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University of South Florida welcomes the largest and highest-achieving first-year class in its history

More high school students than ever before are interested in enrolling at the University of South Florida, helping lead to the largest and strongest academic incoming class of first-year students in the university’s nearly 70-year history. 

With fall semester classes underway this week, USF is poised to break several all-time records:

  • USF is welcoming its largest-ever class of first-year students. A total of 6,919 students are enrolled, an increase from 6,324 last year (9.4% increase).
  • The fall 2022 class is the strongest academically in USF history. The group carries an average high school GPA of 4.20 (up from 4.18 last year), an average SAT score of 1308 (up from 1297 last year) and an average ACT score of 29 (up from 28 last year).
  • This year’s class includes a record 79 National Merit Scholars, an increase from 62 last year (27.4% increase).
  • More than 65,000 prospective students applied to USF, which is approximately 15,000 more than last year and the most ever at USF (30% increase).
  • Nearly 7,500 students live on campus this fall, the most ever for USF. 

“The size and strength of our incoming class shows that students and their families see the value and significant return on investment that comes with earning a degree from the University of South Florida,” USF President Rhea Law said. “We are excited to welcome this new group of students to our university, and we are committed to maximizing their success and preparing them for careers in high-demand fields.” 

USF’s overall enrollment remains steady at nearly 50,000 students, a similar total to previous years. The enrollment data included is as of the first day of classes on Aug. 22.

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