University of South Florida (USF)
Tampa, Florida · Founded 1956
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SAT / ACT required
USF requires an SAT, ACT or CLT score from first-year applicants and superscores all three, combining your highest section scores across test dates; it does not require or consider the optional essay. To qualify you must also meet minimum section scores: 490 in SAT reading and writing and 480 in math, or ACT reading 19, English 17 and math 19, or CLT verbal and writing 38 and quantitative reasoning 16. For the class that entered in fall 2025, 78% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT score and 22% an ACT. In its Common Data Set the rigor of the high school record, academic GPA and test scores are rated Very Important, class rank Considered, and the essay, recommendations and activities Not Considered. Transfer applicants need scores only with fewer than sixty transferable credits. Source: usf.edu - Freshman Academic Requirements and Transfer Academic Requirements; USF Common Data Set 2025-2026, sections C7-C9 (verified October 2026).
About
A public research university and a member of the Association of American Universities, with about 39,000 undergraduates among nearly 50,000 students on its main campus in Tampa and a branch campus in St. Petersburg. USF offers more than 200 programs in 14 colleges, and USF Health makes it Tampa Bay's only academic medical center. The social sciences are its largest field.
History
A 1955 state law created a new university in Hillsborough County, and USF was founded in 1956 on land north of a World War II army airfield, on what had been its practice bombing range. It took its name partly because it was then the southernmost state university in Florida, and when classes began on September 26, 1960, it became the first major state university planned, built and opened in the 20th century. Its mascot began as the Golden Brahman in 1962 and became the Bulls in the late 1980s. In 2020 its campuses consolidated into one accredited university, and in 2023 it joined the Association of American Universities.
What stands out
- A standardized test score is required, and USF combines your best section scores across test dates
- Nonbinding early action closes November 2, with decisions on December 9; regular decision closes December 16
- Completing your application by January 15 brings automatic consideration for merit scholarships
- Fall is the most competitive term, and some applicants are admitted for the summer or spring instead
- You name a preferred campus, Tampa or St. Petersburg, and a preferred term; neither is guaranteed
Popular majors
Campus life
Students cheer for the Bulls, who compete in NCAA Division I in the American Conference, and USF counts more than 1,000 student organizations. A 35,000-seat on-campus stadium is set to open in fall 2027, and every Wednesday of the fall and spring terms the Bull Market fills MLK Plaza behind the Marshall Student Center.