A public R1 research university in Tampa, FL, admitting 43.19% of applicants with an average net price of $9,812 and one of the lowest net prices for lower-income families of any R1 university at $4,122.
Tampa, Florida
The University of South Florida is a public R1 research university in Tampa, Florida, founded in 1956 as a preeminent public research institution in the Tampa Bay area. It enrolls approximately 37,207 undergraduates and 11,097 graduate students across fourteen colleges, including the Muma College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Public Health, USF Health (including the Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Pharmacy, and the College of Nursing), the College of Arts and Sciences, and the College of Education.
Business, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and biological sciences account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. The University of South Florida is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SAT or ACT scores are required for admission; the University of South Florida requires standardized testing. USF is designated as a Preeminent State Research University by the Florida Board of Governors, a designation reflecting research productivity and graduation rate performance, and holds an R1 Carnegie Classification.
Official website: usf.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the University of South Florida scores 88.86 overall, rated Strong, one of the highest scores among large public universities in the Southeast. Outcomes (87.78) reflects a 76.76% six-year graduation rate and 91.37% first-year retention. Value scores 94.38, driven by strong ten-year earnings of $57,743 relative to an exceptionally low average net price of $9,812. Selectivity scores 78.57, reflecting a 43.19% admit rate. All scores use verified federal data only.
The University of South Florida admits 43.19% of applicants, making it among the more selective public research universities in Florida. SAT or ACT scores are required; standardized testing is not optional at USF. USF uses its own application portal.
The priority deadline for scholarship and housing consideration is December 1; the regular decision deadline is March 1. Florida residents who qualify for the Bright Futures Scholarship should review USF's test score requirements for both admission and scholarship eligibility. Admission to specific colleges, including the College of Engineering and USF Health, may require additional academic criteria.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of South Florida is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The University of South Florida charges $6,410 in in-state tuition and $17,324 in out-of-state tuition, plus $14,440 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $26,500 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $9,812, among the lowest of any R1 research university in the country. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $4,122, one of the lowest of any selective public university in the United States.
For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $5,444. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $15,224. Florida residents may be eligible for the Bright Futures Scholarship, which provides merit-based tuition support; the Florida Academic Scholars award covers 100% of tuition for students with a 3.5 GPA and 1290 SAT (29 ACT). The federal loan rate of 23.86% and median debt of $17,988 are among the very lowest of any R1 research university, reflecting Florida's very low in-state tuition and effective state scholarship support.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $30 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
The University of South Florida graduates a strong majority of students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 76.76% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. First-year retention stands at 91.37%. The federal loan rate of 23.86% and median debt of $17,988 are very low for a selective R1 university, reflecting Florida's low in-state tuition and the effectiveness of state scholarship support including Bright Futures.
University of South Florida graduates enter careers in healthcare, engineering, business, education, and the sciences, primarily in the Tampa Bay metropolitan area and across Florida. Median earnings are $48,328 six years after first enrolling and $57,743 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 82.51% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Tampa Bay's economy has grown rapidly, anchored by healthcare (BayCare Health System, Moffitt Cancer Center, AdventHealth), financial services (Raymond James, Citigroup's Tampa operations), technology (a growing tech startup scene), defense, and logistics.
Moffitt Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center located directly on the USF campus, provides research and clinical employment for USF health sciences graduates and drives biomedical research collaboration. The expanding Tampa Bay tech and corporate services sector, along with the presence of major healthcare systems, creates strong employment access for USF graduates in business, engineering, and health.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
The University of South Florida enrolls approximately 37,207 undergraduates on its main campus in Tampa, Florida, a major city of approximately 3.2 million in the greater Tampa Bay metropolitan area. White students account for 43.34% of undergraduates; Hispanic 24.20%, Asian 8.79%, and Black 8.01%. Approximately 29.36% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 35.75% are first-generation college students.
USF's Hispanic enrollment at 24.20% is just below the 25% threshold for formal Hispanic-Serving Institution designation. Tampa has a distinctive character shaped by its Cuban immigrant community (Ybor City), Gulf Coast beaches (Clearwater and St. Pete Beach are 45 minutes west), and warm climate. USF Bulls athletics compete in the American Athletic Conference.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of South Florida. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of South Florida offers an extensive catalog of programs: 200 distinct programs across 26 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The University of South Florida operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large public research universities. 73.08% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $13,361 per year. The endowment stands at approximately $708 million.
USF Health, centered around the Morsani College of Medicine and Moffitt Cancer Center partnership, is the anchor of the university's research enterprise and one of the strongest clinical and research health programs in the Southeast. The USF Research Park houses industry-university research partnerships in biomedical sciences, cybersecurity, and defense. USF has been Florida's Board of Governors Preeminent State Research University since 2016, a designation that provides additional state funding for research infrastructure.
2,197 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 503 | 23% | $142,414 |
| Associate Professors | 506 | 23% | $104,102 |
| Assistant Professors | 519 | 24% | $95,544 |
| Instructors | 640 | 29% | $68,424 |
| No Rank | 29 | 1% | $106,987 |
The University of South Florida's defining strengths are its exceptional UCD 88.86 Strong score, very low net price ($4,122 for families under $30,000; $9,812 average), very low federal loan rate (23.86%), Preeminent State Research University designation, the Moffitt Cancer Center research partnership, and Tampa Bay's rapidly growing healthcare, technology, and financial services economy. UCD 88.86 Strong.
The considerations: SAT or ACT scores are required; the 76.76% six-year graduation rate is below the top public flagships; the 73.08% full-time faculty rate is below the flagship norm; and ten-year earnings of $57,743 are below engineering-heavy peers, partly reflecting the healthcare sector's compensation patterns in Florida. Best fit for Florida residents, particularly lower-income and first-generation students, who want a preeminent R1 research university at very low cost with strong health sciences programs and access to Tampa Bay's growing economy.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about USF: how it compares to UF and FSU, what the Moffitt Cancer Center connection means, how the Bright Futures scholarship applies, and what Tampa Bay offers as a career market.
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