University of Southern Florida

University of South Florida

Motto	Truth and Wisdom
Type	Public university Space-grant university
Established	1956
Academic affiliations	State University System of Florida SURA
Endowment	$417 million
President	Judy Genshaft
Provost	Ralph Wilcox
Academic staff	6,133
Students	48,793
Undergraduates	36,108
Postgraduates	9,889
Location	Tampa, Florida, U.S.
Campus	Urban, 1,913 acres (7.7 km2)
Newspaper	The Oracle
Colors	Green and Gold
Nickname	Bulls
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I – The American
Mascot	Rocky the Bull
Website	www.usf.edu

The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is an American metropolitan public research university in Tampa, Florida, United States. USF is also a member institution of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1956, USF is the fourth-largest public university in the state of Florida, with an enrollment of 48,373 as of the 2014–2015 academic year. The USF system has three institutions: USF Tampa, USF St. Petersburg and USF Sarasota-Manatee. Each institution is separately accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university is home to 14 colleges, offering more than 80 undergraduate majors and more than 130 graduate, specialist, and doctoral-level degree programs.

USF is classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the top tier of research universities, and is among three other universities in Florida to hold this highest level of classification. In its 2011 ranking, the Intellectual Property Owners Association placed USF 10th among all universities worldwide in the number of US patents granted. The university has an annual budget of $1.5 billion and an annual economic impact of over $3.7 billion. In a ranking compiled by the National Science Foundation, USF ranks 43rd in the United States for total research spending among all universities, public and private.

USF ranks #68 of Top Public Schools and #140 in National Universities according to the 2018 U.S. News & World Report. USF was named a national leader in online education by Guide to Online Schools. USF graduate level programs – including Public Health, Library and Information Studies, Education, and Criminology – continue to rank among the nation's 5 best in the U.S. News & World Report graduate school rankings.