In more evidence of the growing popularity of USC’s undergraduate programs, the university recently was ranked in the top 10 “dream colleges” based on a Princeton Review survey of college applicants.

USC was listed as No. 9 nationally by students answering the question: “What ‘dream college’ do you wish you could attend if acceptance or cost weren’t issues?” More than 8,700 applicants from around the nation completed the survey.

In order, the top 10 “dream colleges” identified by college-bound students were Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, New York University, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, USC and UCLA.

Other findings in the survey showed (among student and parent respondents combined):

• 61 percent of respondents reported high levels of stress about college applications.

• 71 percent expect the cost of their degree to exceed $75,000.

• 84 percent say financial aid will be “very necessary.”

USC is included annually in the Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” edition, published every August. The university also was included in the publication’s most recent list of “Colleges With a Conscience.”

USC was selected for that honor “because of its record of having excellent service-learning programs and blending academics with community work.”