statutes, arranged by subject into 54 titles such as Title 18 (Crimes), Title 26 (Internal Revenue Code) and Title 42 (Public Health and Welfare). It is prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the US House of Representatives.
Example: Civil rights claims against state officials are usually brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983.
A citation gives the title, "U.S.C.", the section symbol and section, and in Bluebook style the year of the edition: "18 U.S.C. § 1030 (2018)". Some titles have been enacted as positive law, making the Code itself the law; for the rest, the Statutes at Large control if the two conflict. A new main edition appears every six years, with annual supplements.
3. University of South Carolina
Education & Academia · University Abbreviations
Flagship public university in Columbia, South Carolina, founded in 1801, whose Gamecocks compete in the SEC. Its women's basketball team under Dawn Staley won NCAA titles in 2017, 2022 and 2024.
Example: He got into the Honors College at USC in Columbia on a merit scholarship.
In the Southeast, USC means South Carolina, but nationally it more often means the University of Southern California; the Columbia school often writes "South Carolina" in national contexts. The historic Horseshoe is the original campus. Its international business program is consistently ranked first in the country.
Related abbreviations
More university abbreviations
- UofL – University of Louisville
- UofU – University of Utah
- UPenn – University of Pennsylvania
- USAFA – United States Air Force Academy
- USF – University of South Florida
- USMA – United States Military Academy
- USNA – United States Naval Academy
- UT – University of Texas at Austin
See all 135 university abbreviations →
More legal citation abbreviations
- Treas. Reg. – Treasury Regulation
- U.L.A. – Uniform Laws Annotated
- U.S. – United States Reports
- U.S. Const. – United States Constitution
- U.S.C.A. – United States Code Annotated
- U.S.C.S. – United States Code Service
- U.S.L.W. – United States Law Week
- v. – Versus
See all 87 legal citation abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.