University in United States
Tampa, FL, United States
University profile
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public metropolitan research university in the Tampa Bay region of Florida, founded in 1956. It serves nearly 50,000 students across its campuses, is a member of the Association of American Universities (invited in 2023, the first public university in Florida to be invited in nearly 40 years) and holds the Florida Board of Governors designation of Preeminent State Research University. The Carnegie Foundation classifies it as a doctoral university with very high research impact and doctorate production.
USF has campuses in Tampa and St. Petersburg, together about 1,600 acres and nearly 12 million square feet of buildings, plus instructional sites across Florida and beyond. The Tampa campus is the main campus, with 1,562 acres, 249 buildings and a bordering 735-acre forest preserve and riverfront recreation area. The St. Petersburg campus sits on the water in downtown St. Petersburg on 52 acres with 30 buildings and offers small class sizes within a large university.
Academic units include the Colleges of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing; Arts and Sciences; Behavioral and Community Sciences; Business; Design, Art and Performance; Education; Engineering; Global Sustainability; Marine Science; Nursing; Pharmacy; Public Health; the Morsani College of Medicine; and the Judy Genshaft Honors College. USF offers more than 240 undergraduate programs, and USF Health brings together programs in biomedical science, medicine, nursing, public health, pharmacy and physical therapy.
Student life includes traditional, suite and apartment-style residence halls and Living Learning Communities on the Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses, on-campus dining, the USF Contemporary Art Museum and the USF Botanical Gardens (more than 3,000 plants, animals and natural habitats) on the Tampa campus, and a Phi Beta Kappa chapter hosted since 2018. The university's mascot is Rocky the Bull and its teams compete in NCAA athletics as the Bulls.
International students come from 138 countries. USF International Services issues the I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1) once admitted students provide passport and financial documentation, and the university runs a dedicated international admissions office. USF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, educational specialist and doctoral degrees.
Every admitted first-year student who completes the application, test scores, transcripts and $30 fee by the January 15 Scholarship Consideration Deadline is automatically considered; no separate application is needed. Florida residents may receive the USF Presidential Award (~$16,000, up to $4,000 per year), Directors Award (~$14,000, up to $3,500 per year) or Scholars Gold Award (~$8,000, up to $2,000 per year). International and other non-Florida-resident students may receive out-of-state tuition waivers: Green and Gold Presidential Waiver (~$44,000, up to $11,000 per year), Directors Waiver (~$36,000, up to $9,000 per year) and Scholars Waiver (~$20,000, up to $5,000 per year). Waivers apply only to out-of-state tuition.
The USF Foundation awards over $7 million in privately funded scholarships each year through a separate application via AwardSpring. Most international students do not qualify for FAFSA federal aid, though some exceptions apply. International graduate students can explore assistantships that reduce cost of attendance. Details: international scholarships and Office of Financial Aid.
USF Green and Gold Waiver Awards (International and Non-Florida Residents) →
USF Admissions Merit Scholarships for Florida Residents →
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View scholarships for University of South Florida →Applicants are reviewed individually on grades, rigor of curriculum and standardized test scores. Applicants are freshmen if they are high school seniors, graduates who have never enrolled in college, or have not completed more than 11 semester hours of college coursework after graduating high school. USF recalculates the high school GPA using core academic courses and adds quality points for approved courses with a grade of C or better: 1.0 for AP, IB, AICE and dual enrollment, 0.5 for honors. The admitted Fall 2026 middle range was GPA 4.13-4.58, SAT 1290-1420, ACT 28-32 and CLT 92-100; Summer 2026 was GPA 3.71-4.29, SAT 1140-1230, ACT 23-26, CLT 72-84.
Tests: one SAT, ACT or CLT result is required (test-required). Minimum section scores: SAT 490 Reading and Writing and 480 Math; ACT 19 Reading, 17 English, 19 Math; CLT 38 Verbal Reasoning plus Grammar/Writing and 16 Quantitative Reasoning. USF superscores across test dates and does not consider the optional essay. SAT code 5828, ACT code 0761. Dual enrollment requires a minimum unweighted 2.50 GPA. Applicants also need two academic units of the same foreign language (or meet the requirement before graduating). Biomedical Engineering and Nursing have additional selective requirements. No essay is required.
Apply through the USF application or the Common App, with a non-refundable $30 fee (or an SAT/ACT/CLT fee waiver), a self-reported academic record (STARS) or official transcripts, and test scores. Early Action: application November 2, 2026, materials November 16, 2026, decision December 9, 2026. Regular Decision: December 16, 2026, materials January 15, 2027, decision February 10, 2027. Rolling: March 1, 2027, materials March 15, 2027. The Scholarship Consideration Deadline is January 15, 2027. Freshmen admitted for summer or fall submit a $200 non-refundable admissions deposit by May 1.
Applicants with 12 or more college credits after high school graduation apply as transfers: lower-level with 12 to 59 transferable credits, upper-level with 60 or more.
International applicants are non-citizens who are not permanent residents, asylees or refugees. Applicants who completed secondary education outside the U.S. submit transcripts and exam results showing completion of the equivalent of U.S. high school graduation, generally 12-13 years of study. Applicants from non-English-speaking countries must meet English minimums through the SAT (Reading and Writing 490), ACT (English 17, Reading 19) or CLT (Verbal Reasoning and Writing 38); TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo and similar tests are not accepted as substitutes at freshman level. Admitted students provide passport and financial documentation to USF International Services to receive the I-20 (F-1) or DS-2019 (J-1).
Applicants need a bachelor's degree with at least a 3.00 (B) average in all undergraduate work, or in graduate work, or the equivalent foreign degree; European Higher Education Area bachelor's degrees are treated as equivalent, and 3-year degrees under 120 hours from non-Bologna institutions need a NACES transcript evaluation. Programs set additional requirements such as test scores, recommendation letters, statement of purpose and resume. International graduate applicants from non-English-speaking countries need one of: TOEFL iBT 79 or higher (before January 21, 2026; 4.5 or higher after), IELTS 6.5, PTE Academic 53, Duolingo 110, TOEFL Essentials 8.5, Cambridge B2 First 176, C1 Advanced 180, C2 Proficiency 200, GRE Verbal 153 or GMAT Verbal 30, earned within two years of entry. Graduate deadlines are set by program.
Housing, dining, libraries and student services are provided on both campuses, with residence options on Tampa and St. Petersburg.
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