How to apply to Computer Science at the University of San Francisco: the BS in the College of Arts and Sciences, the AI concentration, the 15-week industry capstone and the 4+1 BS/MS, with requirements and timelines for students in China, Canadian high school students and transfer students

The University of San Francisco (USF) is a Jesuit private university in San Francisco. Computer science is taught in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the degree is the BS in Computer Science. This guide covers fall 2027 entry from USF's website for students at high schools in China (including A-Level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including British Columbia and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. The program

• School and degree: BS in Computer Science in the College of Arts and Sciences. The department also offers a CS minor, an AI concentration and two 4+1 BS/MS options.
• Teaching: USF says no CS class is larger than 30 students and teaching is project-based, with daily coding and debugging. Electives include human-computer interaction, operating systems, cloud computing and data visualization.
• Entry to the major: the admission pages do not mention a separate CS admission threshold or a later application into the major, and internal change-of-major rules are not published. Confirm with the College of Arts and Sciences or admissions.
• Courses and credits: the program page loads its curriculum from the course catalog (catalog.usfca.edu), which we could not read, so required courses, math requirements and total credits are not listed here. Check the Computer Science Major page in the 2026-2027 USF catalog.

2. Concentration, capstone and 4+1

• AI concentration: starts with AI fundamentals, ethics and social impact, then machine learning, deep learning and data mining. USF lists careers such as machine learning engineer, DevOps engineer, software developer and full-stack developer.
• Capstone: starts in August or January. Sponsors pitch projects, students form teams of 3 to 5 and work 10 to 15 hours a week for 15 weeks with faculty and sponsor guidance.
• 4+1 BS/MS: a bachelor's and master's in five years; USF says the final year's tuition is 50 percent off. There is also a 4+1 BS and MS with the AI concentration.

3. Deadlines (same for domestic and international applicants)

• Early Decision I (binding) and Early Action: 1 November; supplemental materials by 5 November; decisions mid-December. Deposit by 1 March for ED I and 1 May for EA.
• Early Decision II (binding) and Regular Decision: 15 January; supplemental materials by 29 January (ED II) or 5 February (RD); decisions mid-February (ED II) and mid-March (RD).
• Spring entry: 1 November, deposit by 1 December.
• USF says these dates apply to domestic and international undergraduates; institutional aid after the deadline depends on available funds.

4. Students at high schools in China

• Application: the Common App, USF's direct application or the Coalition Application, all treated equally. The fee is non-refundable and can be waived through the Common App, NACAC or College Board; the amount is not shown on the pages we read.
• Transcripts: from every school attended, with certified English translations. Clear unofficial PDFs are accepted for review; the official final transcript is due after you enroll. USF does not say how the Gaokao is used.
• High school courses: English 4 years, math 3, social sciences 3, lab sciences 2 and a foreign language 2.
• Testing: optional, with no penalty for admission or scholarships; USF recommends submitting only if your score is above the class average. Scores are superscored and the SAT writing section is not used.
• Recommendation: optional; applications with and without one are considered equally.
• English: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE or Duolingo. Preferred scores: TOEFL 80 (4.5 on the 2026 scale), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 125, PTE 53. Minimums: TOEFL 65 (3.5), IELTS 6.0, Duolingo 100, PTE 46; scores between the two are admitted through the Academic English program.
• English waivers: SAT reading and writing 560+, ACT English 22+, IB HL English A predicted or final 5+ (not English B), GCSE English 6+, IGCSE First Language English A or B, or O Level English A or B.
• Proof of funds: F-1 and J-1 students complete the Certification of Finances; the 2027-28 amount is $94,692.
• A-Level and IB credit: USF has a separate AP, IB and college credit page; we did not check whether CS courses can be waived. Ask admissions.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• Deadlines, materials and testing are the same as above.
• English: citizens of countries where English is an official or predominant native language who completed secondary school there may be admitted without further proof. The page does not list the countries, so Canadian students should confirm with international@usfca.edu. Students who are not Canadian citizens need to meet the English requirements above.
• BC curriculum: USF does not publish BC grade requirements; scholarships use a USF-calculated core GPA. Ask admissions how BC grades are converted.

6. Costs and scholarships

• 2026-27: tuition $63,880 and fees $612; on campus, housing $12,930 and food $6,220. With books, transport and personal costs the on-campus estimate is $89,298. Students on the USF health plan add $4,477.
• International first-year merit scholarships (fall 2026 table, automatic, based on USF-calculated core GPA, tuition only, renewable for four years with satisfactory progress):
  • 4.10 and above: $37,000 a year
  • 3.90–4.09: $35,000
  • 3.70–3.89: $33,000
  • 3.40–3.69: $31,000
  • 3.20–3.39: $29,000
  • 3.00–3.19: $27,000
  • 2.99 and below: $17,000
• Students admitted through the Academic English program follow a different award process. Fall 2027 amounts are not yet published.
• Other: USF offers no full-tuition scholarships to international students, and international students are not eligible for need-based aid.

7. Transfer students

• Requirements: at least 24 semester or 36 quarter credits at a regionally accredited institution (with fewer, you can still apply but must add a high school transcript), a cumulative college GPA of 2.5, and good academic and disciplinary standing (most recent term GPA of 2.0).
• Deadlines: fall 1 March (decisions from 1 April, deposit by 1 June); spring 1 November. Later applications are reviewed as space allows.
• Coursework abroad: a course-by-course evaluation from WES, ECE, TEC or another NACES member, showing US credits, a GPA and a verified transcript copy.
• International transfer scholarships (fall 2026, by college GPA): 3.75+ $20,000 a year; 3.50–3.74 $18,000; 3.20–3.49 $16,000; 2.90–3.19 $14,000.
• CS-specific transfer prerequisites are not published; taking intro programming and calculus first is sensible, and confirm with admissions.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply by 1 November (ED I / EA) or 15 January (ED II / RD)
• Aim for TOEFL 80 or IELTS 6.5; lower scores lead to the Academic English program
• Testing and recommendations are optional; prepare the 2027-28 proof of funds of $94,692

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines; ask international admissions whether you can skip the English test

Transfer students:

• Fall deadline 1 March; 24 semester credits and a 2.5 GPA
• Get a NACES course-by-course evaluation for coursework abroad

Sources: University of San Francisco, BS in Computer Science; AI concentration; Capstone project; 4+1 BS/MS; International first-year admission; Dates and deadlines; What we look for and test-optional policy; English language proficiency; International costs and scholarships; 2026-27 undergraduate costs; International transfer admission. Deadlines apply to fall 2027 entry; the scholarship table is for fall 2026 and costs are 2026-27 figures. Check USF for the latest details.