University of St Francis

Private · Moderately Selective · IL

Photo: Smallbones (CC0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationIL · Midwest

SettingSuburban

Undergrads1,223

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate50.9%

6-yr grad rate66.8%

Drop-out rate21.2%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$38k

Out-of-state tuition$38k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity55.3%

Gender diversity65.3%

International3.3%

IdentityRoman Catholic

Overview

The University of St Francis is a Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition, located in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It combines a traditional undergraduate campus with a substantial adult-and-online division, giving it a dual identity as both a residential college and a working-adult degree-completion school.

Academics

Nursing, education, and business are the university's established strengths, with nursing benefiting from clinical partnerships in the Chicago-area health-care market. The Franciscan tradition brings an emphasis on service alongside professional training in these fields.

Campus & student life

The Joliet campus serves the traditional-age residential population, while a large share of the university's total enrollment comes through adult and online programs that run on a different rhythm — evening, weekend, and accelerated formats aimed at working students rather than the standard four-year residential experience.

Worth knowing

Applicants should be clear about which version of the university they are evaluating — the traditional residential experience is a smaller piece of a school whose adult and online arm is substantial, and campus culture reflects that split identity.

stfrancis.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate65.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1030–1220 · ACT 20–32

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying