University of South Florida

The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, United States, and another campus in St. Petersburg. USF did own a campus in Sarasota, however, a Florida budget deal transferred ownership of the campus from USF to New College of Florida on July 1, 2026. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is home to 14 colleges, offering more than 245 undergraduate, graduate, specialist, and doctoral-level degree programs. USF is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU) and is designated by the Florida Board of Governors as one of three Preeminent State Research Universities. Founded in 1956, USF is the fourth largest university in Florida by enrollment, with 49,876 students from over 145 countries, all 50 states, all five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia as of the 2022–2023 academic year. In 2022, the university reported an annual budget of $2.31 billion and an annual economic impact of over $6 billion. According to the National Science Foundation, USF spent $568 million on research and development in 2019, ranking it 43rd in the nation and 25th among public universities. USF's $889 million endowment is the third-largest among Florida public universities and the largest of any American public university founded post-World War II. In its 2018 ranking, the Intellectual Property Owners Association placed USF 1st in Florida, 7th in the United States, and 16th worldwide in the number of US patents granted. USF faculty, staff, students, and alumni collectively hold over 2,400 patents. USF is home to the National Academy of Inventors and the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, both located in the USF Research Park in the southwest side of campus. USF's sports teams are known as the South Florida Bulls and primarily compete in the American Conference of NCAA Division I. USF's 21 varsity teams have won a combined 6 national championships and 171 conference championships. Athletes representing the Bulls have won an additional 24 individual and relay national championships and 256 individual and relay conference championships.