University of San Francisco (USF) is a private Catholic Jesuit university whose San Francisco location shapes an academic model centered on liberal arts, professional education, public service, health, business, law, and social impact. Founded in 1855 and based in San Francisco, California, the institution combines its historical mission with contemporary undergraduate, graduate, professional, and research activity. USF places Jesuit education in the center of the Bay Area, using the city and region as a setting for internships, clinical experiences, public service, technology, entrepreneurship, and cultural study. The Hilltop campus on Fulton Street provides direct access to San Francisco employers, hospitals, schools, courts, nonprofits, startups, technology companies, and cultural institutions. Academically, University of San Francisco is organized around five schools and colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, School of Law, School of Management, and School of Nursing and Health Professions. Representative undergraduate fields include Accounting, Finance, Business Analytics, Computer Science, Data Science, Biology, while graduate study includes Business Administration, Business Analytics, Data Science, Computer Science, Public Health. At USF, doctoral and professional education is administered by the relevant schools under their own degree requirements. USF students therefore encounter both broad university resources and program-specific advising, accreditation, research, or professional expectations. Teaching commonly uses seminars, laboratories, clinical education, internships, community-engaged learning, consulting projects, fieldwork, legal practice, research, and experiential coursework. Research and creative work span public health, nursing, education, law, business, environmental studies, data and computing, social justice, humanities, social sciences, and urban issues. At USF, depending on the field, students may work with faculty through laboratories, capstones, independent study, creative projects, clinical experiences, field placements, or research assistantships. At USF, this gives academic work a practical dimension while preserving the disciplinary methods and scholarly standards of the selected program. At USF, career preparation and student development are built into the wider experience. The Priscilla A. Scotlan Career Services Center offers career coaching, employer events, résumé and interview help, Handshake, networking, career fairs, and job and internship search support. USF student organizations, service, leadership, cultural programs, athletics, international opportunities, and academic support add further routes for involvement. The San Francisco setting can also extend learning beyond campus through employers, public institutions, schools, hospitals, cultural organizations, or community partners connected to the university’s programs. Admission and cost at USF should be evaluated using current university rules. First-year admission is holistic. Applicants submit the university application or approved application platform, high-school academic record, required writing and school materials, and any program-specific documents. USF is test optional; students who choose not to submit SAT or ACT scores are not penalized and remain eligible for merit-scholarship consideration. Nursing and other specialized programs may have additional academic expectations. International applicants provide the academic and English-language materials required for their educational system. USF publishes Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision deadlines on the current undergraduate admission calendar. For 2026–27, full-time undergraduate tuition at the Hilltop campus is $63,880 for the academic year and mandatory fees total $612. Students below 12 or above 18 credits are charged $2,275 per credit during fall, intersession, and spring under the published schedule. Fall 2026 first-year merit awards include the University, Presidential, Provost, Hilltop, Ignatius, Dons, and St. Francis scholarships. Award amounts range by scholarship, and eligible nursing students may receive the Araoz Nursing Scholarship.