I'm living next to USC and I went to UCLA Extension so I know both areas ka. My husband is studying PhD at USC so we have to live there for a while.

The area around USC is not so safe. It's just south of LA downtown which is dodgy. I can't go out to jog in the evening. There were shootings and robbery in the surrouding area where African-Americans and Latinos live. You can search online and find some news about USC students got shot in the area. The school itself is a private school so you will meet richer American kids in general. The price is the same for both American and International students. Their alumni love donating millions of dollars to USC so they build new buildings all the times. They are very magnificent.

I do like the area around UCLA. It's safer and nicer. I've never heard anything about shootings there. It's on a hill so it's a little harder to ride a bike around but you'll get to exercise more. You will find more students on bicycle near USC more than UCLA. If you like to go to the beach, UCLA is a little closer to Santa Monica beach. There are more interesting shopping centers in this area. This is a public school so you will be paying an International Student price, while Americans pay a lot less and receive government grants. As a public school, their funding is not as high as USC and the facilities aren't as luxurious. The campus is still very nice though.