About USF

Overview

USF AT A GLANCE

• Founded: 1956
• Undergraduates: 37,338
• Graduate Students: 10,666
• Non-Degree Seeking: 1,734
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
• Employees (full time and part time): 16,280
• Countries Represented: 68

Enrollment Data as of Drop/Add Fall 2024

Full List of USF Facts

---

Welcome to the University of South Florida. Though a relatively young university, founded in 1956, we have rich traditions – traditions of access and opportunity for students, of academic excellence, of groundbreaking research, of serving our communities.

USF is situated in the vibrant Tampa Bay region with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee. Together, our campuses serve nearly 50,000 students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist and professional degrees. Across our 14 colleges, undergraduates choose from more than 200 majors, minors and concentrations, from business and engineering to the arts and USF Health.

U.S. News & World Report has ranked USF as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities for six consecutive years. Over the past 10 years, USF has risen an impressive 39 spots among public universities, from No. 84 to No. 45, and 65 spots among all universities, from No. 156 to No. 91. U.S. News also ranks USF as the #1 “best value” among all universities in Florida, public or private, and No. 22 nationally for social mobility, which measures an institution’s success at graduating Pell Grant recipients.

In 2023, USF became the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the Association of American Universities (AAU), a prestigious group of the leading universities in the United States and Canada.

High-impact global research is central to USF’s mission as one of only three Preeminent Research Universities, as designated by the Florida Board of Governors. The Preeminence program rewards high-achieving universities based on multiple metrics, including graduation rates, student retention rates, research expenditures and the number of patents awarded.

With 82 new U.S. utility patents granted in 2024, USF is 16th among American public research universities and 34th among all universities worldwide in generating new patents. The ranking places USF as a leader among the more than 1,000 academic institutions generating new, novel and useful inventions granted intellectual property protection from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

USF’s innovation and economic development efforts produce tangible benefits across Florida. The university has a total annual economic impact of $6.02 billion and supports 68,704 jobs in the state. Many of the jobs supported by USF are in high-skill, high-wage, knowledge-based industries, such as life sciences, information technology and financial services.

As Tampa Bay’s only academic medical center, USF Health is in partnership with the Morsani College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Public Health, Taneja College of Pharmacy, School of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Sciences, Biomedical Sciences Graduate & Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health’s multispecialty physicians group. Tampa General Hospital achieved national recognition in eight adult medical specialties, many led or co-led by USF Health faculty physicians, demonstrating a strong partnership in delivering top-quality care. Together through talent and innovation, USF Health is integrating education, research, and patient care to our shared value: Making Life Better.

At USF, we believe every student will succeed if given the opportunity. Everyone can find a connection, as we embrace a global culture on our campuses with students representing nearly 70 countries and a selection of nearly 800 student organizations. We invite you to explore more about our university – in person and online – and discover how you can prosper at USF.