University of San Francisco facts for kids
The University of San Francisco (USF) is a private university in San Francisco, California. It was started by a group called the Jesuits in 1855. Today, nearly 9,000 students study there, learning about many different subjects. Besides its main campus in San Francisco, USF also has smaller campuses in other cities like Orange County, Sacramento, San Jose, and Santa Rosa.
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Former names
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St. Ignatius Academy (1855–1859) St. Ignatius College (1859–1930) |
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| Motto | Traditional: Pro Urbe et Universitate (Latin) |
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Motto in English
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Current motto: "Change the World from Here" |
| Type | Private university |
| Established | 1855 |
| Founder | Anthony Maraschi |
| Accreditation | WSCUC |
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Religious affiliation
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Catholic Church (Jesuit) |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $566 million (2024) |
| President | Dr. Salvador Aceves |
| Provost | Eileen Chia-Ching Fung |
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Academic staff
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1,107 (2022; 445 full-time, 662 part-time) |
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Administrative staff
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977 (2022; 928 full-time, 49 part-time) |
| Students | 8,913 |
| Undergraduates | 5,287 |
| Postgraduates | 3,504 |
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San Francisco, California
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United States
37°46′46″N 122°27′07″W / 37.77944°N 122.45194°W |
| Campus | Large city, 55 acres (22 ha) |
| Newspaper | San Francisco Foghorn |
| Colors | Green Gold |
| Nickname | Dons |
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Sporting affiliations
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NCAA Division I – WCC |
| Mascot | The Don, a Spanish nobleman |
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Contents
History of USF
The University of San Francisco was started by the Jesuits, a Catholic religious group, in 1855. It was first called St. Ignatius Academy and began as a small school with just one room on Market Street. Father Anthony Maraschi was the founder and first president.
In 1859, the school was allowed to give out college degrees and changed its name to St. Ignatius College. Students learned subjects like Greek, Spanish, Latin, English, math, and history. The first Bachelor of Arts degree was given out in 1863.
The college moved to a new building in 1880. Then, in 1906, a big earthquake and fire destroyed that building. The school had to move to a temporary building for 21 years.
In 1927, the college moved to its current location on Fulton Street. To celebrate its 75th birthday in 1930, St. Ignatius College changed its name to the University of San Francisco.
For most of its history, USF was only for male students. But in 1964, it became a school for both men and women. The high school part of the university moved to a different location in 1969 and became St. Ignatius College Preparatory. In 1978, USF took over another college called Lone Mountain College.
What Students Learn at USF
USF offers 59 different main subjects for students to study. These subjects are taught in one college and four special schools:
- College of Arts and Sciences
- School of Education
- School of Law (for students who want to become lawyers)
- School of Management (for business studies)
- School of Nursing and Health Professions (for healthcare careers)
How USF Ranks Among Universities
USF is recognized as a good university.
- In 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked USF as tied for 109th among all national universities.
- College Factual's 2023 list placed USF as 164th out of all four-year colleges and universities in the country.
- Washington Monthly ranked USF 138th out of 391 national universities in 2021.
Getting into USF
In 2025, about half of the students who applied to USF were accepted. This means it's a bit competitive to get in. The average high school GPA for students who got in was 3.61.
USF does not require students to send in their SAT or ACT test scores. This means it's a "test-optional" school.
Studying Abroad
USF has a special center that helps students study in other countries. Students can choose from over 89 programs in more than 40 countries. When students go on these programs, they pay USF's tuition, not the tuition of the school they visit abroad.
USF Campuses
The main campus of USF is called "The Hilltop" and is about 55 acres big. It's split into two parts: Lone Mountain and the lower campus.
USF also has a campus in Downtown San Francisco, which opened in 2012. Here, students can take graduate programs in business and arts.
Other campuses include:
- The Orange County Campus, started in 1983, offers programs like Sport Management and Nursing.
- The Sacramento Campus, started in 1975, offers Nursing, Public Health, and Counseling programs.
- USF also has programs on the campuses of San Jose City College and Santa Rosa Junior College.
How USF is Run
USF is a non-profit organization. It is managed by a group of people called the board of trustees. The board works with the university president, provost, and deans. As of 2025, the board had 41 members.
In 2025, Salvador Aceves was chosen as the new president of USF. He is the first person who is not a Jesuit priest to be president of the university.
Student Life and Activities
USF has more than 100 different clubs and groups for students to join.
The Associated Students of the University of San Francisco (ASUSF) Senate is a student government group. They help plan big events on campus and share student ideas.
Greek Life
USF has social sororities and fraternities. These groups have their own council that helps them grow and work together. They often have events like mixers, holiday parties, and Greek Games.
