University of South Florida
University of South Florida is a public, AAU-member research university in Tampa serving ~50,000 students across degree, healthcare, and workforce programs, with $750M in annual research funding and the Bellini College of AI.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1956
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What University of South Florida does
University of South Florida (USF) is a public, AAU-member research university founded in 1956 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida, with regional campuses in St. Petersburg and (until July 2026) Sarasota-Manatee. It serves approximately 50,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, professional, and continuing-education programs delivered via on-campus, online, and hybrid channels. Core offerings include the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing (~3,000 students, scaling to 5,000 by 2027), USF Health (including the Top 16–ranked Morsani College of Medicine and CAMLS simulation center), the College of Marine Science, the Muma College of Business, and corporate-sponsored biomedical engineering capstones. Research infrastructure spans the Advanced Visualization Center, CAMLS, the Global Virus Network international headquarters, and major federal study platforms such as TEDDY ($69.9M NIH, the largest Type 1 diabetes study of its kind) and PACT (76,000 participants in dementia prevention).
USF's business model combines six revenue streams: tuition and fees (in-state, out-of-state, and graduate tiers), state appropriations via the State University System of Florida, federal research grants (NIH, NSF, DOD) and contracts, healthcare services distributed through Tampa General Hospital and USF Health, private philanthropy (notably the $40M Bellini gift, $10M MacKechnie gift, and a $6M anonymous engineering gift), and athletics revenue anchored by a $348.5M on-campus stadium opening in fall 2027. The university pursues a multi-channel GTM: direct-to-consumer admissions for students, event-driven athletics recruitment and branding, sales-led research outreach to federal agencies and corporate sponsors, and partnership-driven workforce development (e.g., free InfoSec certificates for veterans/first responders). It has produced $750M in research funding in 2025, is ranked #43 among U.S. public universities and #12 best value, and holds 42 graduate programs in the national top 100. Technology differentiation includes the PanPep AI framework (published in Nature Machine Intelligence for immune-response prediction), the SCOPE-PD Parkinson's model (98.66% accuracy), an AR-based physics education platform, and AI-driven spinal implant validation (Nivalon Medical) — anchored by a $5M NSF Honu Hub solar-wastewater recycling grant and an $85M U.S. Army / $85M SOCOM defense pipeline.
University of South Florida firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of South Florida
- Legal name
- University of South Florida
- Website
- https://usf.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1956
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- University of South Florida is a public, AAU-member research university in Tampa serving ~50,000 students across degree, healthcare, and workforce programs, with $750M in annual research funding and the Bellini College of AI.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of South Florida industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Research University Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC), Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE)
Keywords
Where University of South Florida is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
University of South Florida business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: USF generates primary revenue from tuition and fees charged to undergraduate and graduate students. In-state and out-of-state tuition rates apply, with financial aid and scholarships available.
- State Funding and Appropriations: As a public university, USF receives significant state funding from Florida through performance-based funding models and legislative appropriations.
- Research Grants and Contracts: USF receives substantial research funding from federal agencies (NIH, NSF, DOD) and private foundations. Notable grants include $69.9M NIH grant for TEDDY study on Type 1 diabetes, $20M NSF for coral reef research, $2.8M NIH for PACT dementia study, and $1.5M from ReliaQuest for AI cybersecurity.
- Healthcare Services Revenue: USF Health generates revenue through clinical services at Tampa General Hospital and other affiliated healthcare facilities, including medical school education and research.
- Private Philanthropy and Donations: USF receives major donations from individuals and foundations, including $40M from Arnie and Lauren Bellini for the AI college, $10M from Ian and Jean MacKechnie for immunotherapy lab, and $6M anonymous donation to College of Engineering.
- Athletics Revenue: USF Athletics generates revenue through ticket sales, media rights, sponsorships, and NCAA distributions. Construction of new on-campus stadium indicates investment in athletics program growth.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Undergraduate In-State Tuition |
| Subscription | Annual | Undergraduate Out-of-State Tuition |
| Subscription | Annual | Graduate and Professional Programs |
| Freemium | One time/ perpetual license | Cybersecurity Certificate - Free for Veterans/First Responders |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
University of South Florida product offering
Product offeringCore offering
University of South Florida is a multi-campus public research university offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across colleges including the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, USF Health (Morsani College of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health), and Muma College of Business. USF delivers research services funded by federal agencies and industry partners, clinical and medical training through Tampa General Hospital, and workforce development programs for regional employers.
