Private nonprofit · University

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California · Large city

61.7%
Admit rate
$41,431
Avg net price
70%
Graduation rate
$89,812
Median earnings

University of San Francisco is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in San Francisco, California (large city setting), enrolling 5,287 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 5,287 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 62% admitNCAA Division I without footballNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of San Francisco's admitted students.

Admit rate
61.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
1190–1390
Avg GPA (est.)
3.65

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of San Francisco's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of San Francisco's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About San Francisco, California

San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States. The earliest archeological evidence of human habitation in the area dates to 3000 BCE. The Ohlone name for San Francisco was Ahwaste, meaning "place at the bay". Although the Financial District, Union Square, and Fisherman's Wharf are well known around the world, San Francisco is also characterized by its numerous culturally rich streetscapes featuring mixed-use neighborhoods anchored around central commercial corridors to which residents and visitors alike can walk. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
2 miles
Nearest airport
12 miles to San Francisco (SFO) · major hub

How University of San Francisco compares

Selectivity61.7%

More selective than 74% · #39 most selective of 107 in California

SAT average1295

Higher than 79%

Graduation rate70%

Higher than 78% · #44 of 122 in California

First-year retention84%

Higher than 72%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$89,812

Higher than 95% · #20 of 130 in California

Average net price$41,431

Cheaper than 3% · #99 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$23,000

Lower than 53%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment5,287

Larger than 78%

Percentiles compare University of San Francisco with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

8,879students
  • Undergraduate5,28760%
  • Graduate3,59240%

Undergraduates by gender

5,287undergrads
  • Women3,57168%
  • Men1,71632%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White22%
  • Black8.1%
  • Hispanic22%
  • Asian27%
  • Other or multiracial20%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,287
Graduate enrollment
3,592
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
28%
First-generation students
28%
Students over 25
6%
Median family income
$57,928
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$133,740
Endowment
$568,825,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,124 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California58%
  • Other U.S. states32%
  • International10%

A regional draw: about 58% of first-years come from California, the rest from elsewhere.

10% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
61.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1190–1390
SAT average
1295
SAT reading
610–700
SAT math
580–690
ACT composite
25–30
Average GPA (estimated)
3.65

Cost

In-state tuition
$60,492
Room & board
$19,764
Books & supplies
$500
Total cost of attendance
$80,141
Average net price
$41,431

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
70%
Graduated on time (4 years)
63%
First-year retention
84%
Transferred to another college
20%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$69,951
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$89,812
Median debt at graduation
$23,000
Students with federal loans
47%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
69%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
63%
Low-income (Pell)
74%
First-generation
74%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,715
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
51%
Housing charge (year)
$11,670
Meal plan (year)
$5,630
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
300 (122 men · 178 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)87
Soccer59
Baseball40
Basketball29
Volleyball17
Golf16
Track and Field (Outdoor)15
Cross Country14
Beach Volleyball12
Other Sports11

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
31
Property offenses (2022–2024)
34

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 6 campuses (8,913 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

22reported offenses a year
10 violent a year11 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
7.3
Rape
6.3
Aggravated assault
2.7
Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Arson
1.7
Fondling
1.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$31,537
$30–48k
$33,207
$48–75k
$34,315
$75–110k
$38,933
$110k+
$52,497

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$142,601

$34,315/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

97%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$28,737
average award, among those who get one

University of San Francisco discounts heavily: 97% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $28,737. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,548 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$89,812
Typical debt at graduation
$23,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
26%
Out-earn a HS grad
77%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$87,010
Men
$93,926

Men out-earn women by $6,916 (8%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
70°F
Winter low
47°F
Annual rain
22.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
40°60°80°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Francisco Dwtn, CA US station (1.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of San Francisco

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of San Francisco side by side →

Colleges near University of San Francisco

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.