How can I compare the net cost of Duke and USC after scholarships?

Compare the actual award letters, not each school’s headline cost of attendance. Treat grants and scholarships as discounts; do not count loans, parent loans, or work-study as money already paid toward your bill.

For each college, make one side-by-side annual worksheet: tuition and mandatory fees; housing and meal plan (or a realistic off-campus budget); university health insurance if you will use it; books and supplies; transportation; and personal expenses. Subtract only institutional grants, merit scholarships, and outside scholarships that the college confirms can be applied to your charges.

Then check the terms attached to every award. Confirm whether the scholarship renews for four years, what GPA, enrollment, or academic-progress requirements apply, whether it is a fixed dollar amount or rises with tuition, and whether receiving outside scholarships reduces need-based grant aid. Also separate any one-time enrollment grant from renewable aid. If either package includes need-based assistance, ask the financial aid office whether the amount is expected to change if your family’s finances stay similar.

The clearest decision is the school with the lower guaranteed four-year net cost after realistic living and travel expenses, unless the higher-cost option offers a specific academic, career, or personal advantage worth the documented difference. A four-year comparison is more reliable than choosing based on this fall’s bill alone.