Product overview
The University of South Florida is a multi-campus public research university offering educational programs, research services, and healthcare. Its product portfolio includes degree programs across multiple colleges, research initiatives funded by major grants, healthcare services through USF Health, and specialized facilities. Key offerings include the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing (with three interdisciplinary computing majors), USF Health medical and research programs, the Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), marine science research, and corporate-sponsored engineering capstone programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing: One of the first AI colleges in Florida and among few in the nation, established through a $40 million gift from Arnie and Lauren Bellini.
- USF Health
- Muma College of Business
Products and services
- Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing Academic college offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and computing, with three new interdisciplinary majors (AI+Social Sciences, AI+Business, AI+Criminology) launching in 2026.
- USF Health (Morsani College of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health) Health sciences education and clinical research delivered through Morsani College of Medicine (top 16 nationally), College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Public Health; partnered with Tampa General Hospital for clinical training and immunotherapy research.
- Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) Advanced medical simulation and training center for USF students, faculty, and practicing clinicians; integrates AI-powered surgical imaging into education programs.
- Global Virus Network International Headquarters Headquarters of the Global Virus Network coalition at USF, focused on advancing virology research and pandemic preparedness across 40+ countries.
- Augmented Reality Physics Education Platform Augmented reality educational platform funded by a $300,000 NSF grant that creates six interactive simulations covering core physics topics, with plans to be offered publicly at no cost.
- Corporate-Sponsored Biomedical Engineering Capstone Program Year-long corporate-sponsored senior capstone projects in biomedical engineering where students design medical device prototypes for industry partners such as PainTEQ, Motiva, and Novanta.
- 3D-Printed Oyster Habitats (ORBS) 3D-printed clay oyster habitats installed in honeycomb patterns at living seawalls, where oysters filter water and improve ecosystem health as part of Tampa Bay restoration.
- InfoSec Governance, Risk and Compliance Analyst Certificate Professional certificate program in information security GRC, with free enrollment for military veterans, first responders, and public-sector professionals to address Florida's cybersecurity workforce shortage.
- Online and Distance Learning Programs Online degree programs and courses with multiple delivery modes (all online, primarily distance, hybrid blend) available to students globally with a $30/credit online course fee.
- USF Athletics Program Intercollegiate athletics program (USF Bulls) generating revenue through ticket sales, media rights, sponsorships, and NCAA distributions; supported by a new $348.5M on-campus stadium opening fall 2027.
- Interdisciplinary Computing Majors (AI+Social Sciences, AI+Business, AI+Criminology) Three new interdisciplinary computing majors within the Bellini College that pair computer science and AI with social sciences, business, and criminology under a hub-and-spoke model.
- Voice AI Summer School USF summer school training students to use voice as a biomarker for detecting neurological, respiratory, and psychiatric diseases, teaching processing of voice audio and identification of acoustic features like hoarseness or tremor.
Quantifiable outcome
- USF ranked #43 among all public universities nationally
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use University of South Florida
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
University of South Florida technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability17 records
Feature5 records
University of South Florida partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- Tampa General HospitalcoreTampa General Hospital and USF Health partnership for immunotherapy research. $10M donation from Ian and Jean MacKechnie established Ian & Jean MacKechnie Immunotherapy Lab in USF Health building. GE HealthCare Allia Moveo surgical imaging system installed at CAMLS.
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)minorHSI Tampa and Miami field offices signed MOU with USF's Trafficking in Persons Risk to Resilience Lab to adopt BRIGHT Project technology connecting trafficking victims with organizations and resources. Partnership aims to strengthen victim identification and coordination.
- GEICOminorGEICO opened new 190,000 sq ft Tampa campus creating 1,500 jobs. Partnership with USF and University of Tampa for talent recruitment as part of broader national growth strategy.
- PainTEQ, Motiva, NovantaminorCorporate sponsors for USF biomedical engineering senior capstone projects. Students completed year-long design projects including bone marrow healing device, fat-purification system, and surgical tool-tracking software. Program is workforce pipeline for Tampa medtech hub.
- By Light Professional IT ServicescoreStrategic partnership to develop trustworthy AI systems for national security applications. Focuses on AI assurance using mathematical formal methods to validate AI behavior in high-stakes environments like automated target recognition and autonomous systems.
- Sunshine HealthminorSunshine Health Works workforce development program trained nearly 1,900 individuals across Florida. Partnership provides healthcare certifications and specialized programs to address labor shortages and support career pathways for Medicaid members.
- Global Virus NetworkflagshipGlobal Virus Network opened its international headquarters at USF Health Institute for Translational Virology and Innovation. Coalition comprises over 90 Centers of Excellence across 40+ countries. Focuses on viral research and pandemic preparedness. Co-founded by Dr. Robert Gallo, HIV co-discoverer.
