Holiday Calendar

USC Holiday Calendar 2026-2027: Holidays, Breaks & Key Dates

By eriq elikplim
USC Holiday Calendar.

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This page covers the USC Holiday Calendar 2026-2027: Fall, Spring, and Summer term dates, staff and faculty paid holidays, religious and cultural observances, housing move-in/move-out dates, and school-specific calendars for Marshall, Gould, Keck, and USC’s other divisions, as scheduled on the USC Academic Calendar 2026-2027.

Table of Contents

USC Holiday Calendar 2026-2027 at a Glance

USC’s 2026-2027 academic year runs from Monday, August 24, 2026, through Tuesday, August 10, 2027, across Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. Winter Recess runs Thursday, December 17, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027.

The academic year totals 198 instructional days across three terms: 68 in Fall 2026, 73 in Spring 2027, and 57 in Summer 2027.

The table below summarizes the milestones that anchor the rest of this page.

MilestoneDate
Fall 2026 Classes BeginMonday, August 24, 2026
Labor Day HolidayMonday, September 7, 2026
Fall RecessThursday, October 8 – Friday, October 9, 2026
Thanksgiving HolidayWednesday, November 25 – Sunday, November 29, 2026
Fall 2026 Classes EndFriday, December 4, 2026
Winter RecessThursday, December 17, 2026 – Sunday, January 10, 2027
Spring 2027 Classes BeginMonday, January 11, 2027
Spring RecessSunday, March 14 – Sunday, March 21, 2027
Spring 2027 Classes EndFriday, April 30, 2027
CommencementWednesday, May 12 – Saturday, May 15, 2027
Summer 2027 Classes BeginWednesday, May 19, 2027
Summer 2027 Classes EndTuesday, August 10, 2027

Fall carries the shortest term at 68 instructional days; Spring is the longest at 73. This asymmetry is a structural feature of USC’s official calendar, not a one-year anomaly — Fall consistently absorbs more non-instructional days (Labor Day, Fall Recess, Veterans Day, and the five-day Thanksgiving closure) than Spring, which carries only Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, and a one-week Spring Recess.

USC Holidays for Fall 2026 Semester

USC observes four holiday or recess periods during Fall 2026: Labor Day, Fall Recess, Veterans Day, and Thanksgiving.

Holiday/RecessDay(s)Date
Labor Day HolidayMondaySeptember 7, 2026
Fall RecessThursday–FridayOctober 8–9, 2026
Veterans DayWednesdayNovember 11, 2026
Thanksgiving HolidayWednesday–SundayNovember 25–29, 2026
Winter RecessThursday–SundayDecember 17, 2026 – January 10, 2027

Thanksgiving Day itself falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026 — the fourth Thursday of the month — and USC’s closure extends from the preceding Wednesday through the following Sunday, a five-day span.

Winter Recess begins immediately after Fall final exams conclude and extends into early January. USC’s Fall 2026 calendar also lists an additional “Winter Holiday” within the Winter Recess period with a date still to be determined.

This typically marks a supplemental floating closure day inside the recess window and is confirmed closer to the term; readers tracking exact December office-closure dates should check back as the semester approaches.

USC Holidays for Spring 2027 Semester

Spring 2027 carries only two named holidays — Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents’ Day — compared to Fall’s four holiday periods, which explains why Spring’s instructional-day count runs five days higher despite the two terms spanning similar calendar lengths.

HolidayDayDate
Martin Luther King Jr. DayMondayJanuary 18, 2027
Presidents’ DayMondayFebruary 15, 2027

Spring Recess and Commencement 2027

USC’s Spring Recess 2027 runs Sunday, March 14, through Sunday, March 21, 2027 — a full week, positioned roughly midway through the semester.

Commencement follows the Spring final exam period directly: USC’s 2027 commencement ceremonies run Wednesday, May 12, through Saturday, May 15, 2027, overlapping with the final day of exams.

Degree conferral and individual school convocation ceremonies are typically distributed across this four-day window rather than concentrated on a single date; students should confirm their specific school’s ceremony day and time through their department, since Commencement week combines a university-wide ceremony with dozens of individual school convocations.

USC Holidays for Summer 2027 Session

USC’s Summer 2027 session runs from Wednesday, May 19, 2027, through Tuesday, August 10, 2027, and carries 57 instructional days.

EventDay(s)Date
RegistrationMonday–TuesdayMay 17–18, 2027
Classes BeginWednesdayMay 19, 2027
Memorial DayMondayMay 31, 2027
Juneteenth (observed)FridayJune 18, 2027
Independence Day (observed)MondayJuly 5, 2027
Classes EndTuesdayAugust 10, 2027

Two of Summer 2027’s federal holidays fall on weekends and shift to an adjacent weekday under standard observed-holiday convention: the actual date of Juneteenth, Saturday, June 19, 2027, is observed the preceding Friday, June 18, 2027; and Independence Day, Sunday, July 4, 2027, is observed the following Monday, July 5, 2027.

USC Paid Holidays for Staff, Faculty, and Employees (2026-2027)

USC’s staff holiday calendar differs from its student academic calendar: some dates that appear as non-instructional (no classes) on the student calendar are not paid holidays for staff, and vice versa.

This is the single most confused point in USC’s holiday system for employees, and it splits into three separate categories rather than a simple yes/no.

Full List of USC Paid University Holidays, 2026-2027

USC observes nine standard paid holidays plus a separate Winter Recess pay period for benefits-eligible staff. USC Human Resources has confirmed that this structure — nine paid holidays plus Winter Recess — is the university’s standing baseline, with the floating Personal Holiday added on top of it rather than replacing any of it.

Paid HolidayDayDate
Labor DayMondaySeptember 7, 2026
Thanksgiving DayThursdayNovember 26, 2026
Day After ThanksgivingFridayNovember 27, 2026
Christmas DayFridayDecember 25, 2026
Winter Recess (paid workdays)Monday–ThursdayDecember 28–31, 2026
New Year’s DayFridayJanuary 1, 2027
Martin Luther King Jr. DayMondayJanuary 18, 2027
Presidents’ DayMondayFebruary 15, 2027
Memorial DayMondayMay 31, 2027
Independence Day (observed)MondayJuly 5, 2027

The Winter Recess paid-workday window above reflects USC’s standard pattern of paying benefits-eligible staff for the workdays falling between Christmas and New Year’s Day; USC had not yet published the finalized 2026-2027 Winter Recess pay dates at the time of writing, consistent with the “TBD” Winter Holiday designation on the Fall 2026 academic calendar. Confirm exact dates through USC’s Employee Gateway closer to December 2026.

USC Holiday Status by Type: Paid Holiday vs. Non-Instructional Day

Not every date that closes classrooms also closes payroll, and not every date that closes payroll also cancels classes. USC sorts its holidays into three distinct categories, and this table applies that sorting to every contested date in the 2026-2027 calendar.

DateOccasionClasses Held?Paid Staff Holiday?
Tuesday, October 6, 2026USC Founders DayYesNo — Personal Holiday eligible
Monday, October 12, 2026Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ DayYesNo
Wednesday, November 11, 2026Veterans DayNo (non-instructional)No — Personal Holiday eligible
Thursday, November 26, 2026Thanksgiving DayNoYes
Friday, November 27, 2026Day After ThanksgivingNoYes
Monday, January 18, 2027Martin Luther King Jr. DayNoYes
Monday, February 15, 2027Presidents’ DayNoYes
Monday, May 31, 2027Memorial DayNoYes
Friday, June 18, 2027Juneteenth (observed)No (non-instructional)No — Personal Holiday eligible
Monday, July 5, 2027Independence Day (observed)NoYes

USC designates Juneteenth, Veterans Day, and similar dates as non-instructional days — meaning classes are cancelled — without classifying them as standard paid staff holidays.

Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day sits in a third category entirely: it is neither a non-instructional day nor a paid holiday, and classes proceed as normal.

Winter Recess Pay: Who Is Eligible at USC?

USC pays benefits-eligible staff employees for Winter Recess workdays, but eligibility is not universal across the workforce.

USC’s Paid University Holidays policy extends holiday pay to all full-time staff employees while excluding several specific categories.

Faculty, graduate student workers, and several categories of non-benefits-eligible staff follow a different set of rules than standard full-time staff.

Employees Excluded from USC Winter Recess Pay

USC’s Paid University Holidays policy excludes four categories of employees from standard holiday and Winter Recess pay.

These excluded categories are resource employees, per diem employees, faculty, and employees claiming student status — including teaching assistants and research assistants — along with staff covered by a collective bargaining agreement, who instead follow the holiday terms in their applicable labor contract.

