The University of St. Francis (USF) is a small, private liberal arts university located in a beautiful historic suburban neighborhood about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. As a Catholic university rooted in the liberal arts, USF is marked by a welcoming community of learners challenged by Franciscan values and charism. USF prides itself on academic excellence in all programs, preparing men and women to contribute to the world through service and leadership. The student-faculty ratio at University of St. Francis is 12:1, which offers our students a unique opportunity to build relationships with their professors.

Studying in another country offers many advantages to students, including a more global perspective and a chance to make international contacts. The small size of the University of St. Francis allows international students to be fully immersed in university culture and receive personal attention in their academic studies that isn’t always possible at larger universities. Students from all cultures and religious backgrounds are invited to study at USF – we value diversity!

Location

The main campus of the University of St. Francis is located among some of the area’s beautiful historic homes. The Metra commuter train station, which connects Joliet to Chicago, is just minutes from USF’s main campus. The university’s St. Bonaventure Campus in downtown Joliet houses the political science, recreation and sport management, and art and design departments. The St. Clare Campus, also within a few miles of the main campus, contains Guardian Angel Hall, the new home of USF’s Leach College of Nursing. All three USF campuses are located within a few miles of each other and are accessible by a free shuttle transportation system that transports people between campuses every 10 minutes.

Some of the most popular undergraduate majors at University of St. Francis are Art & Design, Biology, Communication & Media Arts, Computer Science, Digital and Recording Arts (DARA), Entrepreneurship, Finance, Health Care Management, Information Technology, International Business, Management, Marketing, Mathematics, Music, Political Science, Psychology, Recreation and Sport Management, Social Work, and Transportation & Logistics Management. Excellent programs in Nursing and Education/Teaching are also available for qualified international students.

University of St. Francis also offers the following graduate programs to international students: Master’s of Business Administration (MBA), M.S. in Health Administration, Master of Social Work (MSW), and M.S. in Education/Educational Leadership.

Tuition and Scholarships

The University of St. Francis is committed to making quality, private higher education affordable to all of its students. Undergraduate international students who take the SAT or ACT test are eligible for scholarships up to $15,000. Please visit stfrancis.edu/admissions/intl-students for up-to-date scholarship information.

English Language Program (Conditional Admission)

The English Language for Academic Purposes (ELAP) program is great preparation for international students or other non-native English speakers who would like to have intensive English training before starting their university program. Through ELAP, students preparing for undergraduate and graduate programs can gain valuable English and academic skills that will contribute to their success as students of the University of St. Francis.

ELAP is a full-time program offered in 15-week sessions beginning in August (fall), January (spring) or May (summer). Full-time ELAP students take 20 hours of English language instruction each week. Students who do not require a visa to study in the United States may take ELAP courses part-time.

Internships

Internship experiences are offered for almost all of the academic programs at USF. Internships provide valuable experiences that enhance classroom learning by integrating academic curriculum and real-world work experience, confirm or redirect career decision-making through on-the-job experience in a chosen field, enhance the graduate’s marketability by providing on-the-job training, provide access to internship earnings, and develop students’ overall maturity by strengthening resourcefulness, problem-solving skills, self-confidence, self-discipline and sense of responsibility.