University of San Francisco

If you are applying to USF, the deadline for Fall 2023 admissions is January 15 and the application fee costs $70.

Students who apply to USF for the fall semester should anticipate a decision by March 15.

USF Admissions Stats at a Glance

Here's an overiew of some of USF's admissions stats.

USF 2022	Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA	3.6
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class	33.44%
Mean SAT Score	1290
Admissions Test Policy	Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs	17%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs	11%
Waitlist	Yes

University of San Francisco Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for University of San Francisco.

Application Type	Offered	Application Deadline	Notification Deadline
Early Decision I	Yes	November 1	December 1
Early Decision II	––	––	––
Early Action	Yes	November 1	December 14
Regular Decision	Yes	January 1	March 15

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Considering Applying Early to USF?

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USF offers early decision and also offers early action. Early decision is binding, meaning you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by November 1 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 1.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is November 1. USF will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 14.

The early decision acceptance rate at USF is 60%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 71%.

USF accepts roughly 82% of early action applicants and 71% all applicants for all deadlines. Last year, USF admitted 78 of the 130 students who applied early decision. In 2021, USF admitted 5,318 of the 6,52 who applied early action.

Some students apply early to increase their chances of getting in. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase your chance of admission, since it is a way to show that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ Discover a list of some selective colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.

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More on University of San Francisco Admissions

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How To Get Into University of San Francisco

Getting into USF is moderately difficult. USF evaluates applicants carefully based on multiple criteria to decide who to admit, and who to deny or waitlist.

In 2021, USF accepted 71% of all applicants, around 15,867 from the 22,372 applicants.

Schools that are moderately difficult to get into, like USF, accept fewer than 85% of all applicants. At least 75% of all admitted students have GPAs in the top 50% of their high school class and scored over 1010 on the SAT or over 18 on the ACT.

Transferring to University of San Francisco

Transfer student admissions is moderately difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to USF

In 2022, USF waitlisted 1,741 students and 1,062 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 126 eventually received an admissions offer.

What Does USF Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when determining who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are are most important when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When assembling your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and choose schools that prioritize the areas where you're strong.

Admissions Factors at USF

What does USF consider during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor	Level
Academic GPA	Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record	Very Important
Character/Personal Qualities	Important
Application Essay	Important
Volunteer Work	Important
Alumni/ae Relations	Considered
Class Rank	Considered
Work Experience	Considered
Extracurricular Activities	Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest	Considered
First Generation	Considered
Interview	Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status	Considered
Recommendation(s)	Considered
Talent/Ability	Considered
Standardized Test Scores	Considered

Make sure to check with USF for more information on admission factors.

USF Application Requirements

To apply to USF, all applicants must submit the following items. Double check with USF's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area	Required	Recommended	Required for Some	Details (If Any)
Minimum High School GPA (On 4.0 Scale)		2.5
Interview		√
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Letter(s) of Recommendation	1
Written Essay or Personal Statement	√
Transcript of High School Record	√

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GPA and Testing

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What GPA Do I Need To Get Into USF?

Students admitted to USF have an average unweighted GPA of 3.6.

Out of all students that were admitted, 22.45% submitted a class rank. At USF 33.44% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 67.79% were in the top 25% and 95.09% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At University of San Francisco, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA	Percent of Students
4.0 GPA	13.91%
3.75 and 3.99	23%
3.50 and 3.74	21.28%
3.25 and 3.49	19.7%
3.00 and 3.24	17.77%
2.50 and 2.9	4.2%
2.00 and 2.49	0.07%

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to USF directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

USF considers standardized tests scores during the admissions process.

USF has a test optional admissions policy. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 17% of USF's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 11% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for USF?

To be competitive with other USF applicants, you should strive to score between 1200 and 1370 (or higher!) on the SAT. At USF 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1370 and 25% of scored lower than 1200, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a USF student is 1290.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of USF students scored 700 or higher and 75% of students scored 600 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of USF students scored 690 or higher, and 75% scored a 600 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for USF?

To be most competitive at USF, you should strive to earn between 26 and 31 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 31 means you fall in the 75th percentile for USF's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 31, and three out of four students scored lower than 31 on the ACT.

A 26 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for USF students. Only one out of every four students scored below 26.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

More Information on Transferring to University of San Francisco

For transfer students, it is moderately difficult to get admitted to USF.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is March 1. Transfer applications are processed on a on a rolling basis as they are received.Applicants should hear back by April 1.

Transfer students can enroll in USF during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term

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USF Admissions FAQs

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Can I defer my acceptance to USF?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to USF.

Does USF accept transfer credits?

✅ USF accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions. USF accepts:

• CLEP subject tests • DSST/DANTES

Does USF accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ USF accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to USF?

❌ No, USF is test optional, so you can make the call whether or not to include your test scores. If your scores are higher than the school's average, you probably want to include them. If you scored lower than a school's average, you may want not want to include them in your application.

What is USF's acceptance rate?

✅ The acceptance rate for USF is 71%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at USF?

✅ USF's early decision acceptance rate was 60% in 2021.

What is the early action acceptance rate at USF?

✅ The early action acceptance rate at USF was 82% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About USF?

To learn more about USF, choose from the options below:

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