  • Resource employees — staff hired for intermittent or on-call assignments rather than a standing FTE position
  • Per diem employees — staff paid on a day-by-day basis rather than a fixed salary or hourly schedule
  • Faculty — instructional and research faculty, who are not classified under the staff holiday policy
  • Student-status employees — including teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs)
  • Bargaining-unit staff — employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement, whose holiday terms come from their union contract rather than the general university policy

The USC Paid Personal Holiday Explained

USC’s Personal Holiday is a single floating paid day off, added on top of the university’s nine standard paid holidays, that employees schedule at their own discretion by the end of each calendar year.

USC introduced the Personal Holiday specifically to give employees a paid option for observances the university does not cover as standard holidays — including federal and state holidays outside USC’s Paid Holiday Policy, religious holidays, and USC’s own Founders Day.

Which Days Qualify for USC’s Personal Holiday?

USC does not restrict the Personal Holiday to a fixed list — employees may apply it to any day that holds personal or cultural significance to them, within Workday scheduling and supervisor approval. Commonly cited eligible occasions include:

  • Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11, 2026)
  • Juneteenth (observed Friday, June 18, 2027)
  • Cesar Chavez Day (March 31)
  • USC Founders Day (Tuesday, October 6, 2026)
  • Religious and cultural holidays not otherwise covered by USC’s Paid Holiday Policy

Does USC Have a Holiday Off? Quick Answers

This section answers the most commonly searched holiday-status questions directly, using the paid-holiday and non-instructional-day distinction established above.

Is USC Closed for Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

No. USC holds regular classes on Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, October 12, 2026. It is neither a non-instructional day for students nor a paid holiday for staff.

Does USC Observe Juneteenth?

Partially. USC designates Juneteenth (observed Friday, June 18, 2027) as a non-instructional day — no classes are held — but it is not one of USC’s nine standard paid staff holidays. Staff who want the day off with pay typically apply their floating Personal Holiday to it.

Is USC Closed on Veterans Day?

Partially. Classes are cancelled at USC on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2026, but the day is not a standard paid staff holiday. It is one of the occasions USC designates as eligible for the Personal Holiday.

Does USC Have Presidents’ Day Off?

Yes. Presidents’ Day, Monday, February 15, 2027, is both a non-instructional day for students and one of USC’s nine standard paid staff holidays.

Is USC Closed on MLK Day?

Yes. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, January 18, 2027, is both a non-instructional day and a standard paid staff holiday at USC.

Does USC Give Founders Day Off?

No. USC holds regular classes on Founders Day, Tuesday, October 6, 2026, which marks the university’s 1880 founding. It is not a paid staff holiday, though staff may apply their Personal Holiday to it.

Religious and Cultural Holiday Calendar 2026-2027

USC maintains a religious and cultural observance calendar spanning fourteen faith traditions, published by the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life to help students and faculty plan around dates that fall outside the standard academic holiday schedule.

This calendar is separate from — and considerably more extensive than — the paid-holiday and non-instructional-day lists above, since most religious observances do not cancel classes or close university offices.

Fall 2026 Religious Observances at USC

DateObservanceTradition
August 1, 2026Lughnasadh / LammasPaganism
August 15, 2026Assumption of MaryChristianity
August 28, 2026Raksha BandhanHinduism
September 4, 2026Krishna JanmashtamiHinduism
September 8–14, 2026Paryushana ParvaJainism
September 11–13, 2026Rosh HashanahJudaism
September 14, 2026Ganesh ChaturthiHinduism
September 15, 2026Samvatsari / Day of ForgivenessJainism
September 20–21, 2026Yom KippurJudaism
September 22, 2026Autumn Equinox / MabonPaganism
September 25 – October 2, 2026SukkotJudaism
October 2–4, 2026Shemini Atzeret & Simchat TorahJudaism
October 4, 2026Feast of St. Francis of AssisiChristianity
October 11–19, 2026Sharada NavaratriHinduism
October 20, 2026Dussehra / VijayadashamiHinduism
October 31 – November 1, 2026Samhain / SamhuinnPaganism
November 1, 2026All Saints’ DayChristianity
November 2, 2026All Souls’ DayChristianity
November 8, 2026DiwaliHinduism, Jainism, Sikhism
November 9, 2026Jain New Year & Day of EnlightenmentJainism
November 10, 2026Birth of the BábBahá’í
November 11, 2026Birth of Bahá’u’lláhBahá’í
November 24, 2026Guru Nanak GurpurabSikhism
November 29, 2026First Sunday of AdventChristianity
December 4–12, 2026Chanukah / HanukkahJudaism
December 8, 2026Bodhi DayBuddhism
December 12, 2026Feast of Our Lady of GuadalupeChristianity
December 21, 2026Winter Solstice / YulePaganism
December 25, 2026ChristmasChristianity
December 26, 2026Kwanzaa beginsPan-African

