University of South Florida student guide: cost, food, housing & tips

USF at a glance

37,207

undergrads

43%

of applicants admitted

91%

come back for year 2

75%

graduate

22 : 1

students per teacher

$63,660

typical pay 10 years in

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard.

What a year really costs

After grants and scholarships, by family income. Average: $8,648.

Under $30k $5,565

$30k–$48k $3,989

$48k–$75k $6,040

$75k–$110k $11,459

Over $110k $17,159

Tuition, in state

$6,410

Tuition, out of state

$18,416

Typical debt at graduation

$16,250

33% of students get a Pell Grant

Free stuff most students miss

Academics & admin

Academic Success Center

Free peer tutoring, supplemental instruction, academic coaching, and study skills workshops

Getting around

Bull Runner

Free campus shuttle system connecting campus locations and nearby apartments

Health & safety

Counseling Center

Free counseling, crisis intervention, group therapy, and after-hours crisis line

Places

USF Botanical Gardens

3,000+ plants and natural habitats on campus, free with USF ID

Eat

Dining halls, quick bites and coffee on campus.

17 places

The Hub

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall in The Village with 400 seats and diverse food stations

3824 USF Magnolia Dr

Juniper Dining

Dining hall

Unlimited dining with 10 stations including allergen-friendly and vegan options in Juniper-Poplar Hall

12030 USF Beard Drive

Dining hall

Juniper Dining Hall

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining with 10 stations including vegan, halal, and international cuisine

12030 USF Beard Dr

Dining hall

Juniper-Poplar Dining Hall

Dining hall

Residential dining hall serving Juniper-Poplar housing community

Argos Exchange

Dining hall

Dining cluster near Argos Complex with rotating menus and Bay Coffee & Tea Co.

Rotating global-inspired menus with rice bowls, flatbreads, and salads

4202 E Fowler Ave, Argos Building

Where to live

Residence halls, apartments and help finding a place.

9 places

Residence hall

Cypress Hall

Residence hall

Suite-style residence hall with semi-private bathrooms for first-year and sophomore students

3640 USF Cypress Dr

The Village

Residence hall

Newest residential community with five halls, The Hub dining, and The Fit wellness center

USF Tampa Campus

Juniper-Poplar Hall

Residence hall

Seven-story suite-style hall with Juniper Dining on the ground floor and Honors LLC

12030 USF Beard Drive

Beta Hall - Argos Complex

Residence hall

Traditional-style residence hall in the Argos Complex near central campus

4304 USF Holly Drive

Cypress Apartments

Residence hall

Apartment-style housing with full kitchens for upperclass and graduate students

Apartment-style housing with full kitchens and in-unit washers/dryers

11501 Holly Dr

Get around

Shuttles, parking and accessible rides.

4 ways

Bull Runner

Transit

Free campus shuttle system connecting campus locations and nearby apartments

Parking

Parking & Transportation Services

Parking

Parking permits, enforcement, motorist assistance, and shuttle management

13311 USF Plum Dr

USF Parking Services

Parking

Student and visitor parking across campus garages and lots

Transit

HART Bus Service

Transit

Public transit with MetroRapid Route 400 and multiple routes serving USF and Tampa

University Area Transit Center, Fletcher Ave & 22nd St, Tampa, FL

Majors that pay most at USF

Typical pay 4 years after graduating. Top 6 of 54 bachelor's majors with published pay.

Computer Engineering $109,054

Electrical Engineering $102,275

Chemical Engineering $94,387

Computer Science $90,953

Industrial Engineering $90,040

Mechanical Engineering $88,249

Source: College Scorecard, field-of-study data.

Your USF checklist

5 things worth doing early

Save campus police in your phone (813) 974-2628, 24/7.
Get a parking permit or skip it and ride the free bus.
Visit Career Services early, not the week of the career fair.
File next year's FAFSA Opens October 1. Questions: (813) 974-4700.
Know where counseling is Counseling Center.

When you need help

University Police Department (813) 974-2628 Counseling Center (813) 974-2831 Student Health & Wellness Center (813) 974-2331 Office of Financial Aid (813) 974-4700

5 things USF freshmen figure out too late

Watch the video

1 Record any lecture. No permission needed
"Students may, without prior notice, record video or audio of a class lecture for a class in which the student is enrolled for their own personal, educational use (USF Policy 10-048)." It covers lectures only: not labs, class discussion, student presentations or exams. And recordings "may not be published or shared without the written consent of the faculty member."
USF Core Syllabus Policy Statements
2 Your job is not an excused absence
"Employment schedules, athletic training and practice schedules, and personal appointments are not valid reasons for scheduled absences."
USF Policy 10-069 — general attendance
3 Teammate cheats? You own it too
"All team members shall be held responsible for the content of all teamwork submitted for evaluation as if each team member had individually submitted the entire work product of their team as their own work."
USF Regulation 3.027 — academic integrity
4 Excused from a test? It cannot be the drop
When an absence is excused, the instructor has to give you a real chance to make it up. "Counting the missed examination as a lowest score to be dropped at the end of the term does not constitute a reasonable opportunity."
USF Policy 10-069 — general attendance
5 Record the lecture — Gus makes the notes, flashcards and quiz
Gus is an AI college companion built around your actual classes. Record a lecture and it writes the notes, pulls out the key topics, builds a flashcard deck, and makes a practice quiz from what was actually said. The flashcards come back on a spaced-review schedule, so the thing you missed shows up again right before you would have forgotten it. It is free to try.
Try Gus free

One more thing

After 6 terms, only required classes

"FTIC or transfer students who have been an active student for six (6) or more terms at a post-secondary institution will not be allowed to enroll in courses that are not required for completion of the declared primary major based on the university degree audit system."

USF Policy 10-505 — degree progression

Exam clash? The alphabet decides

When two finals collide and the other rules tie: "If after applying items 1 through 4, there remains a conflict, priority shall be given to the course with the prefix closest to the beginning of the alphabet."

USF Regulation 3.011 — testing and final examinations