Enrollment is roughly 3,300 undergraduates and 4,300 graduate students. The majority of students are state residents, though the university also attracts a significant number of foreign students. Women outnumber men. Approximately three fifths of the students live in the four residence halls on campus; freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus unless they commute from home. About a third of the undergraduates are over the age of 25. For adults with previous college credit and work experience, the university conducts degree completion programs through its College of Professional Studies.

The university is on a 4-1-4 system, meaning two full semesters of about four months each and a short term in between. The January term is optional, with those participating usually being people interested in speeding up their academic progress. Some 160 merit scholarships are awarded to undergraduates. Programs leading to bachelor's degrees are conducted by the College of Arts and Sciences, the McLaren College of Business, and the School of Nursing and Education. The university's Center for the Pacific Rim features Asian studies and interdisciplinary majors with an Asian focus. A bachelor of fine arts degree is offered in conjunction with the Academy of Art College. Regardless of their major, students must meet general education requirements. One way to fulfill them is by taking courses through the university's St. Ignatius Institute, which focuses on both Christianity and the Great Books of Western Civilization. Exchange programs are available with the university's two sister schools, Fordham University in New York and Boston College in Massachusetts. About two fifths of the graduating students pursue an advanced degree within a year.

The University of San Francisco's graduate and professional offerings include biological and life sciences, business management and administrative services, computer and information sciences, education, health professions and related sciences, law and legal studies, and religious studies. About 85 percent of the university's full-time faculty hold doctorates.

Some 50 extracurricular organizations are available to students. These include fraternities and sororities, the student-run newspaper and radio station, outdoor activities clubs, and student government. The university also has the oldest continuously operating theater group west of the Mississippi River. Sports teams, nicknamed the Dons, compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The university awards more than 30 athletic scholarships. School colors are green and gold.