Spring and Summer 2027 Religious Observances at USC

DateObservanceTradition
January 1, 2027Kwanzaa endsPan-African
January 6, 2027EpiphanyChristianity
January 7, 2027Orthodox ChristmasEastern Orthodox Christianity
January 22–23, 2027Tu BiShvatJudaism
February 1–2, 2027ImbolcPaganism
February 6, 2027Lunar New YearConfucianism, Daoism, Buddhism
February 8, 2027Ramadan beginsIslam
February 10, 2027Ash WednesdayChristianity
February 21, 2027Magha Puja / Sangha DayBuddhism
March 2–20, 2027Nineteen-Day FastBahá’í
March 6, 2027Laylat al-QadrIslam
March 6, 2027Maha ShivaratriHinduism
March 9–10, 2027Eid al-FitrIslam
March 20, 2027Spring Equinox / OstaraPaganism
March 21, 2027Naw-Rúz / Bahá’í New YearBahá’í
March 21, 2027Palm SundayChristianity
March 22, 2027HoliHinduism
March 22–23, 2027PurimJudaism
March 26, 2027Good FridayChristianity
March 28, 2027Easter 2027Christianity
April 14, 2027Vaisakhi / Sikh New YearSikhism
April 19, 2027Mahavir JayantiJainism
April 21, 2027Passover beginsJudaism
April 29, 2027Passover endsJudaism
April 30, 2027Orthodox Good FridayEastern Orthodox Christianity
May 2, 2027Pascha / Orthodox EasterEastern Orthodox Christianity
May 6, 2027Ascension DayChristianity
May 16, 2027PentecostChristianity
May 17, 2027Eid al-AdhaIslam
May 20, 2027Vesak / Buddha DayBuddhism
June 6, 2027Hijri New YearIslam
June 10–12, 2027ShavuotJudaism
June 14–15, 2027AshuraIslam
June 21, 2027Summer Solstice / LithaPaganism

USC’s Policy on Religious Accommodation

USC’s Ramadan and Passover observance dates carry specific classroom guidance because both involve daily fasting and multi-day restrictions on activity, unlike single-day observances.

Ramadan 2027 is projected to run February 8 through March 9, 2027, during which observant Muslim students fast from sunrise to sundown; USC’s guidance asks faculty to accommodate students who may need to break their fast during evening classes or exams.

Passover 2027 begins at sunset on April 21, 2027, and concludes the evening of April 29, 2027; USC’s calendar flags April 22–23 and April 28–29 specifically as days when observant students may not be able to participate in graded activity, consistent with the first and final days of the holiday.

For Jewish and Bahá’í observances, USC’s calendar begins each listed date at sundown the evening before. Saturdays also create a standing scheduling conflict for observant Jewish and Seventh-day Adventist students, whose Sabbath runs from Friday evening through Saturday evening.

USC Student Housing: Move-In, Move-Out, and Break Closures

USC Housing applies different closure rules to different building types, and the rule that applies to a given student depends on whether they live in a residence hall, a suite-style building, or an apartment-style building — not on which break is occurring.

Fall 2026 Move-In

USC’s Fall 2026 Move-In is scheduled for Wednesday, August 19, 2026, five days before classes begin on Monday, August 24, 2026. This gap gives incoming and returning students a five-day window to move in, attend orientation programming, and settle into housing before instruction starts.

Winter Recess Dorm Closures

USC’s Winter Recess dorm closure runs alongside the academic Winter Recess, Thursday, December 17, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027, but the closure rule differs by building type rather than applying uniformly across all student housing.

Suite-Style Buildings and Residence Halls

Residents of residence halls and suite-style buildings must vacate during Winter Recess, though USC Housing does not require them to remove their belongings — students simply lose access to their rooms for the duration of the closure.

