University of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA
2130 Fulton St, San Francisco, CA 94117-1080
415-422-5555

The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Jesuit research university in San Francisco, California. The school's main campus is located on a 55-acre (22 ha) setting between the Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. USF is one of the 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. It was founded in 1855 as St. Ignatius Academy, and is one of the oldest universities in California. The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

USF's undergraduate programs are organized into seven schools and colleges, while its graduate programs are organized into four divisions, each headed by a dean. USF's first academic unit, the College of Arts and Sciences, was established in 1855. In 1869, the university established the School of Law, which was the first law school west of the Mississippi River. USF's School of Dentistry was established in 1878, making it the first dental school on the West Coast. The St. Ignatius College Preparatory, a high school, is located adjacent to the university's main campus.

The university offers bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines. USF is a research-intensive university, with more than $140 million in external research funding annually. USF is home to the Center for the Pacific Rim, the Mark Twain Papers and Project, the USF Center for Entrepreneurship, and the Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good. The university also operates KUSF, a student-run online radio station.

USF was founded in 1855 as the St. Ignatius Academy, a one-room schoolhouse on Market Street in what is now downtown San Francisco. The academy was founded by the Jesuits, and its original mission was to provide a Catholic education to boys from families of limited means. The academy expanded over the years, adding new buildings and programs, and in 1869 the school became the first college west of the Mississippi River to offer a law program.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the academy began to experience financial difficulties, and in 1906 the Jesuits sold the school to the University of San Francisco, a newly formed institution that was not affiliated with any religious order. The university expanded rapidly in the years following the 1906 earthquake, adding new programs and buildings.

In the 1920s, the university began to experience a decline in enrollment, and in 1930 the school was placed on probation by the Accrediting Association of American Colleges and Universities. The probationary status was lifted in 1934, and in the following years the university began to expand again, adding new programs and buildings.

The university continued to grow in the post-World War II years, adding new programs and buildings. In the 1960s, the school experienced a period of political and social turmoil, as the country as a whole was experiencing such turmoil. In 1968, the university was the site of a student-led protest against the Vietnam War, and in the 1970s the school became increasingly involved in the civil rights movement.

The 1980s and 1990s were a period of growth for the university, as it added new programs and buildings. In the early 21st century, the university has continued to grow, adding new programs and buildings.



Quick Facts

Enrollment: 10068

Acceptance Rate: 70.30%

Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above

Main Website: https://www.usfca.edu/

Financial Aid: https://www.usfca.edu/admission/financial-aid

Annual Costs

Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $73872

Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $73872

Return on Investment Rating

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The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at University of San Francisco is $276388.93. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.

We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at University of San Francisco. For graduates of University of San Francisco, we saw an average early-career income of $64700.00 and mid-career income of $120300.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.