UCSF is one of the most prominent schools in the city and the only nursing school which contains its own healthcare research facility. This school values research as its core specialty and leads students toward creating innovation in different disciplines such as clinical practices, emergency care and symptom management. UCSF has been a consistent leader in research dollars and achievements from the National Institutes of Health. In particular, UCSF was recognized and awarded 35 awards totaling to a $12.4 million grant.
SFSU is a public university under the state education system. Its nursing school has a relatively small population compared to the overall university with only 500 students. It offers three types of nursing degrees: bachelor of science for nursing prelicensure, bachelor of science for RNs and master's in science and nursing. It is also known for actively giving service for its general campus community; SFSU gave 400 in-campus people H1N1 shots in February 2010 and has since given this service free of charge to any person from its campus.
USF is particularly known for offering one of the most academically rigorous nursing programs. Students are held to exceedingly high expectations, often resulting in a relatively low graduation rate for the nursing school compared to other USF programs. In August 2010, Parade magazine recognized USF's nursing program as one of the seven best schools for health sciences. It has three nursing degrees: bachelor of science in nursing, master in clinical nursing and doctor of nursing practice.
San Francisco is an ideal city for nursing students because of its wide network of hospitals and clinics. Nursing students take full advantage of their school's partnerships with these hospitals as a place for experience and research. Some hospitals such as St. Mary's Medical hospital have a direct relationship with neighboring schools -- work hours and active practice in the hospital is directly integrated into the school's nursing curriculum. Nursing students also build a professional relationship with these hospitals during their study and are often successful in securing full time work in these hospitals right after graduation.