Exact vacate and return times are posted by USC Housing ahead of each closure and vary somewhat by building; students should confirm their building’s specific schedule directly with USC Housing rather than relying on a single university-wide time.

Apartment-Style Housing

Residents of USC’s apartment-style buildings are not required to move out during Winter Recess and may remain in their apartments for the full closure period.

This is the distinction most commonly asked about by students choosing between building types: apartment-style housing (including buildings such as USC Village) functions on a lease model that continues through breaks, while residence halls and suites operate on a term-based occupancy model that pauses during recess periods.

Thanksgiving and Spring Break Housing

USC’s shorter breaks — Fall Recess, Thanksgiving, and Spring Recess — do not require residence hall or suite residents to vacate the way Winter Recess does; students generally retain access to their assigned housing throughout these shorter closures.

Dining and some campus services may run reduced hours during these periods even when housing itself stays open, so students planning to remain on campus over Thanksgiving (Wednesday, November 25 – Sunday, November 29, 2026) or Spring Recess (Sunday, March 14 – Sunday, March 21, 2027) should confirm dining availability separately from housing access.

Keck Medicine of USC Holiday Schedule

Keck Medicine of USC’s hospital operations follow a different holiday schedule than the university’s academic and administrative calendar, because inpatient clinical care does not pause for university breaks.

Keck Hospital of USC is a 343-bed acute care hospital that operates as part of Keck Medicine of USC, the university’s medical enterprise, and is affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

Inpatient units, emergency departments, and other acute-care functions at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center operate continuously through all university holidays, Winter Recess, and academic breaks, consistent with standard acute-care hospital staffing.

Outpatient specialty clinics under Keck Medicine of USC generally follow standard weekday business hours and close on the same nine paid university holidays that apply to other USC staff, though individual clinic hours vary by location and specialty.

Patients with appointments scheduled near a listed holiday should confirm hours directly with their specific clinic rather than assuming university-wide closure dates apply uniformly across every Keck Medicine location.

School-Specific USC Academic Calendars for 2026-2027

USC’s professional and graduate schools generally follow the university-wide Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027 dates listed above for standard holidays and recess periods, but several schools publish supplementary calendars for program-specific milestones that don’t appear on the general university calendar.

Marshall School of Business

USC Marshall School of Business follows the standard university academic calendar for undergraduate and full-time MBA programs, while its specialized graduate programs — including part-time and executive MBA cohorts — often run on separate term structures with their own start dates, module breaks, and residency weekends.

Students in these specialized programs should confirm cohort-specific dates through Marshall’s own program office rather than the general university calendar.

Gould School of Law

USC Gould School of Law’s Juris Doctor (J.D.) program generally aligns with the university’s Fall and Spring semester structure, including Fall Recess, Thanksgiving, Winter Recess, and Spring Recess dates.

Gould’s final exam period, however, typically runs on a schedule distinct from the university-wide undergraduate exam block listed above, since law school exams are frequently scheduled around case-method course structures.

Graduate law programs (LL.M. and other specialized degrees) may follow separate intensive or modular calendars.

Keck School of Medicine and the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy

Medical and pharmacy education at USC runs on academic structures that diverge from the standard university calendar more than any other school, because clinical rotations continue through periods when the rest of the university is on recess.

USC Academic Calendar 2026-2027 for Pharmacy and Medical Programs

The USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences structures its curriculum around didactic years (typically P1 through P3) followed by Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations in the P4 year; APPE rotation blocks commonly extend through university holidays and Winter Recess, since clinical practice sites do not close for academic breaks.

Similarly, Keck School of Medicine’s clinical clerkship schedules for third- and fourth-year students run on block rotations tied to hospital and clinic staffing rather than the standard semester calendar. Students in either program should confirm exact rotation-block dates through their school’s student affairs office, since these dates are published separately from — and do not mirror — the university-wide academic calendar above.

Viterbi, Annenberg, and Dornsife

USC Viterbi School of Engineering, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, and USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences all follow the standard university-wide Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027 calendar published by the Office of the Registrar, without the specialized rotation or cohort structures found in Marshall’s executive programs, Gould’s law calendar, or Keck/Pharmacy’s clinical rotations. Students in these schools can rely on the Fall, Spring, and Summer tables earlier on this page without adjustment.

