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Maintined by the Office of Decision Support and the Office of the Provost. Last Updated: September 2023

USF joins prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU).

USF is the first public university in Florida to be invited to join the AAU in nearly 40 years and is now one of only two institutions from the State University System of Florida to serve as an AAU member.

USF is also one of the youngest institutions to be welcomed into the AAU, a reflection of the university’s fast rise. Of the association’s now 71 members, USF is the fifth youngest and one of only six AAU universities to be founded after 1950.

University of South Florida joins the AAU. Association of American Universities.

National & International Ranking

  • USF rose to #45 among public universities and #89 among all public and private universities in the 2024 U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) National University Rankings.
  • USF ranks 30th among U.S. public institutions (marking the eleventh consecutive year ranked in the top 50) and in the top 250 best universities in the world according to the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.
  • The University of South Florida is home to a student body of 48,732 students representing over 146 different countries.
  • According to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), USF Tampa ranks among the top 40 of the best U.S. public colleges and universities and is in the top 300 in the world (2022).
  • According to the most recently published Top American Research Universities (TARU) report, USF Tampa remains ranked as a top 50 university among public institutions and is now ranked in the top 50 among all institutions (2020).
  • USF ranks to 24th among public institutions and 53rd among all institutions according to the 2023 Washington Monthly National University Rankings. 
  • USF ranks third among the 50 Most Affordable In-State Public Universities (AffordableColleges.com) (2020).
  • USF Tampa was named one of the Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges (#34 in-state, #15 out-of-state) by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance for 2019.
  • In 2018, USF was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa Society, the oldest and most prestigious national honor organization in America.
  • USF ranks in the top 100 of all public institutions according to Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges (2023).
  • USF is now a "Preeminent State Research University", as designated by the Florida Board of Governors in June of 2018.
  • The Institute of International Education has ranked USF 14th in the nation among all public institutions and 17th among doctoral universities as a Leading Institution Awarding Credit for Study Abroad in the 2020-2021 academic year, according to the most recent Open Doors annual report.
  • U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) ranked USF among the Best Colleges for Veterans (2023).

Student Success

  • The Princeton Review ranked USF in the top 50 best value college among public institutions for providing students with high-quality education and career readiness at an affordable cost (2021). 
  • USF is ranked among the best in the 2023 U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) Online Education Program rankings. USF has three online graduate programs ranked in the top 100, including Education, Engineering, and the MBA program, which broke into the top 25. U.S. News also ranks the online MBA program No. 30 for veterans.
  • USF's fall 2023 Freshman academic profile holds an average SAT score of 1306 and a high school GPA of 4.25, which exceeds the Florida Board of Governors Preeminence benchmarks.
  • Morsani College of Medicine 2026 Class is an academically talented class with an average MCAT score of 517 placing it among the 94th percentile nationally and a GPA of 3.89
  • USF Tampa is recognized among the top 50 four-year public colleges and universities by The Chronicle of Higher Education (2019) for Best 6-year Graduation Rate for Pell Students. among 4-year public colleges and universities.
  • USF is a recipient of the 2019 American Council on Education/Fidelity Investments Award for Institutional Transformation, a recognition of USF’s commitment to student success.
  • Times Higher Education Impact Rankings place USF in the top 5 overall in the U.S. for its sustainable development, also leading for its efforts to end poverty, protect oceans and to strengthen partnerships throughout the world (2022). 
  • USF was home to 48 national scholarship and fellowship student awardees during the 2022-2023 academic year including Fulbright, Gilman, and Goldwater.
  • USF ranks #4 in student success among 1,100 public research and doctoral universities according to the 2018 Eduventures Student Success ratings.
  • USF is one of seven universities nationwide and the only university in Florida to earn the Active Minds Healthy Campus Award for promoting student health and well-being (2018).
  • USF’s graduate-level programs continue to be ranked among the best according to the 2024 U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) Graduate School Rankings. USF graduate programs in the top 50 include:
    Industrial and Organizational Psychology (#3)
    Audiology (#18)
    Criminology (#18)
    Public Health (#22)
    Library and Information Studies (#27)
    Nursing - Master’s (#31)
    Nursing – Doctor of Nursing Practice (#33)
    Medical - Graduates Practicing in Medically Underserved Areas (#41)
    Environmental Engineering (#44) 
    Medical - Primary Care (#46)
    Rehabilitation Counseling (#46)
    Physical Therapy (#49)
    Medical - Research (#50)
  • USF Tampa is ranked #9 in the nation and #5 among institutions in the south in the 2023 Princeton Review Best Graduate Entrepreneurship program rankings.
  • U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) ranked USF among the Best Colleges for Veterans  (2023).
  • USF is one of only 18 universities in the nation selected as a Tillman Partnership University of the Pat Tillman Foundation, a selection based on innovative veteran-specific support services and proven culture of community for military families.
  • USF was designated as a Voter Friendly Campus two years in a row (voterfriendlycampus.org, 2021-22, 2023-24).
  • USF faculty continue to earn national and international recognition. USF faculty earned 134 national and international awards in 2022.
  • The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked USF among the top 10 institutions in the nation for Top Producer of Fulbright Scholars, with 7 faculty scholars for the 2021-2022 academic year.
  • In America’s Best Employers by State, USF ranks No. 21 out of 100 public and private employers across a wide array of industries and No. 2 among higher education institutions.
  • In 2022, 6 USF faculty were elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which is recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious honors for academic research. USF has a total of 94 AAAS Fellows among its faculty over the past 20 years.
  • USF is among America’s best employers for women, according to a new list published by Forbes. USF ranks No. 22 on the list, which includes employers across a wide range of industries. 
  • The USF Chapter of the NAI has over 600 USF faculty, staff, students and alumni members, who collectively hold more than 2,900 U.S. patents (2022).

