College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of San Francisco

CAMedium private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #328 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

University of San Francisco: a private nonprofit university where graduates earn about $22,169 more than expects for similar students.

Who it’s a good fit for

The University of San Francisco is a private nonprofit university in San Francisco where the degree mix is led by Business and Health Professions. Return is among the highest we track, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study.

Graduates out-earn what the model predicts for students like them. The model attributes more of that to a remainder it does not explain than to the factors it measures.

The earnings advantage is not simply a matter of field of study or the local labor market. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate slightly above the cohort as a whole, and mobility is above average.

But affordability is below the levels seen at many peers, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is wide, so the price case turns heavily on income. The admission rate is below the median for comparable institutions.

Nursing, the largest program, is also one of the highest-earning, while Psychology and the social sciences sit lower on the earnings scale. A student considering those fields should weigh the cost against the return.

University of San Francisco at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
61.7%
Six-year completion[2]
70.1%
Four-year earnings[3]
$91,483

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$34,315
Median student debt[4]
$23,000
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$44,413

University of San Francisco rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

The University of San Francisco is a private nonprofit university in San Francisco, California, enrolling 5,287 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the upper third of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The university admits 61.7% of applicants, a rate below the 71.2% median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Once enrolled, 83.7% of full-time first-year students return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.4%.

The six-year graduation rate is 70.1%, compared with a peer median of 68.8%. An estimated 21.6% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the six-year graduation rate describes the first-time full-time cohort rather than the full student body.

The retention and completion figures both sit above their peer medians, though the margins are narrow. The four of the Azimuth composite sit far apart.

Return is the strongest pillar, while affordability is the weakest. Access and mobility sit between them, closer to each other than to the extremes.

Azimuth ranks University of San Francisco #328 among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions. The four pillars sit far apart: return is the strongest, at the 96th percentile, while affordability is the weakest, at the 4th percentile.

Mobility and access fall in between, at the 73rd and 66th percentiles respectively. A reader weighing this profile is looking at a school where graduate earnings are a clear strength and the net price is the part that calls for the closest look.

28.0% of undergraduates at University of San Francisco receive Pell Grants. Azimuth ranks University of San Francisco #506 for access among 1,467 nonprofit four-year institutions.

The access pillar is shaped by the Pell share and by how well those students finish. Pell Grant recipients at the university complete at a rate of 73.0%, which is 2.9 percentage points above the overall six-year graduation rate for the entering cohort.

Azimuth ranks the university #404 for mobility. Graduates earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of San Francisco rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#328
California#43
West#68

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 73
Access & reach
National percentile: 66
Affordability
National percentile: 4
Return on investment
National percentile: 96

Top-ranked majors

  1. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing#5
  2. Marketing#12
  3. Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication#14

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of San Francisco briefing

University of San Francisco cost & financial aid[6][7]

The University of San Francisco's strongest pillar is return on investment, but its cost profile tells a different story. The published cost of attendance is $80,141, an average across living arrangements.

Tuition and fees are $60,492, and room and board are $19,764. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported sticker charges of $592 in required fees and $18,490 for on-campus food and housing.

For the average aid recipient, the net price—what students pay after grants and scholarships—is $41,431, a savings of $38,710 against the sticker price. That sits above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $14,060.

Azimuth ranks the university #1,355 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The affordability percentile, at 4th, reflects a net price that remains high even after aid.

The return pillar is in the 96th percentile. The cost side is a clear counterweight: strong earnings potential comes with a price tag that is among the steepest among nonprofit four-year institutions.

University of San Francisco's published cost of attendance is $80,141, an average across living arrangements. Its published tuition and fees are $60,492 and room and board are $19,764.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price—what aid recipients actually pay—varies by family income. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $31,537; for the middle band ($48,001–$75,000), it is $34,315; and for families earning over $110,000, it is $52,497.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $20,960. Azimuth ranks the university #1,355 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 48% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $38,710 against the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $41,431, which is above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $14,060.

While the university's sticker price is high, the aid package narrows the gap for many families, though the net price remains above the peer benchmark. Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $23,000.

That debt is below the peer median of $24,199 for comparable institutions by $1,199, and 91.5% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower figure, is $44,413.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$34,315

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of San Francisco

The median federal student debt for borrowers who complete a degree at the University of San Francisco is $23,000. That median sits below the $24,199 median at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $1,199, a narrow gap.

About 91.5% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parent borrowers, a separate population, carry a median Parent PLUS loan of $44,413.

The estimated monthly payment on the median federal debt is $261 if repaid over ten years.