Campus Services During USC Holidays and Breaks

Campus service hours at USC generally follow one of three patterns during breaks: full closure, reduced hours, or continued normal operation, and the pattern depends on the service rather than the break itself.

ServiceFall Recess / ThanksgivingWinter RecessSpring Recess
Dining HallsReduced hoursTypically closed or limitedReduced hours
Leavey LibraryReduced hoursReduced hoursReduced hours
Lyon Recreation CenterTypically openReduced hoursTypically open
Student Health CenterReduced hoursReduced hoursReduced hours
Registrar / Financial AidClosed on paid holidays onlyClosed during paid Winter Recess daysOpen
USC ShuttlesReduced or suspendedSuspendedReduced

These are general operating patterns based on USC’s typical break scheduling rather than confirmed 2026-2027 hours, since most ancillary service schedules are not published this far in advance.

Students and staff planning around a specific break should confirm exact hours through each service’s own page closer to the date.

USC (Los Angeles) vs. University of South Carolina: Comparing the Two Calendars

The two institutions sharing the “USC” abbreviation differ in founding, mascot, location, and calendar structure — comparing them directly resolves most of the search confusion between the two schools.

AttributeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of South Carolina
LocationLos Angeles, CaliforniaColumbia, South Carolina
Founded18801801
MascotTrojansGamecocks
Campus systemUniversity Park Campus (UPC), Health Sciences Campus (HSC)Columbia (flagship), Aiken, Upstate, Lancaster, Sumter
Academic year structureSemester system: Fall, Spring, Summer SessionSemester system: Fall, Spring, Summer Sessions
Medical enterpriseKeck Medicine of USC, Keck School of MedicinePrisma Health partnerships, USC School of Medicine (Columbia)
2026-2027 Fall start dateMonday, August 24, 2026Set separately by University of South Carolina’s Office of the Registrar

Because both universities publish their calendars independently and on different cycles, a University of Southern California holiday date should never be assumed to apply to a University of South Carolina campus, or vice versa — the two institutions have no shared calendar administration.

Frequently Asked Questions About the USC Holiday Calendar 2026-2027

When does USC’s Fall 2026 semester start and end?

USC’s Fall 2026 semester begins Monday, August 24, 2026, and ends Friday, December 4, 2026, followed by study days and final exams through December 16, 2026.

How long is USC’s Winter Recess for 2026-2027?

USC’s Winter Recess for 2026-2027 runs 25 days, from Thursday, December 17, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027.

When is USC Spring Break 2027?

USC’s Spring Recess 2027 runs Sunday, March 14, through Sunday, March 21, 2027 — a full week.

Is Winter Recess paid for all USC staff?

No. Winter Recess pay applies only to benefits-eligible full-time staff; per diem employees, resource employees, faculty, student-status workers such as TAs and RAs, and bargaining-unit staff are excluded and follow separate policies.

Does USC follow federal holidays exactly?

No. USC’s paid holiday list overlaps with but does not match the federal holiday list exactly — Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a federal holiday USC does not observe with a class cancellation or staff pay, while Veterans Day and Juneteenth cancel USC classes without qualifying as standard paid staff holidays.

When do USC dorms close for winter break?

Residence halls and suite-style buildings close for the full Winter Recess period, Thursday, December 17, 2026, through Sunday, January 10, 2027; apartment-style buildings remain open throughout.

When is USC commencement 2027?

USC’s 2027 commencement ceremonies run Wednesday, May 12, through Saturday, May 15, 2027.

Is the University of South Carolina the same as USC?

No. The University of South Carolina is a separate institution in Columbia, South Carolina, with its own calendar, mascot (Gamecocks), and founding year (1801), distinct from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

What is USC Founders Day?

USC Founders Day, observed Tuesday, October 6, 2026, marks the university’s 1880 founding. Classes are held as normal, and it is not a paid staff holiday, though it is one of the dates eligible for USC’s floating Personal Holiday.

eriq elikplim
eriq elikplimhttps://acadcalendar.com
Eric Elikplim is the lead editor of AcadCalendar.com. Eriq draws on 10 years of experience in edtech and project management. He has collaborated directly with multiple universities, establishing processes to cross-check term dates, registration deadlines, and exam schedules. Beyond calendar data, Eriq contributes thought leadership on academic productivity: he has authored articles on semester planning, and consulted with student organizations to refine reminder features and user experience.

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