University of South Florida is a public institution that was founded in 1956. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 30,289, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,562 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of South Florida's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 170. Its in-state tuition and fees are $6,410 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $17,325 (2013-14).
 
The University of South Florida, or USF as it’s commonly known, is a research institution with multiple campuses throughout the state. The public university is based in Tampa and has regional campuses in Sarasota and Lakeland. First year students are required to live on campus, unless they commute from one of several nearby counties, are older than 21, or are married. For students who do not live on campus, the school organizes a Commuter Student Network and offers bus transportation for students who drive to school and park in remote lots. On campus, there are more than 400 student organizations to check out, as well as a large Greek community. Any activity that students get involved in may be added to their cocurricular transcript, an official document the school offers to help students showcase their extracurricular involvement and specialized skills to future employers. The USF Bulls athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference. 
 
 For graduate students, the school offers degree programs through the USF College of Medicine, a graduate school of engineering, a College of Education, and other departments. Notable alumni of the University of South Florida include wrestler Hulk Hogan; model Lauren Hutton; Richard Oppel, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and former editor of the Austin American-Statesman and Charlotte Observer; and Kimberly Ross, executive vice president and chief financial officer of global cosmetics company Avon.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):
The University of South Florida has developed into one of the nation's major public research universities. USF is classified as a "Research University with Very High Research Activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, receiving more than $360 million a year in external funding to support research and development projects.
 
At the heart of USF is a vibrant, diverse and engaged student body. More than 47,000 students are enrolled in the USF System, a system of three separately accredited institutions - USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee - with an annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of $3.7 billion. The university's main Tampa campus is home to USF Health, including the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Public Health and Pharmacy.
 
With over 230 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialty and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine, there's something for everyone at USF. The university offers a dynamic learning environment that inspires innovation, creativity and collaboration and is focused on student success. More than 2,000 distinguished scholars, researchers and expert teachers, nearly all holding PhDs or the highest degrees in their fields, make up the USF faculty-including the 2012 U.S. Professor of the Year.
 
USF is a member of the Big East Conference, with 17 men's and women's varsity teams competing at the NCAA-level. New facilities for practice and competition, along with a completely renovated USF Sun Dome, put the university's athletic facilities on par with virtually every top program in the country.
 
General Information

School type	public, coed college
Year founded	1956
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	urban
2012 Endowment	$312,899,380

Applying
When applying to University of South Florida, it's important to note the application deadline is March 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due April 15. The application fee at University of South Florida is $30. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 43.2 percent.
 

Selectivity	selective
Fall 2012 acceptance rate	43.2%
Application deadline	March 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	April 15

Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of South Florida is 24:1, and the school has 27.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of South Florida include: Finance, General; Criminology; Biomedical Sciences, General; Psychology, General; and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 88 percent.

Class sizes
Student-faculty ratio	24:1
4-year graduation rate	29%
Five most popular majors for 2012 graduates
Finance, General 19% Criminology 16% Biomedical Sciences, General 9% Psychology, General 9% Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 9%

Student Life
University of South Florida has a total undergraduate enrollment of 30,289, with a gender distribution of 43.9 percent male students and 56.1 percent female students. At this school, 18 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 82 percent of students live off campus. University of South Florida is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

Total enrollment	40,111
Student gender distribution
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

Campus Info & Services
University of South Florida offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of South Florida also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at University of South Florida, 93 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of South Florida.

Students who have cars on campus	93%
Health insurance offered	Yes

Paying for School
At University of South Florida, 82.1 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $5,677.
 

In-state tuition and fees	$6,410 (2013-14)
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$17,325 (2013-14)
Room and board	$9,250 (2013-14)