Research & Innovation

  • USF’s innovation and economic development efforts generate more than $582 million in statewide impact each year, sustain more than 4,000 jobs and return more than $71 million in tax revenue to local, state and federal coffers, according to a 2019 analysis from the Washington Economics Group, a leading national firm.  
  • The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame (FloridaInvents.org) was founded at USF in 2013. As of 2023, 68 outstanding Florida inventors have been elected, including 11 from USF.
  • In FY2023, the Florida High Tech Corridor Matching Grants Research Program awarded more than $2 million to support 21 research projects across five USF colleges. These funds, in part, support 101 student research engagements with industry.
  • USF had $405 million in total research expenditures in fiscal year 2020/21 (National Science Foundation HERD Survey).
  • USF is 15th in the nation among public universities and 36th worldwide among all universities in generating new patents (National Academy of Inventors, 2022).
  • In 2022, six USF faculty were elected Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which is recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious honors for academic research. USF currently has a total of 94 AAAS Fellows among its faculty.
  • USF is one of 80 public research universities nationwide classified by the Carnegie Foundation as both a Doctoral University with “Very High Research Activity” and as a “Community Engaged” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The title of “Very High Research Activity” is a distinction attained by less than 4% of all post-secondary institutions. USF is one of four public universities in the state of Florida classified as such (2023).
  • USF is the founder and home of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) (AcademyofInventors.org), a non-profit member organization with over 4,600 individual inventor members, including fellows, senior members, and chapter members, affiliated with more than 300 institutions worldwide. The NAI’s nationally recognized fellows program has more than 1,700 elected fellows, including Nobel laureates, U.S. National Medal of Technology & Innovation and National Medal of Science recipients and National Inventors Hall of Fame inductees, who collectively hold more than 58,000 issued U.S. patents (2022). 
  • USF has 31 NAI Fellows. The USF Chapter of the NAI has over 600 USF faculty, staff, students and alumni members, who collectively hold nearly 3,000 U.S. patents (2022).
  • USF is designated by the Association for Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) as an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University, one of only 80 in the nation (2023).
  • USF won the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities' (APLU) 2019 Institutional Award for Global Learning, Research & Engagement. The Platinum Level APLU award focuses on four areas of excellence: inclusivity, internationalization of research and engagement, leadership and pervasiveness, and assessment. 
  • USF was awarded $546.5 million in research contracts and grants in fiscal year 2022. According to the National Institutes of Health, every $1.00 in research funding brings in $2.63 in local economic growth. In FY2022, USF’s $546.5 million research funding generated over $1.4 billion in local economic growth.
  • USF’s Tampa Bay Technology Incubator serviced 67 resident and affiliate companies this past year (FY2023). Its current companies have created more than 477 jobs and received $416 million in funding to date. USF’s Student Innovation Incubator, which was launched in 2013 at the request of students eager to start their own companies, has supported over 250 student-led companies to date, with approximately 26 new companies each year (FY2023).

