College Overview
Overview
The College of Nursing is an integral part of USF Health and the University of South Florida. We strive to live by our mission to employ the core values of excellence, innovation, inclusion, and respect to educate future nurses, advance nursing science, and implement evidence-based clinical practice to improve health and wellness.
Founded in 1973, the College of Nursing is one of 14 colleges that comprise the University of South Florida (USF). USF is situated in the vibrant and diverse Tampa Bay region, with campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee. Together these campuses serve more than 50,000 students and offer undergraduate, graduate, specialist and doctoral degrees.
Facts and Figures
Awards and Recognition
The USF College of Nursing master’s program is ranked No. 24, our Doctor of Nursing Practice program is ranked No. 34, and our DNP in Nurse Anesthesiology is ranked 36 on the 2025 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools list. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is ranked No. 52 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
Clinical Outreach
The College of Nursing performs more than 110,000 clinical hours in the community each year and has more than 1,000 clinical partners.
Licensure
The College of Nursing boasts National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) pass rates that exceed both the state and national averages (2023):
- 95.42% USF College of Nursing
- 81.89% State of Florida
- 88.56% United States
Alumni in the Community
The College of Nursing has awarded 17,085 degrees to its 14,845 alumni, many of whom have decided to pursue their careers in Tampa Bay, doing their part to improve health care for people from all walks of life.
Number of Students*
861 - Undergraduate
801 - Graduate
1,662 - TOTAL
Number of Faculty
70 - Full-time and Part-time
110 - Adjunct
1 - Post Doc
36 - Courtesy & Joint Faculty
218 - Total
*As of Spring 2024
Resources
College of Nursing Info
Nursing Expansion
The USF College of Nursing, with the support of the Florida State Legislature, is confronting the nursing shortage crisis head-on with an all-out effort to expand undergraduate nursing education.