University of South Florida St. Petersburg

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is a public state university regional campus offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts and sciences, business, and education, serving students in the Tampa Bay area from a waterfront downtown St. Petersburg campus with marine science and sustainability research facilities.

Company typePublic
Founded1956
HeadquartersSt. Petersburg, United States
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What University of South Florida St. Petersburg does

The University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP) is a regional campus of the University of South Florida System, a public state university established in 1956 with the St. Petersburg campus founded in 1965. USFSP is located on a waterfront campus in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, and operates through three primary academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Kate Tiedemann College of Business and Finance, and the College of Education. The institution delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs — including graduate certificates and online offerings — in fields spanning biology, marine science, financial analysis, teaching, criminology, and the arts, with small class sizes positioned as a differentiator.

Core research and infrastructure assets include the 80-year-old Marine Science Laboratory on Bayboro Harbor waterfront (currently recovering from a May 2026 fire), sustainability infrastructure featuring a first-of-its-kind Tesla battery solar storage system (100kW) in Florida, LEED Platinum-certified facilities, 3D-printed oyster habitat installations, and the CRIS-HAZARD crowdsourced flooding data application developed with NSF funding. Specialized support platforms include the BRIGHT Network for human trafficking victim services coordination and the FinTech|X and BlueTech|X Accelerators operated in partnership with Tampa Bay Wave.

Revenue derives primarily from tuition and fees, state appropriations, federal research grants (NSF, NIH, Department of Education), and philanthropic contributions. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by annual programming including the St. Petersburg Science Festival, MarineQuest, an annual Job and Internship Fair drawing approximately 80 employers, and engagement across 50+ local community organizations. Customer segments include undergraduate and graduate students as primary segments, with military-connected students (Purple Star Campus designated) and Tampa Bay community members as secondary segments. The institution is governed under the USF Board of Trustees with Regional Chancellor Christian E. Hardigree leading the St. Petersburg campus and system President Rhea Law providing system-level oversight.

University of South Florida St. Petersburg firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of South Florida St. Petersburg
Legal name: University of South Florida St. Petersburg
Website: https://stpetersburg.usf.edu
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1956
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: The University of South Florida St. Petersburg is a public state university regional campus offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in arts and sciences, business, and education, serving students in the Tampa Bay area from a waterfront downtown St. Petersburg campus with marine science and sustainability research facilities.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of South Florida St. Petersburg industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYEDAHAAAG
Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions
Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities
SECONDARYEDAHAAAF
Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools
Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Public Research Universities

Keywords

Higher education
Undergraduate degrees
Graduate degrees
Marine science research
Community engagement programs

Where University of South Florida St. Petersburg is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: St. Petersburg
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

University of South Florida St. Petersburg business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: As a public state university, primary revenue comes from student tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate degree programs
Government Funding and Grants: Research funding from federal agencies including NSF, NIH, and Department of Education for various research initiatives and programs
Marine Science Laboratory: Research facility that supports marine science programs and attracts research grants

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Graduate education at affordable price with online and on-campus options

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

University of South Florida St. Petersburg product offering

Product offering

Core offering

University of South Florida St. Petersburg is a public state university delivering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in education, business, arts and sciences, and marine science, supported by on-campus and online delivery. The campus supplements academics with student services including career development, veterans support, university policing, and community engagement programs, and operates research facilities such as the Marine Science Laboratory and the BRIGHT Network platform.

Product overview

University of South Florida St. Petersburg is a higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and student services. The core academic offerings consist of Bachelor's and Master's Degree Programs across multiple disciplines. Supporting these are specialized services including the Military and Veterans Success Center, University Police Department with its Snowbird Comfort Dog Program, Student Career Services, and the annual Job and Internship Fair. The institution also operates research platforms such as the BRIGHT Network for anti-trafficking efforts. The university functions as a unified campus with integrated academic, support, and administrative services rather than a modular software product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Bachelor's Degree Programs Undergraduate degree programs across disciplines including biology, financial analysis, teaching, and arts, delivered on the waterfront campus with small class sizes and expert faculty.
Master's Degree Programs Graduate-level degree and certificate programs at affordable prices, available online or on the waterfront campus, with access to credentialed faculty and cutting-edge research.
Military and Veterans Success Center Dedicated support services for military-connected students, including VA education benefits guidance, community building, mentorship, and employment assistance for veterans, active duty, and their families.
University Police Department Campus safety and security services including emergency response, crime prevention, safety programs, and community engagement through the USF Safe app and comfort dog program.
Student Career Services Career development resources including job fair events, resume assistance, interview preparation, professional attire lending (Career Closet), and employer networking opportunities for students and alumni.
Annual Job and Internship Fair Annual campus event connecting students and alumni with approximately 80 employers for career development, networking, and employment opportunities.
BRIGHT Network Online platform developed by USF researchers connecting human trafficking victims with vetted community resources, tracking and coordinating victim services across law enforcement and non-profit organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

8,000+ degrees conferred annually
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use University of South Florida St. Petersburg

Customer profile

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

University of South Florida St. Petersburg technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

