This article does that for one college in particular: University of San Francisco, in San Francisco, California. We are going to walk through what the United States federal government reports about it—who it is, how much it costs, whom it admits, who stays, and who graduates—and at each stop I will tell you what that number means for a family, not just what the report says. By the end, you will not know whether this is the college for your child. No one can tell you that from an article. But you will understand this piece of the map well enough to use it thoughtfully.
Who this college is, in a few words
University of San Francisco is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution located in the city of San Francisco, within the county of the same name. The system that classifies colleges in this country—Carnegie—places it among doctoral and professional institutions, and describes it as a medium-sized, primarily residential school: between 25 and 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half studied full time.
The highest level it reports offering is a doctorate, although that is a general institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in goes that far, or whether undergraduate and graduate study are connected in that major. That needs to be asked program by program.
One note worth stating clearly: University of San Francisco is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. These are three different designations, with different histories, and of the 3,012 colleges in this census, 138 have one of the three. The fact that this one does not have one says nothing about which communities it serves today or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, speak with someone who already studies there.
On location: the campus is within the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metropolitan area, in a large city of 250,000 residents or more. That does not tell you how to get there from your home or what is nearby for living. If your child plans to live at home and commute, drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of their classes. Real travel time is almost never what the map says.
Carnegie also places it among the more selective institutions for admission, and among those that receive many transfer students. Being more selective does not say whether it teaches better: it describes whom it lets in. And if your child were to come here after studying somewhere else, that “receives many transfer students” label does not tell you how many credits are accepted and how many are lost along the way. Request that in writing before they move.
The real size of the community
In the most recent official count, University of San Francisco had 9,212 enrolled students. It is neither a small school nor a huge school: it falls in the range of 5,000 to 9,999 students, and compared with 941 similar selective private schools, it is among the largest in that group. At most one in ten has more students than it does.
But that large number hides something important: it is divided into 5,729 undergraduate students and 3,483 graduate students. In other words, a substantial part of the community has already finished a degree and returned for another credential. If your child is entering a bachelor’s program, the number that matters to them is 5,729, not the total of 9,212.
Among undergraduates, 21 out of every 100 students identified as Hispanic or Latino in fall 2023. Compared with 941 similar selective private schools, that places it in the top quarter: three out of every four in that group reported an equal or smaller share. They are not a majority, but neither are they unusual. Still, that comparison does not account for the fact that the school is in California, where the Hispanic population is higher than in much of the country; it is not a state-adjusted comparison, and it does not go down to the major level.
There are also more women than men—65 out of every 100—and few adult students: those ages 25 through 64 are only 6 out of every 100. And something that often matters to families arriving from elsewhere: slightly more than half of new students, 58 out of every 100, reported living in California when they applied. It is a school with a strong local presence, but not an exclusively local one.
How the academic year is structured
The calendar uses semesters: two long terms, about 15 weeks each. Nothing unusual there, with consistent dates for everyone.
Something that is worth knowing: the institution reported that it accepts credit for AP exams and also what IPEDS calls “credit for life experience”—learning acquired through independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, previous licenses, or military training. Reporting that does not mean they will automatically grant it to your child. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not count that savings in your budget until you have it in hand.
By contrast, according to its most recent report, it does not enroll high school students in college-credit courses.
As for its academic offerings: between July 2022 and June 2023, it awarded 1,295 bachelor’s degrees across 23 academic program families. Business and administration was the largest, with 24 out of every 100 degrees that year, but no other family comes close to taking up the rest. It has a broad offering, not one concentrated in two or three areas. Compared with similar schools, it falls in the quarter with the greatest variety of program families present in its report. But “23 families with a row in the detail” does not mean 23 exact majors or guarantee that all had graduates that year: verify the specific program your child is interested in.
The official student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to 1. It is a low ratio in absolute terms, but compared with similar schools, it is above the median—not the lowest in the group, though not the highest either. And something important: this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. It is an institutional calculation, not a direct measure of first-year classrooms.
The institution also reports structured pathways such as study abroad, evening or weekend programs, and routes to teacher certification.
