The University of San Carlos (USC or colloquially San Carlos) is a private, Catholic, research, coeducational basic and higher education institution administered by the Philippine Southern Province of the Society of the Divine Word missionaries in Cebu City, Philippines, since 1935. It offers basic education (Montessori academy, grade school, junior high school and senior high school) and higher education (undergraduate and graduate studies). Founded originally in 1595 as Colegio de San Ildefonso which was closed upon the expulsion of the Jesuit missionaries from the Philippines in 1768. The Colegio was reopened in 1783 as Seminario-Colegio de San Carlos until the colegio was split from the seminary in 1924. The Colegio de San Carlos became university on July 1, 1948.

USC has 5 campuses with combined land area of 88 hectares or 217 acres (Talamban campus has 78 hectares). The Commission on Higher Education has recognized 8 of its programs as Centers of Excellence and 12 of its programs as Centers of Development as of March, 2016.

USC has 25,000+ students (2022-2023) who are called by the name Carolinians of which 250+ are international students, enrolled in collegiate undergraduate and graduate programs and served by about 1,040+ academic faculty and staff with a teacher to student ratio of 1:24. About 500 Carolinian students are academic scholars.