| University of Saint Francis | |
| Established: | 1890 (details) |
| Type: | Private university |
| Religious Affiliation: | Catholic Church (Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration) |
| City: | Fort Wayne |
| State: | Indiana |
| Country: | United States |
| President: | Lance Richey (interim) |
| Students: | 1,903 (Fall 2022) |
| Undergrad: | 1,576 (Fall 2022) |
| Postgrad: | 327 (Fall 2022) |
| Campus: | Suburban: |
| Former Names: | Saint Francis College (1890–1998) |
| Athletics Affiliations: | NAIA – Crossroads |
| Sports Nickname: | Cougars |
| Colors: | Royal Blue & White |
The University of Saint Francis (USF) is a private Catholic university in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The university promotes Catholic and Franciscan values. The school's 2022–23 enrollment was 1,903 undergraduate and graduate students, the majority of whom come from states in the Midwest, primarily Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and Ohio.[1]
The University of Saint Francis was founded in Lafayette, Indiana, in 1890, when the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration founded Saint Francis Normal School, a teacher training school, to provide better training for members of the congregation teaching in parochial schools. It operated as a junior college until 1937, when it became a four-year school.[2] The school became Saint Francis College in 1940.
The college moved to its current Fort Wayne location in 1944,[3] to the estate of the former industrialist John H. Bass. Trinity Hall was completed in 1947. The school has remained in Fort Wayne and gradually expanded, adding a graduate school in 1960. Increased athletic programs for the Cougars, primarily football, as well as construction of athletic fields and residence halls and acquisition of the Lutheran College of Health Professions in the 1990s produced remarkable enrollment growth. It was renamed University of Saint Francis in 1998.
The university's Fort Wayne, IN campus covers 132acreswith an additional 4.3 acres in downtown Fort Wayne and nearly seven acres at the university's Crown Point in Crown Point, Indiana.
| Usnwr Reg: | 85 |
The university comprises the following:
The Division of Creative Arts is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.
See main article: Saint Francis Cougars.
The Saint Francis (USF) athletic teams are called the Cougars. The university is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Crossroads League (formerly known as the Mid-Central College Conference (MCCC) until after the 2011–12 school year) for most of its sports since the 1994–95 academic year (which they were a member on a previous stint from 1966–67 to 1980–81); while its football team competes in the Mideast League of the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA).
USF competes in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis and track & field; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field and volleyball; and co-ed sports include cheerleading and eSports.