University of San Francisco

The University of San Francisco was founded in 1855 as the first university in San Francisco. A private, Jesuit university with a long and distinguished history in the sciences and liberal arts, USF strives to educate leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world. Leading the way in this effort are our outstanding faculty. In recent years, our teacher-scholars have garnered unprecedented national recognition - winning national awards, receiving major new grants and prestigious Fulbright scholarships.

As a diverse, Jesuit Catholic, urban university with a global perspective, USF has attracted a talented and accomplished group of teaching scholars who, supported by a dedicated professional staff, have created an exciting and challenging academic environment. As an institution, we are committed to a lifetime of learning and focus our considerable resources to that end. Our faculty are scholars who are dedicated to the university, to their professional disciplines, but most of all to their students. Our more than 8,000 students, coming from almost every state in the union and from more than 70 countries, bring a multiplicity of perspectives and experiences that enriches our intellectual work immeasurably.

Our location in San Francisco provides us with access to some of the world's most important cultural resources as well as worthwhile internship and service learning possibilities. Our academic programs are designed to take advantage of these opportunities.

Setting a higher standard

A USF education is rigorous and demanding. Our students are challenged to develop their intellectual capacities to maximum potential, to explore new ways of thinking about the world and their role in it, and to apply their education directly to the benefit of humankind.All five of USF's schools — the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, the School of Law, the School of Management, and the School of Nursing and Health Professions — are driven by a dual emphasis on academic rigor and social justice. Education does not happen in a vacuum here: we treat our city and our world as research laboratories, and are constantly attentive to the societal impact of our academic work.

Our 21 interdisciplinary centers and institutes — focusing on everything from Latino Studies to Law and Global Justice to Public Service and the Common Good — explore the complexities of our global community through internship, service learning, and research opportunities.

USF faculty members are as passionate about teaching as they are about research. They challenge our students to be engaged, innovative, responsible, compassionate, and thoughtful community leaders. 

Uniquely USF: Academic Programs