University of South Florida St. Petersburg partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Federal Law Enforcement Agency (Human Trafficking)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026Partnership with primary federal law enforcement agency combatting human trafficking to strengthen victim-centered response efforts within Florida state
Florida Holocaust MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Students helping catalogue artifacts, correspondence, and photographs for permanent museum exhibition on Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel; USF and FHM named permanent home for Wiesel papers
The Ocean RaceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2026USF to host stopover for The Ocean Race 2027 - iconic sailing race bringing fleet of offshore sailing yachts to campus; first time race comes to Gulf Coast
Mastry's Brewing Co.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026Partnership to create first USF-branded beer (St. Pete Pilsner) with student-designed label; portion of proceeds support Brewing Arts program; alumni involvement in brewing
Duke EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 July 2025Duke Energy investing in campus sustainability efforts including new electric vehicle charging stations and improvements in student spaces to reduce environmental footprint
City of St. PetersburgminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2025Composting initiative bringing industrial-sized composter to campus to reduce food waste from landfills and create compost for community gardens and urban farms
Dogs Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 June 2024Dogs Inc. (formerly Southeastern Guide Dogs) provides comfort dog Snowbird to University Police Department; campus also hosts Puppy Raisers Club where students raise guide dog puppies in residence halls
Florida Department of Children and FamiliescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2024BRIGHT Network partner providing services to adult trafficking survivors referred through the platform; collaborating to establish standardized system of care for survivors
Tampa Bay Wave and St. Petersburg Innovation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2024BlueTech|X Accelerator bringing together small businesses and entrepreneurs pioneering solutions for environmental concerns through technologies addressing climate resiliency
Tampa Bay WavecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 September 2023Partnership with Muma College of Business to operate FinTech|X Accelerator on St. Petersburg campus; 15 high-growth fintech startups selected for second cohort program
JabilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 October 2019Citizen Data Scientist Program where Jabil students bring real-world business problems; over three months they learn and apply data science methodology to identify potential solutions
Keep Pinellas BeautifulminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit conservation organization providing internships for USF marine biology students; students conduct microplastics research and learn grant writing skills
Florida YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivics Fellows Program - six-year partnership offering civic education to high school students; first and only such partnership between a university and YMCA in the nation; students earn up to 6 college credits
Rays-Hines Development TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSF in discussions with Rays-Hines team for potential involvement in Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment project; exploring curriculum programming opportunities
St. Petersburg Innovation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for various research and innovation initiatives including State of Science and Innovation event, planner-in-residence program, and workforce development

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

University of South Florida St. Petersburg competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

University of Florida: Florida's flagship public research university and AAU member, offering the full range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Competes for top in-state students, federal research dollars, and faculty talent across the same disciplines as USFSP.
University of Central Florida: Florida's largest public university by enrollment and a State University System peer. Offers extensive online programs that directly compete with USFSP's online MBA and graduate offerings for non-traditional and out-of-region students.
Florida State University: Preeminent Florida public research university with strong graduate and professional programs. Competes with USFSP for in-state students, research funding, and faculty recruitment within the State University System.

Regional players

Florida International University: Large public research university and State University System peer serving South Florida. Comparable in scale and program breadth but does not directly compete in the Tampa Bay geography.
University of West Florida: Florida public university in Pensacola with a comparable regional-campus identity and similar undergraduate/graduate program mix. Not a direct competitor geographically but a useful benchmark for regional public university economics in Florida.
Stetson University: Private Florida university with strong business, education, and arts programs. Comparable in mission and program mix to USFSP but primarily serves Central Florida and does not directly compete in Tampa Bay.
Florida Atlantic University: Florida public research university and State University System peer. Comparable institution type and Carnegie classification but operates in the South Florida market rather than Tampa Bay.

Direct peers

University of South Florida (Tampa): Flagship campus of the same USF system sharing the AAU membership, branding, and Board of Trustees governance. Operates undergraduate and graduate programs in overlapping disciplines and competes for the same Tampa Bay student population as USFSP.
University of Tampa: Private nonprofit university located in downtown Tampa, directly competing for undergraduate students in the Tampa Bay market with similar small-class, business-and-arts-focused positioning. Closest geographic competitor to USFSP.
Eckerd College: Private liberal arts college located on the waterfront in St. Petersburg, directly competing with USFSP for the same St. Petersburg student market with overlapping marine science and arts programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

University of South Florida St. Petersburg financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of South Florida St. Petersburg leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

University of South Florida St. Petersburg funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

University of South Florida St. Petersburg M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of South Florida St. Petersburg

What does University of South Florida St. Petersburg do?

Is University of South Florida St. Petersburg a public or private company?

University of South Florida St. Petersburg is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was University of South Florida St. Petersburg founded?

University of South Florida St. Petersburg was founded in 1956. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is University of South Florida St. Petersburg based?

University of South Florida St. Petersburg is headquartered in St. Petersburg, United States, in the North America region.

How does University of South Florida St. Petersburg make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Funding and Grants and marine Science Laboratory.

Who are University of South Florida St. Petersburg's main competitors?

Broad incumbents on record are University of Florida, University of Central Florida and Florida State University. Regional players are Florida International University, University of West Florida, Stetson University and Florida Atlantic University. Direct peers are University of South Florida (Tampa), University of Tampa and Eckerd College.

Does University of South Florida St. Petersburg have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

What industry is University of South Florida St. Petersburg in?

University of South Florida St. Petersburg's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAG, Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAF, Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.