Student Media
The San Francisco Foghorn is the official student newspaper, published every week. USF also has a student-run radio station called KDNZ.
USFtv is the university's television station, started in 2006. It is run entirely by students and broadcasts news, sports, and cultural shows on campus. In 2008, USFtv students worked with the musician Wyclef Jean to make a music video. The Ignatian is USF's yearly magazine for creative writing.
Performing Arts
Students at USF can join many performing arts clubs. These include a theater group (College Players), an improv comedy team (Awkward Silence), a choir (ASUSF Voices), the USF Don Marching Band, and a dance program.
The College Players theater group started in 1863, making it one of the oldest student-run theater groups in the United States. Their annual play gives all its proceeds to women's charities in the Bay Area.
The ASUSF Voices choir works with the Performing Arts Department and includes different types of singing groups, like jazz. The USF Contemporary Mass Ensemble performs at Sunday Masses in St. Ignatius Church. The USF dance program offers classes in traditional and modern dance, and students can join the USF Dance Ensemble.
USF Students
USF has a very diverse student body. In Fall 2020, about 26% of undergraduate students were Asian, 24% were White, 21% were Hispanic, 12% were international students, and 6% were Black.
USF has always welcomed students from different backgrounds. For example, Chan Chung Wing, whose parents came from China, was in the first law class. In 1929, a group for Filipino students was started. In the 1930s, African American students like Isaiah Fletcher and Earl Booker were important athletes at the school, long before many other colleges became integrated.
In Fall 2017, about 15.5% of students were from other countries. These international students have special support and groups like the International Student Association. USF also holds an annual International Education Week to celebrate different cultures.
Financial Help for Students
USF states that "97% of students who started in Fall 2023 received financial aid." This aid helps students pay for their education. The average amount of aid was $48,664.
For the 2025–2026 school year, the cost for full-time undergraduate tuition is $61,870. The total estimated cost for one year, including fees, housing, and food, is $90,190.
Where Students Live
USF has several residence halls, also known as dorms, where students can live on campus. Each dorm has a lounge, kitchen, and laundry rooms. Staff are on duty 24 hours a day to keep the halls safe. Student leaders called Resident Advisors plan activities and programs for students living in the dorms.
On-campus Residence Halls
- Fromm Hall (FR)
- Gilson Hall (GI)
- Hayes-Healy Hall (HH)
- Lone Mountain (LMN)
- Lone Mountain East (LME)
- Pedro Arrupe Hall (PA)
- Toler Hall (TO)
Off-campus Housing
- Fulton House and Fulton House Cottage
- Loyola Village (LV)
USF Sports
USF's sports teams are called the Dons. They compete in NCAA Division I, which is the highest level of college sports. USF is part of the West Coast Conference, along with other local schools like Santa Clara University and Saint Mary's College of California.
USF offers many sports for men and women, including basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, and track and field. Men also play baseball, and women play volleyball and sand volleyball. The school colors are green and gold.
Sports History
Sports at USF began when the school was founded in 1855, with Father Anthony Maraschi organizing games for students. Organized college sports started in 1907, with teams playing baseball, basketball, and rugby against other schools.
Many USF athletes have gone on to compete in the Olympics, including long-distance runner Maor Tiyouri, basketball player John Cox, and synchronized swimmer Mariya Koroleva.
1951 USF Dons Football Team
The 1951 USF Dons football team was amazing! They had a perfect season, winning all 9 of their games. Nine players from this team later played in the NFL, and three of them – Gino Marchetti, Ollie Matson, and Bob St. Clair – became famous in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This is a record for one college team!
The team was invited to play in a big bowl game, but they were told that their two African American star players, Ollie Matson and Burl Toler, could not come. The team decided that if all their players couldn't go, none of them would. They refused to play without their teammates. This showed great teamwork and fairness. Sadly, the university stopped its football program in 1952 because of money problems.
Basketball
The men's basketball team has won three national championships. They won the NIT Championship in 1949 and the NCAA National Championships in 1955 and 1956. In 1956, they had a perfect season, winning every game.
The 1956 team was led by two future NBA Hall of Famers, Bill Russell and K.C. Jones. They won a record 60 games in a row! The 1954–1955 team was also special because it was the first major college basketball team to win a national title with three African American starting players.
Soccer
The soccer program at USF started in 1931. They won five titles between 1932 and 1936. Later, Stephen Negoesco coached the team from 1962 to 2000. He led them to 540 wins and four national championships (1966, 1975, 1976, and 1980). Negoesco is in the National Soccer Hall of Fame for winning more games than any other college soccer coach.
Famous People from USF
See also
In Spanish: Universidad de San Francisco para niños
- St. Ignatius Institute
- List of colleges and universities in California
- List of Jesuit sites