Social Responsibility

  • USF is one of 80 public research universities nationwide classified by the Carnegie Foundation as both a Doctoral University with “Very High Research Activity” and as a “Community Engaged” institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The title of “Very High Research Activity” is a distinction attained by less than 4% of all post-secondary institutions. USF is one of four public universities in the state of Florida classified as such (2023).
  • USF was recognized as a Silver Rated Institution in the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index.
  • USF is featured in Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges as an institution of higher education that demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability in its academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation (2023).
  • USF had a total economic impact of $6.02 billion in fiscal 2019-20.
  • With 16,277 employees, USF is the 14th largest public employer in Florida.
  • In the 2019-20 fiscal year, USF-related direct spending, together with ripple effects, supported 68,704 jobs in Florida. 
  • USF spending generated more than $600 million in federal, state and local tax revenue.
  • The university amassed a record total of $535.4 million in research contracts and grants, building a powerful research and innovation enterprise that produces new knowledge and technologies.
  • U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) ranks USF 38th among U.S. public universities as a top performer in Social Mobility, which assesses an institution's success enrolling, retaining and graduating students who come from families with lower incomes and receive federal Pell Grants (2023). 

  • USF is in the top 5 overall in the U.S. for its sustainable development, also leading for its efforts to end poverty, protect oceans and to strengthen partnerships throughout the world, 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings

Boundless Bulls

Boundless Bulls is a collection of stories about what truly makes USF great, the people. It is a focus on our community footprint, our impact and the trajectory of where we can go together. Dive in and learn more about the everyday impact our students, faculty, staff and alumni are making within our community and beyond. 

Learn more 

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Diversity & Inclusion

  • USF is the winner of the Institute of International Education’s 2019 Heiskell Award for Access and Equity.  
  • The University of South Florida is a recipient of the 2022 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, which recognizes U.S. colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. 
  • U.S. News and World Report (USNWR) ranks USF 38th among U.S. public universities as a top performer in Social Mobility, which assesses an institution's success enrolling, retaining and graduating students who come from families with lower incomes and receive federal Pell Grants (2023). 

  • USF is in the top 5 overall in the U.S. for its sustainable development, also leading for its efforts to end poverty, protect oceans and to strengthen partnerships throughout the world, 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Athletics

  • USF Athletics serves nearly 500 student-athletes that train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the Tampa campus.
  • USF fields 19 men’s and women’s varsity teams competing in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. That will become 20 teams in 2023-24 when the Bulls add women’s lacrosse as a varsity sport.
  • USF has claimed 14 national championships, 13 by individuals and one team title as the women’s swimming team won the 1985 NCAA Division II national championship.
  • USF has won 26 conference titles since joining the American Athletic Conference in 2013, including six conference championship trophies claimed in 2020-21.
  • Bulls have received 29 Conference Player or Rookie of the Year awards and 13 coaches or coaching staff have been named Coach of the Year since joining The American.
  • USF has had nine different programs achieve a top 25 national ranking in the last four years.
  • Bulls have earned 44 All-America honors since 2013.
  • USF saw nine programs reach postseason competition in 2020-21.
  • USF softball coach Ken Eriksen led the U.S. Olympic Women’s Softball Team to a silver medal for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
  • USF has had 16 alumni compete as athletes in the Olympic Games.
  • USF football has made 10 bowl game appearances (going 6-4 in those games) and posted a program-record six straight appearances from 2005-2010. The Bulls most recently made four straight bowl appearances from 2015-18 and posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2016 and 2017, logging a program-record 11-2 mark in 2016 while finishing both seasons ranked in the Top 25.
  • USF football celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 and is the fastest program in the state of Florida to reach 150 wins. The Bulls spent a program-record of 20 straight weeks ranked in the Top 25 during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and reached as high as No. 2 in the national rankings during the 2007 season.
  • Bulls have earned 23 Academic All-American honors, including four student-athletes that were twice honored.
  • USF Athletics has posted a combined grade-point average over 3.0 for six straight years and is currently in the midst of a program record string of 13 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0.
  • USF Athletics has posted a Graduation Success Rate of 80 percent or better for seven straight years.
  • USF has seen more than 450 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
  • Prior to the pandemic, USF student-athletes, coaches and staff contributed 4,277 hours of community service in a year and logged more than 14,000 hours over a three-year period.
  • USF has invested more than $70 million in recent years in renovating and maintaining some of the top athletic facilities in the nation and has broken ground on a $22 million Indoor Performance Center to be completed prior to the start of the 2022 season.

Sustainability

  • USF is featured in Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges as an institution of higher education that demonstrates a strong commitment to sustainability in its academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities, and career preparation (2023).
  • USF was recognized as a Silver Rated Institution in the 2022 Sustainable Campus Index.
  • USF Tampa ranks #63 for sustainability among public institutions (Sierra Club, 2021).

  • USF is in the top 5 overall in the U.S. for its sustainable development, also leading for its efforts to end poverty, protect oceans and to strengthen partnerships throughout the world, 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.