Getting in: what it requires and what it considers
University of San Francisco does not have open admission. That means it reviews specific pieces before saying yes. Of the considerations it reports, five are required: the high school transcript, the high school grade point average, completing the required course plan, the personal essay, and the English proficiency examination for those to whom it applies. Letters of recommendation and work experience are not required, but it does consider them if you send them.
Put simply: it is not enough to gather documents here. The essay is required, so your child has to write, and has to write well. The published application fee is $70. My recommendation, if your child is going to apply here: start the essay in the summer, not the week of the deadline. The first draft is almost never the one that gets sent.
On how difficult it is to get in: in the 2023 cycle, the university received 25,709 first-time applications and offered admission to 13,052. That is, 51 out of every 100. It is not a sure thing, but it is not a closed lottery either. Compared with similar selective private schools, it is on the more demanding side: seven out of every ten in that group, or more, admitted a higher percentage of their applicants.
But here is a fact many families overlook: receiving an admission letter is not the same as enrolling. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 9 ended up enrolling. Put another way: out of every 11 young people who receive a yes, roughly one ends up coming. Compared with similar schools, that share is among the lowest—nine out of every ten schools in the group have a higher percentage.
Do not read that as a mark against the school. The federal record does not say why each admitted student chose what they chose; many already had other offers and simply preferred somewhere else. What I can tell you is this: what others decided does not tell you what they will offer your child. Wait for their financial-aid letter. With the net price in hand—not what everyone else did—you decide whether this school stays on the list.
On standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child sends them, they are considered; if they do not send them, the application proceeds the same way. Among students who did enroll and submitted SAT scores—only 15 out of every 100 did—the middle half scored between 610 and 690 in reading and writing, and between 600 and 700 in mathematics. Those ranges are for students who were already enrolled, not all applicants, and they are neither a minimum nor a guarantee.
Transfers: arrivals and departures
Every year, students arrive from another institution. In the most recent fall, 300 undergraduate students entered University of San Francisco for the first time after having studied elsewhere.
In the other direction: of the cohort that entered in 2017 as full-time students seeking a bachelor’s degree, 19 out of every 100 transferred without completing here and enrolled at another institution. Compared with similar schools, that share is common, neither high nor low. Changing schools is not failing. But if your child arrives here as a transfer student or thinks they might leave, it is best for them to know in advance how to request records and which courses are accepted. That “how many leave” figure does not count credits: request that list in writing, early.
The list price: what it costs before aid
Here we reach the number that weighs most heavily. For the 2023–24 school year, the reported total cost of attendance for a first-time, full-time undergraduate student living on campus was $81,426. That same price applies whether your family lives in California or out of state: it is private, with no different rate based on residency.
| Item | Annual amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $58,222 |
| On-campus housing and food | $17,300 |
| Books and supplies | $1,152 |
| Other estimated expenses | (remainder up to the total) |
Compared with 888 similar schools, this cost of attendance is among the highest in the group.
But I need to be direct with you: $81,426 is the list price, not the bill that will arrive for your family. It is what is used as a reference to calculate aid, not what you will necessarily pay. The only way to know the real number is by completing the FAFSA and waiting for the aid letter in writing. Until you have it, you do not know how much this school costs for your family.
The net price: what families actually pay, based on their income
At University of San Francisco, among 180 first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $31,741. Among 149 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $34,211; among 362 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $48,576. For dependent students, the range adds together their parents’ income and their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income range (180 students) and that of the highest range (362 students), there is a difference of $16,835. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received some scholarship aid, the average was $44,104.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls in the most expensive quarter for lower-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means the aid letter needs to be requested before deciding.
Because the price changes so much from one income range to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income ranges in this profile describe first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal Title IV aid; public institutions use the in-state or district rate. The overall average with scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants. The one that matters is the aid letter you receive.
Financial aid and loans: what is common here
90 out of every 100 students seeking a degree received some scholarship or aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average was $28,788 for the year. It is real money, but it is not a price: within that average are students who received much more and others who received much less. What decides it is not this average, but the number left after aid for your specific family.
