Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

6 Best Universities in San Francisco

Exploring the academic landscape of San Francisco, our index provides a definitive ranking of the top 6 higher education institutions. The algorithmic evaluation processed 311.8K scholarly outputs and 17M peer-reviewed citations, mapping the region's total research impact. The ranking also highlights the real-world influence of these universities, represented by 25.1K notable alumni globally.

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1

University of California – San Francisco

#32 in United States #35 in North America

13% Acceptance

2,942 Enrollment

1100 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

2

San Francisco State University

#184 in United States #208 in North America

96% Acceptance

5,891 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1899 Founded

3

University of San Francisco

#234 in United States #264 in North America

62% Acceptance

12,326 Enrollment

1290 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

4

Golden Gate University – San Francisco

#563 in United States #618 in North America

83% Acceptance

28,313 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1901 Founded

5

California Institute of Integral Studies

#728 in United States #795 in North America

90% Acceptance

1,057 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1968 Founded

6

University of California – Hastings College of Law

#1835 in United States #1925 in North America

38% Acceptance

1878 Founded