- Mastry's Brewing Co.minorPartnership to create first USF-branded beer (St. Pete Pilsner) through USF's Brewing Arts program. USF alumnus helped create recipe, students designed label. Portion of proceeds support the Brewing Arts program for craft brewing careers.
- ARK Innovation CenterminorUSF Institute of Applied Engineering partnership with ARK Innovation Center to support local startups and defense-related projects. Provides access to funding, research, and industry connections including $85M U.S. Army contract and $85M SOCOM contract.
- University of Michigan, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Weill Cornell MedicinecoreNIH-funded Multimodal AI for Type 1 Diabetes (MAI-T1D) project led by USF Health. Collaborative involves 25+ scientists using AI to analyze genetics, proteins, and cellular data to understand T1D development and potentially prevent or delay the disease.
- Florida High Tech CorridorminorPartnership to support startups working on advanced technologies through the ARK Innovation Center in St. Petersburg. Aims to foster collaboration between academia, industry, and entrepreneurs, providing research, R&D partnerships, and internship opportunities.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
University of South Florida competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Florida International University (FIU): FIU is a large public research university in Florida that competes for state funding, federal grants, and minority-serving institution designations. It has comparable scale and a similar emerging-research profile to USF.
- University of North Florida (UNF): UNF is a Florida public university in the same State University System. It is a direct peer in size and Carnegie tier and is institutionally linked to USF through incoming President Limayem, who previously served as UNF president.
- University of Central Florida (UCF): UCF is the most directly comparable peer: a large Florida public research university with similar enrollment scale, AAU aspiration trajectory, multi-campus structure, STEM-focused expansion, and competition for the same state funding pool, federal grants, and Tampa/Orlando corporate partnerships.
- University of Florida (UF): UF is Florida's flagship AAU public research university and the most direct competitor for federal research funding, faculty recruitment, top-student enrollment, and statewide appropriations. Both compete in the same State University System of Florida.
- Florida State University (FSU): FSU is another major Florida public research university competing for the same state appropriations, federal research dollars, top faculty, and high-achieving in-state students, with comparable Carnegie classification and graduate program breadth.
Regional players
- University of Miami: University of Miami is a private Florida research university that competes with USF Health Morsani College of Medicine for clinical talent, research grants, and the South Florida academic medicine market — though as a private institution, it sits outside the State University System.
- Texas Tech University: Texas Tech is a peer large public research university outside Florida with comparable scale, medical school, and a multi-campus footprint — useful as a benchmark for similar-tier emerging research universities pursuing AAU recognition.
Broad incumbents
- Georgia State University: Georgia State is a large urban public research university with comparable scale, student demographic mix, and urban/metropolitan research positioning — useful as a benchmark for non-Florida Carnegie-class peers at similar scale.
- University of South Carolina: University of South Carolina is a public research university with a top-tier medical school (institutionally comparable to USF Health Morsani), AAU status pursuit, and similar mix of state appropriations and federal research funding.
- Arizona State University (ASU): ASU is a comparable large, multi-campus public research university with a national reputation for innovation in online learning, workforce development, and corporate partnerships (e.g., ReliaQuest, GEICO) — analogous to USF's Bellini College and partnership model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of South Florida social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of South Florida compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
University of South Florida financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of South Florida leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
University of South Florida subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
University of South Florida funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds15 records
Investors11 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of South Florida M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of South Florida
What does University of South Florida do?
University of South Florida is a multi-campus public research university offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across colleges including the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing, USF Health (Morsani College of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health), and Muma College of Business. USF delivers research services funded by federal agencies and industry partners, clinical and medical training through Tampa General Hospital, and workforce development programs for regional employers.
Is University of South Florida a public or private company?
University of South Florida is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was University of South Florida founded?
University of South Florida was founded in 1956. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is University of South Florida based?
University of South Florida is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does University of South Florida make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are state Funding and Appropriations, research Grants and Contracts, healthcare Services Revenue, private Philanthropy and Donations and athletics Revenue.
Who are University of South Florida's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Florida International University (FIU), University of North Florida (UNF), University of Central Florida (UCF), University of Florida (UF) and Florida State University (FSU). Regional players are University of Miami and Texas Tech University. Broad incumbents are Georgia State University, University of South Carolina and Arizona State University (ASU).
Does University of South Florida have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of South Florida.
What industry is University of South Florida in?
University of South Florida's product category is Public Research University Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAC, Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.