The University of South Florida is one of the state’s top-performing schools, and it shows in the record number of students choosing to live on campus this year. In Tampa, nearly 6,500 students will live on campus and over 900 students will live on the St. Petersburg campus, bringing the total number living in residence halls to approximately 7,400.
USF has emphasized the on-campus experience for more than a decade now, adding extended housing capacity and enriching student life in a variety of ways. In 2018, the 2,100-bed Village complex fully opened on the Tampa campus and the 375-bed Osprey Suites opened in 2020 on the St. Petersburg campus. Between the two campuses, USF has 33 residence halls. This expansion is a part of USF’s greater mission to provide a vibrant student experience, not only enriching academic performance but creating lifelong USF supporters and Bulls fans.
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On-campus living has marked benefits for students’ academic and social lives. Studies show that students who live on campus are more likely to graduate, make the Dean’s list, and create lifelong bonds with fellow students as they move forward in life. On-campus living can also be more affordable, especially as apartment prices in urban Tampa continue to rise.
“The record number of students moving into USF’s residence halls shows that our students recognize the value of on-campus living and its impact on the holistic student experience,” USF President Rhea Law said. “We are incredibly excited to welcome our students and their families to our active and vibrant community here at USF.”
First week semester stats
- Over 400 student volunteers have signed up to help their peers move in through USF’s signature Bull Haul program on the Tampa campus.
- Including students, families and other volunteers, USF estimates 10,000 people will be on the Tampa campus Thursday to help welcome and move students into the residence halls.
- Student residents on the Tampa campus represent 46 states and 83 countries; on the St. Petersburg campus, student residents represent 33 states and Puerto Rico as well as 17 countries.
- USF features 19 Living Learning Communities, which are residential communities designed to provide a cohort experience with peers who share similar academic, career and co-curricular interests.
Students arriving will take advantage of various recent additions on both campuses this fall. USF Tampa has added a smoothie and acai bowl franchise, Blenz Bowls in the Marshall Student Center on the Tampa campus. The school’s two campuses are the only locations in the state of Florida, with the first location opening last year in St. Petersburg.
The St. Petersburg Student Center is also adding a Kahwa Coffee at the Coral Café, and hosting the Aramark-developed Local Restaurant Row program, which brings local cuisine from minority- and women-owned small businesses to 727 Eats. These recent additions aim to provide students with plenty of options to dine, socialize, and study away from their dorms throughout the day.
For more information about the fall semester at USF or other Welcome Week activities, click here.