Pell—the federal grant for lower-income families—went to 27 out of every 100 students.
On loans: 47 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan that year, with an average of $6,650 per student who borrowed. Compared with similar schools, that share is common, neither among the highest nor the lowest.
Financing with debt is normal here, not the exception. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the four years of their degree, the total would be around $26,600, not including interest. That calculation is made before the first signature, not at the end. And note: that average is only for federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include what parents might borrow separately, debt with banks, or credit cards.
The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan as an option for managing the cost.
Campus life and support
University of San Francisco does have its own housing, with reported capacity for 2,715 students, on or off campus. It is not required for all full-time students to live there, although that does not rule out a specific program requiring it. It also offers meal plans, but the number of meals per week varies by the chosen plan. The existence of the option does not guarantee a space or a fixed cost: request this year’s exact rate and the housing application deadline.
There is an opportunity for ROTC, with the Army branch confirmed in the report; Navy and Air Force are not marked, which does not mean it is impossible, only that it is not confirmed in writing.
It competes in intercollegiate sports, affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field, among others. If athletics matter in your child’s decision, write directly to the coach of the specific team and ask about roster space, division, and whether that sport offers a scholarship.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in the fall count fewer than 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took their entire academic load at a distance. The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary loan. Its reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, support for veterans and their families, and an office for services for students with disabilities. None of these facts tells you how good the service is in practice; ask directly, preferably of someone who has already used it.
Do students stay? Do they graduate?
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022 as full-time students seeking a bachelor’s degree, 80 out of every 100 were still enrolled here or had already completed their degree one year later. Compared with similar schools, that figure is somewhat above the middle of the group: neither among the best nor the worst. Important: this number does not distinguish between those still studying and those already graduated, and not returning is not the same as dropping out. Someone who transferred to another college and remains there is counted differently from someone who stopped studying altogether, but the data do not separate those two paths.
On graduation: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a full-time bachelor’s degree, 71 out of every 100 graduated within six years. At four years, the figure was already 64 out of every 100—a small gap of only 7 points, suggesting that most who graduate do so close to the expected time. Compared with similar schools, this rate places it in the top quarter: three out of every four schools in the group reported an equal or smaller share.
It is worth looking at the full breakdown of that cohort of 1,531 students: 1,089 graduated here within the time period; 295 transferred and continued at another institution; 9 remained enrolled without finishing; and 138 were classified as “no longer enrolled” at the reporting date, a category that does not explain the reason and may include those who graduated after that period.
A high number is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the 2017 cohort. What is in your hands, and theirs, is entering with credits in order and knowing from the first semester who their academic advisor is and when they enroll in courses for their major.
Finally, a longer follow-up: of a cohort of 2,030 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—including first-time students and those who already had prior college experience—78 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate here eight years later. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the result was 80 out of every 100, three points above the group without Pell. Compared with similar schools, it also falls in the top quarter. Again: this is an earlier cohort, and a high percentage does not predict your child’s individual outcome. It is worth asking about the program’s current support and, if you can, the results for more recent cohorts.
What you already know, and what is still missing
You now know one real piece of this college: who it is, how much it costs on the list, how much a family ends up paying based on its income, how difficult it is to get in, and how many of those who enter stay and graduate. It is a solid piece, built with official data, not brochures or promises.
But it is only one piece. What is missing is what your child wants to study and what they have already built to get here. And what is missing is what your family can and is willing to pay, that exact number that appears only in the aid letter sent to you, not in any average in this article.
If you live in California, this school is probably already on your child’s radar. If you live elsewhere, the list price is the same, but distance and life away from home enter the conversation differently. And if your child already has credits from another institution or AP exams, request in writing, before committing, which ones count and which do not.
Put it all together. From that combination, not from a single article, comes a plan.
The information in this article comes from data reported by University of San Francisco to IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) of the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the years 2022-23 and 2023-24. Best College Aid does not represent University of San Francisco or the United States government, and this article does not constitute personalized admissions advice.