USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
University of Southern California
University of Southern California
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Home⟩Education at USC Chan⟩Entry-Level Doctorate (OTD)⟩Cost of Attendance

Entry-Level Doctorate (OTD)
of Occupational Therapy
Cost of Attendance

The University of Southern California is a private institution where tuition is the same for all students. Residents of California, residents of other states and international students all have the same tuition rate. Estimated tuition and fees are presented below by cohort. Tuition rates are subject to change and are updated annually in accordance with University tuition rate and fees adjustments.

2026-2029 Cohort

Semester # of Units Estimated Tuition USC Grad. Fees Addl. Expenses*
Fall 1 15 $32,516 $1,227 $7,735
Spring 1 17 $32,516 $922 $7,735
Summer 1 17 $32,516 $312 (projected) $7,735
Fall 2 17 $33,654 (projected) $922 $7,735
Spring 2 14–18 $33,654 (projected) $922 $7,735
Summer 2 2 (full-time fieldwork) $4,944 (projected) $312 (projected) $7,735
Fall 3 6-10 $14,931 (projected) $922 $7,735
Spring 3 6-10 $14,931 (projected) $922 $7,735
Summer 3 3 (full-time doctoral capstone) $7,785 (projected) $312 (projected) $7,735
TOTAL 97-109 $207,447 $6,800 $69,615
Total Cost of Tuition and Fees is $214,247

2025-2028 Cohort

Semester # of Units Estimated Tuition USC Grad. Fees Addl. Expenses*
Fall 1 14–18 $32,516 $1,147 $9,748
Spring 1 14–18 $32,516 $897 $9,748
Summer 1 14–18 $32,516 $312 $9,748
Fall 2 14–18 $33,654 $897 $9,748
Spring 2 14–18 $33,654 $897 $9,748
Summer 2 2 $4,944 $312 $9,748
Fall 3 6-10 $14,931 $897 $9,748
Spring 3 6-10 $14,931 $897 $9,748
Summer 3 3 $7,785 $312 $9,748
TOTAL 87-115 $207,447 $6,568 $87,732
Total Cost of Tuition and Fees is $214,015

2024-2027 Cohort

Semester # of Units Estimated Tuition USC Grad. Fees Addl. Expenses*
Fall 1 14–18 $32,516 $1,006 $9,143
Spring 1 14–18 $32,516 $701 $9,143
Summer 1 14–18 $32,516 $300 $9,143
Fall 2 14–18 $32,516 $897 $9,748
Spring 2 14–18 $32,516 $897 $9,748
Summer 2 2 $4,708 $312 $9,748
Fall 3 6-10 $14,931 $897 $9,748
Spring 3 6-10 $14,931 $897 $9,748
Summer 3 3 $7,785 $312 $9,748
TOTAL 87-115 $204,935 $6,219 $85,916
Total Cost of Tuition and Fees is $211,154

2023-2026 Cohort

Semester # of Units Estimated Tuition USC Grad. Fees Addl. Expenses*
Fall 1 14–18 $31,416 $956 $9,143
Spring 1 14–18 $31,416 $651 $9,143
Summer 1 14–18 $31,416 $300 $9,143
Fall 2 14–18 $32,516 $701 $9,143
Spring 2 14–18 $32,516 $701 $9,143
Summer 2 2 $4,708 $300 $9,143
Fall 3 6-10 $13,938 $897 $9,748
Spring 3 6-10 $13,938 $897 $9,748
Summer 3 3 $7,062 $312 $9,748
TOTAL 87-115 $198,926 $5,715 $84,100
Total Cost of Tuition and Fees is $204,641


USC Graduate Fees include: one-time $55 orientation fee, one-time $250 lab fee for OT516 (first fall semester), Student health service/office fee ($720/semester in Fall/Spring), Student programming fee ($40/semester), Norman H. Topping Student Aid Fund ($11/semester in Fall/Spring), Transportation fee ($151/semester in Fall/Spring).

*Additional Expenses: The USC Financial Aid Office estimates annual entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy student costs of $12,300 for housing; $7,035 for dining/meals; $1,200 for books and supplies; $1,680 for personal and miscellaneous; and $990 for transportation ($23,205 per year; in the above tables, the total annual amount is amortized across three semesters per year).

Note on Student Health Insurance
The Student Health Insurance Plan is not included in the Total Cost of Attendance budget for federal financial aid.  According to the USC Financial Aid Office, beginning in academic year 2026–2027, USC Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP) costs will not be built into the student financial aid budget.  Students who have not waived SHIP may have this cost included by submitting an individual budget appeal through their USC Financial Aid Summary and Tasks (FAST) account portal.

Student Health Insurance Plan Premiums for 2026-2027
For All On-Campus Degree Programs, i.e. all undergraduate programs & graduate degree programs that meet in person:
Fall 2026 Rate: $1,313 (August 15, 2026 - January 10, 2027)
Spring 2027 Rate: $2,474 (January 11, 2027 - August 14, 2027)

For Online / Off-Campus Degree Programs, i.e. all programs in satellite locations & graduate degree programs that are conducted completely through online instruction:
Fall 2026 Rate: $2,464 (August 15, 2026 - January 10, 2027)
Spring 2027 Rate: $4,776 (January 11, 2027 - August 14, 2027)

For additional information on Student Health Insurance Plans, please visit the USC Student Health/Keck Medicine of USC website.

Cost of Licensure
If you are planning to work in the United States, please note that the costs and requirements for licensure to practice as an occupational therapist vary across states. Check with your state’s occupational therapy board for additional information. Also, consider that NBCOT study material expenses will vary by person. One of our student ambassadors outlined their personal costs and experience with licensure in California. Please review additional information from the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) regarding licensure.

Scholarships and Financial Aid
We recommend applying for as many scholarships as you can and completing your scholarship applications at the same time as your program application. Apply, apply, apply!

Please see additional information on how to apply for scholarships and financial aid, including videos of students and alumni discussing how they financed their education. We encourage all of our students to apply for all of our USC Chan scholarships as well as outside scholarships and awards.

Note: The scholarship application deadline for incoming students is December 1.

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