USF University Archives

The University of South Florida was founded in 1956 as the first public university established specifically to address the needs of Florida’s rapidly emerging urban regions. Today, the University of South Florida System is comprised of two separately accredited institutions, USF and USF St. Petersburg. USF consists of the main research campus in Tampa, which includes USF Health, and two regional campuses: USF Sarasota-Manatee and USF Polytechnic in Lakeland. At the University of South Florida, federal funds for academic research and development increased 213 percent from 2000 to 2007.  According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, that makes USF the fastest growing research university in the United States. In the academic year 2008-09, USF reached a new high with $380.4 million in research grants and contracts. As of 2010, USF serves more than 39,000 students and offers 228 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine, through its 11 colleges. USF is a member of the Big East Athletic Conference.