The return on investment at University of San Francisco is anchored by strong earnings that outpace both peers and the model's expectations. Graduates earn a median of $91,483 four years after completion, a figure in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That median sits $23,233 above the $68,250 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students, an outcome that falls in the 97th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios, derived from the university's program mix, suggest a typical outcome that matches the observed median, with a downside scenario of $57,189 and an upside scenario of $137,695. Borrowers finish with a median federal debt of $23,000, which is $1,199 below the $24,199 median for comparable institutions.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $261 a month if repaid over ten years. The earnings picture is unusually strong: the median sits well above the peer benchmark, and the gap between actual and expected earnings is among the widest nationally.

Combined with a debt load that is slightly below the peer median, the return profile points clearly in one direction.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $44,413. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $261.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$23,000
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$44,413

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$261/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$564/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of San Francisco briefing

University of San Francisco career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Completers at University of San Francisco earn a median of $91,483 four years after completion, a level in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median sits above the peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), of $68,250 by $23,233.

Graduates earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students, placing that outcome in the 97th percentile nationally. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,672.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $14,497. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $845. This places the return pillar in the 96th percentile nationally.

Graduates of University of San Francisco earn a median of $91,483 four years after completion, a figure that places the university in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort for this measure is 1,761 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled.

Graduates earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 97th percentile.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, put the typical figure at $91,483, with a downside scenario of $57,189 and an upside scenario of $137,695. An estimated 30.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The return on investment at University of San Francisco is anchored by a median earnings figure of $91,483 four years after completion. That places the university in the 95th percentile nationally.

That is above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $23,233. Graduates earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 97th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $7,672. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $14,497.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $845. Azimuth ranks the university #54 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $57,189 and an upside of $137,695, showing the range across modeled program clusters. The program-level picture is led by Nursing, the largest program with 247 degrees awarded, where completers earn a median of $143,356 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #5 nationally in its field, and its earnings are 1.61x the national median for the field. Business Administration and Management is another large program, awarding 125 degrees with a median of $104,390 (1.53x the national median).

The highest-earning program is Computer Science, where 76 degrees awarded coincide with a median of $150,341, or 1.41x the national median for the field. Alongside Psychology (150 degrees, $65,071), these programs consistently clear their national benchmarks.

The earnings scenarios show a wide range, from $57,189 on the downside to $137,695 on the upside, reflecting the mix of programs at the university. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups of graduates.

At the upper end, Computer Science graduates report median earnings of $150,341 four years after completion, from 76 degrees awarded a year. Nursing, the largest program, follows at $143,356 with 247 degrees awarded, and Business Administration and Management graduates earn $104,390 from 125 degrees awarded.

Graduates of University of San Francisco earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students. The median federal student debt for borrowers who complete a degree is $23,000, which runs below the median of $24,199 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, that debt would mean a monthly payment of $261. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, carry a median of $44,413.

The average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $41,431, which is above the peer median of $27,371 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Across income bands, the average net price ranges from $31,537 for families earning under $30,000 to $52,497 for families earning over $110,000.

The earnings outcome and the debt load point the same way for University of San Francisco. Graduates earn well above the model's expectation while carrying debt that is slightly below the peer median.

The average net price, however, sits well above the peer median, so the return picture is mixed.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$7,672
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
+$14,497
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$22,169

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of San Francisco briefing

University of San Francisco acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

The University of San Francisco admits 61.7% of applicants, a rate that sits below the median of 71.2% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 24,888 applicants and 15,358 admitted students.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
61.7%
25th percentile
1200
Median
1300
75th percentile
1380

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of San Francisco briefing

What are the largest majors at University of San Francisco?[12]

The University of San Francisco's largest programs span a wide earnings range, with several earning strong national ranks from Azimuth. Nursing, the largest program with 247 degrees awarded, shows a median of $143,356 four years after completion and an Azimuth national rank of #5 in the field.

Marketing follows with 110 degrees awarded, a median of $91,815, and a national rank of #12. Psychology, the second-largest program at 150 degrees awarded, reports a more moderate median of $65,071 and earns an Azimuth national rank of #22.

The contrast between a top-ranked clinical field like Nursing and a large social-science program like Psychology shows a substantial spread in early-career earnings, a pattern that runs across the university's program mix.

University of San Francisco publishes earnings data for 19 bachelor's programs, 18 of which hold an Azimuth national rank. The largest program, Nursing, awarded 247 degrees and carries a national rank of #5 with median earnings of $143,356 four years after completion.

Among the university's best-ranked programs, Marketing holds a national rank of #12 with 110 degrees awarded and a median of $91,815. It also ranks #2 in California.

Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication ranks #14 nationally, awarded 22 degrees, and reports a median of $81,285. The highest-earning program, Computer Science, awarded 76 degrees and its completers earn a median of $150,341.

The degree mix at University of San Francisco is anchored by Business, which accounts for 29.1% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 15.3% and Social Sciences at 10.6%. The university has 18 programs with an Azimuth national rank and 19 with published four-year earnings data.

The largest single program is Nursing, at 247 degrees awarded a year, with Psychology next at 150 and Business Administration and Management at 125. The strongest programs are concentrated in professional fields.

Nursing is the highest-ranked, earning $143,356 four years after completion, and Azimuth ranks it #5 in California within its field. It also carries a benchmark ratio of 1.61x against the national median for its field.

Computer Science is the highest-earning program at $150,341, though it is smaller at 76 degrees awarded. Marketing ranks #12 nationally and #2 in California within its field.

The program awards 110 degrees and has median earnings of $91,815. The pattern is one of strength in a few high-return fields rather than across the board.

The largest program is also the best-ranked and the second-highest-earning, which concentrates the return story in a single department. Marketing and Finance round out the largest programs with earnings of $91,815 and $103,605 respectively, while 15.1% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 247 degrees awarded
$143,356
Psychology, General 150 degrees awarded
$65,071
Business Administration, Management and Operations 125 degrees awarded
$104,390
Marketing 110 degrees awarded
$91,815
Finance and Financial Management Services 109 degrees awarded
$103,605
Biology, General 104 degrees awarded
$69,440

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of San Francisco briefing

How does University of San Francisco serve students from different backgrounds?

The University of San Francisco combines a Pell completion rate that runs ahead of its overall graduation rate with earnings that land well above the model's expectation. Pell recipients in the first-time full-time cohort complete at 73.0%, above the six-year graduation rate of 70.1% by 2.9 percentage points.

Graduates earn about $22,169 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that sits in the 97th percentile nationally. Azimuth places the university in the 73rd percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The University of San Francisco, a private nonprofit university, admits 61.7% of applicants, a rate that is lower than the peer median of 71.2%. Pell Grant recipients make up 28.0% of its 5,287 undergraduates, and an estimated 21.6% of students enter as transfers or part-time students.

Azimuth places the access pillar in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

06 / University of San Francisco briefing

What colleges are similar to University of San Francisco?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of San Francisco.

Admissions peerUniversity of the Pacific71.3% admitted
Comparison with University of San Francisco
MeasureUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of the Pacific
Peer earnings · 4 years$91,483$81,820-$9,663 vs University of San Francisco
Average annual net price$41,431$25,447-$15,984 vs University of San Francisco · lower cost
Admission rate61.7%71.3%
Explore University of the Pacific →
Higher-admission alternativeSan Jose State University84.6% admitted
Comparison with University of San Francisco
MeasureUniversity of San FranciscoSan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$91,483$89,614-$1,869 vs University of San Francisco
Average annual net price$41,431$13,760-$27,671 vs University of San Francisco · lower cost
Admission rate61.7%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Nearby alternativeSan Jose State UniversityNearby option · CA
Comparison with University of San Francisco
MeasureUniversity of San FranciscoSan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$91,483$89,614-$1,869 vs University of San Francisco
Average annual net price$41,431$13,760-$27,671 vs University of San Francisco · lower cost
Admission rate61.7%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Higher-earnings alternativeWorcester Polytechnic Institute$105,724 earnings
Comparison with University of San Francisco
MeasureUniversity of San FranciscoWorcester Polytechnic Institute
Peer earnings · 4 years$91,483$105,724+$14,241 vs University of San Francisco
Average annual net price$41,431$43,071+$1,640 vs University of San Francisco · higher cost
Admission rate61.7%60.2%
Explore Worcester Polytechnic Institute →
Lower-cost alternativeSan Jose State University$13,760 average net price
Comparison with University of San Francisco
MeasureUniversity of San FranciscoSan Jose State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$91,483$89,614-$1,869 vs University of San Francisco
Average annual net price$41,431$13,760-$27,671 vs University of San Francisco · lower cost
Admission rate61.7%84.6%
Explore San Jose State University →
Similar profileUniversity of San DiegoMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of San Francisco
MeasureUniversity of San FranciscoUniversity of San Diego
Peer earnings · 4 years$91,483$85,309-$6,174 vs University of San Francisco
Average annual net price$41,431$30,365-$11,066 vs University of San Francisco · lower cost
Admission rate61.7%52.4%
Explore University of San Diego →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings