University of San Francisco
About
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit university in San Francisco, California, United States. Founded in 1855, it has nearly 9,000 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in 59 major programs. In addition to its main campus in the Golden Gate area, it has satellite campuses in downtown San Francisco, Orange County, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates — a notably small equity gap.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 93 Title IV programs, 40 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 53 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing40 · 43.0%
- No Data53 · 57.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 9
Action history · 16
- May 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- May 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- May 2025Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Feb 2025Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- Mar 2024Removal of Show Cause StatusCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,801 students received $10.6M in Pell grants, alongside $118.6M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 2,309 borrowers who entered repayment, 13 (0.5%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at University of San Francisco
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 11
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus28
- Public property30
Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Lone Mountain Residence Hall1 fireHeating equipmentDamage $0-$99
- Fromm Residence Hall2 firesSmoking materialsDamage $0-$99
- Fromm Residence Hall2 firesCookingDamage $0-$99
- Lone Mountain East1 fireStudents used lighters and cigarettes to burn flyers posted in the residence hall stairwell.Damage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
University of San Francisco vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions University of San Francisco selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectUniversity of San Francisco | 70% | — | 8,913 | $39,495 | Doctoral/Professional |
Azusa Pacific University | 62% | 88.4% | 6,272 | $19,798 | R2 Research |
Boston College | 91% | 16.4% | 15,432 | $39,866 | R1 Research |
Chapman University | 82% | 65.4% | 9,760 | $47,527 | R2 Research |
DePaul University | 68% | 75.9% | 21,210 | $29,141 | R2 Research |
Duquesne University | 77% | 83.6% | 8,234 | $34,978 | R2 Research |
Fordham University | 82% | 59.3% | 16,150 | $42,581 | R2 Research |
Gonzaga University | 86% | 81.7% | 7,470 | $36,371 | Doctoral/Professional |
Loyola Marymount University | 79% | 45.1% | 10,179 | $45,723 | R2 Research |
Loyola University Chicago | 75% | 81.6% | 17,384 | $35,196 | R2 Research |
Marquette University | 83% | 81.3% | 11,746 | $29,237 | R2 Research |
Pepperdine University | 83% | 62.9% | 8,976 | $45,409 | Doctoral/Professional |
Saint Mary's College of California | 70% | 86.5% | 2,734 | $31,198 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Santa Clara University | 88% | 48.0% | 9,728 | $50,959 | Doctoral/Professional |
Seattle University | 76% | 76.9% | 7,189 | $34,802 | Doctoral/Professional |
Seton Hall University | 69% | 73.3% | 9,571 | $28,921 | R2 Research |
University of Portland | 80% | 89.2% | 3,285 | $36,371 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
University of San Diego | 84% | 52.4% | 9,714 | $31,265 | R2 Research |
University of Southern California | 92% | 9.8% | 46,566 | $31,927 | R1 Research |
| Peer group median | 80% | 74.6% | 9,714 | $35,196 |
University of San Francisco Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research and Analytics supports internal decision-making, strategic planning, and external accountability through data collection, analysis, and reporting on enrollment, retention, graduation, faculty and staff, and academic programs.
Visit IR office page- Calypso TapiaSenior Institutional Data Analyst
- Dylan JohnsonInstitutional Data Analyst
- Kiara DorionInstitutional Data Analyst
- Nathan CainAssociate Vice Provost
Common Data Set (14)
The institution's official annual Common Data Set publications — the most detailed reference for enrollment, admissions, and outcomes.
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planUSF 2027 Strategic Plan2022The University of San Francisco's 'USF 2027 Strategic Plan' aims to thrive through academic innovation, diversity, and community engagement. The plan outlines goals to enhance educational practices, diversify revenue streams, and strengthen community ties to support students in a rapidly changing world. Initiatives focus on increasing student enrollment, improving equity and well-being, and expanding local and global partnerships.myusf.usfca.edu
Notable alumni of University of San Francisco (25)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Kevin StarrAcademia
- Pacita AbadArts and entertainment
- Richard EganArts and entertainment
- Michael FrantiArts and entertainment
- Joe RosenthalArts and entertainment
- Suzanne SomersArts and entertainment
- K.C. JonesAthletics
- Bill RussellAthletics
- Pete RozelleAthletics
- Alyssa NakkenAthletics
- Jerry BaldwinBusiness
- Gordon BowkerBusiness
Frequently asked questions about University of San Francisco
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about University of San Francisco.
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