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San Francisco , CA
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university located in the heart of San Francisco, California. With a strong emphasis on social justice and a commitment to educating the whole person, USF offers a diverse range of undergraduate and graduate programs across various fields. Founded in 1855, the university has a rich history and is known for its rigorous academics, engaged faculty, and vibrant campus community.
USF prides itself on its dedication to social responsibility and social justice. Students are encouraged to explore global perspectives and make a positive impact by engaging in community service and social activism. The university's core curriculum focuses on developing critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and writing skills, ensuring that graduates are well-prepared for success in their chosen fields and as active, responsible citizens.
One of the university's distinguishing features is its location in San Francisco, a world-renowned city known for its innovation, diversity, and cultural richness. USF takes advantage of this vibrant setting by promoting experiential learning opportunities and partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and institutions. By fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment, USF encourages students to engage in interdisciplinary learning, research, and creative expression, ultimately preparing them to be leaders in their communities and industries.
University of San Francisco is a private university located in San Francisco, CA and set in an urban environment. This school uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 61%. The freshman retention rate at University of San Francisco is 83.7% and the six-year graduation rate is 70%.
For freshmen, the application deadline for this school is January 15. The transfer application deadline is March 1.
Here are some essential information on important things to consider about University of San Francisco.
Quick Facts
5,321
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
$61,720
Tuition
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
70%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you learn as much as possible about the institution's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will greatly improve. What are the admission requirements for University of San Francisco?
According to the newest data, this school uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 15,358 in 2025. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
12.39% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 2.61% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 20.18% of the first-year students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 57.02% between 1,200 and 1,399, 21.05% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 1.75% between 800 and 999. The percent of freshman students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 33.33, 50 between 24-29, 12.5 in the range between 18-23, and 4.17 between 12-17.
The average ACT score for all the enrolled students in 2025 was 27 while the average GPA was 3.62. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into University of San Francisco; the same goes for your ACT score.
The SAT Critical Reading average score was 655 for the accepted students, while the average SAT Math score was 638.
Deadlines
The deadline for submitting applications to this school is January 15. If you are thinking about applying as a transfer student, the application deadline is March 1.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is the percentage of college or university first-year students who return for their sophomore year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for University of San Francisco was 83.7%, which is considered an above-average retention rate and is indicative of the quality of educational experience at this school.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. This metric measures how efficiently students complete their degrees within a specific time period. The six-year graduation rate at this school is 70%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Deciding if a school is the best fit for you is not an easy task. Gaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
The total number of students enrolled at University of San Francisco in 2025 was 8,912.
That year, the institution had 30% of out-of-state students. There was a total of 5,321 students pursuing undergraduate degrees, including 483 international students. 274 students enrolled as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 2,439 male and 4,625 female full-time students in 2025, which speaks volumes for gender equality at this institution.
Student Population Diversity
When it comes to improving a sense of inclusion and belonging among students, there is no denying the importance of student diversity. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
In 2025, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of students of Asian origin was 1,408, and the number of African American students was 429. 1,185 students at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 547 identified with more than one race. The school also had 13 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 9 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 24 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Financial planning for school is one of the most important things to think about before you apply. Here are some details you should know about the cost of attendance for University of San Francisco.
Tuition and Fees
If you were wondering how much the tuition cost for University of San Francisco is, here are some recent data that will come in handy.
Tuition in 2025 was $61,720 for full-time domestic students. University of San Francisco is a private institution, so tuition is the same for all the accepted students. Full-time students in 2025 had to pay additional fees in the amount of $592.
Books and Supplies
The estimated price of books and supplies for a college or university should also be taken into account as another significant financial factor. Most students have to allocate about $1,089 for books and supplies during their time at University of San Francisco.
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. What is the typical amount colleges and universities charge for lodging and meals?
In 2025, the price of room and board at University of San Francisco was $18,490 per academic year. The cost of a dorm room only at this school in 2025 totaled $12,490 for one academic year. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was $14,490.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 61,720 |
| Room and Board | $ 18,490 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,089 |
| Total Expense | $ 81,299 |
Financial Aid
Be it a grant, loan, scholarship, or work-study program, any type of financial support can be a great deal for a number of students. Check out some recent data to get the information about need-based and non-need-based monetary aid you might get at University of San Francisco.
The most recent records show that 622 freshmen received some sort of financial help. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $41,867.
Need-based
Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.
3,103 students secured some form of need-based financial aid. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need amounted to 3,166. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution totaled $11,796,134, and state $7,972,617. The students of University of San Francisco received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $93,074,023, and external in the amount of $1,294,250.
$22,509
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based aid is any type of financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid. The most popular forms of non-need-based financial aid for students are loans and grants, like Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
294 students, including freshmen, were awarded institutional non-need-based financial aid at this institution in 2025. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 75 full-time freshmen. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $34,468,700. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $354,224 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Open Applications
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Majors
Faculty
11:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Knowing more about a school's faculty can help you gauge the caliber of the education it can provide to you.
In 2025, this ratio at University of San Francisco was 11:1. That means that there were 11 times more students than teachers at this school. According to the most recent information, there are 1,089 faculty members at this school. This number included 469 male and 620 female faculty members. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at University of San Francisco.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at University of San Francisco: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Find out some details about campus life at University of San Francisco.
Its campus spans 55 acres.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
There are 143 student organizations and groups with open membership at this school. Sororities and fraternities are included in that number. The student organization that has the biggest membership is Kappa Alpha Theta, followed by Delta Zeta and Black Student Union. Other popular student organizations at this school are Nursing Student Association and Kasamahan.
Students who like music can join the University of San Francisco band or chorus. For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club. Interested in media and communication? University of San Francisco publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
University of San Francisco provides a number of services important for a comfortable and secure life on campus.
There are phone and alarm devices that can be accessed 24/7 for emergency situations. The dormitory entrances are electronically operated. There is a round-the-clock security patrol. The late-night transport/escort service is available.
There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Women's Center are available to the students of University of San Francisco.
All in all, campus life at University of San Francisco is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at University of San Francisco.
Career Counselling
At University of San Francisco, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be excellent for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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University of San Francisco is located in San Francisco, CA.
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According to the latest information, the tuition for University of San Francisco is 61,720 USD a year.
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This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for University of San Francisco is 61%.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for University of San Francisco is 83.7%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.