This is a list of people associated with the University of San Francisco.

1. Anthony Maraschi, S.J. (1855–1862)
2. Nicholas Congiato, S.J. (1862–1865)
3. Burchard Villiger, S.J. (1865–1866)
4. Nicolas Congiato, S.J. (1866–1869)
5. Joseph Bayma, S.J. (1869–1873)
6. Aloysius Masnata, S.J. (1873–1876)
7. John Pinasco, S.J. (1876–1880)
8. Robert E. Kenna, S.J. (1880–1883)
9. Joseph C. Sasia, S.J. (1883–1887)
10. Henry Imoda, S.J. (1887–1893)
11. Edward P. Allen, S.J. (1893–1896)
12. John P. Frieden, S.J. (1896–1908)
13. Joseph C. Sasia, S.J. (1908–1911)
14. Albert F. Trivelli, S.J. (1911–1915)
15. Patrick J. Foote, S.J. (1915–1919)
16. Pius L. Moore, S.J. (1919–1925)
17. Edward J. Whelan, S.J. (1925–1932)
18. William I. Lonergan, S.J. (1932–1934)
19. Harold E. Ring, S.J. (1934–1938)
20. William J. Dunne, S.J. (1938–1954)
21. John F. X. Connolly, S.J. (1954–1963)
22. Charles W. Dullea, S.J. (1963–1969)
23. Albert R. Jonsen, S.J. (1969–1972)
24. William C. McInnes, S.J. (1973–1977)
25. John Lo Schiavo, S.J. (1977–1991)
26. John P. Schlegel, S J. (1991–2000)
27. Stephen A. Privett, S.J. (2000–2014)
28. Paul J. Fitzgerald, S.J. (2014–)

• Alma Flor Ada, professor of education; author
• Shalanda Baker, professor of law
• Micah Ballard, professor of writing; poet
• Ari Banias, professor of writing; poet
• David Batstone, professor of business; author, theologian, and activist
• Lara Bazelon, professor of law
• Stephen Beachy, professor of writing
• Catherine Brady, professor of writing; author
• Winfried Brugger, professor of law; author and philosopher
• Paul Chien, professor of biology
• Michael Chorost, professor of rhetoric and composition
• Jasmin Darznik, professor of writing; author
• Sergio De La Torre, professor of photography and film
• Peter Masten Dunne, professor of history
• John H. Elliott, professor of theology; Biblical scholar
• Moshé Feldenkrais, professor of education; engineer and physicist
• Francis P. Filice, professor of biology; Roman Catholic priest and activist
• Jon Fisher, professor of business; entrepreneur and author
• Arthur Furst, professor of medicinal chemistry and pharmacology
• Edna Garabedian, professor of voice; opera mezzo-soprano
• Guillermo García Oropeza, professor of literature and architecture
• Sam Green, professor of film; documentary filmmaker
• Moira Gunn, professor of biotechnology; journalist
• Oren Harari, professor of business; author
• Maya Harris, professor of law
• Andrew R. Heinze, professor of history; playwright and author
• Patricia Liggins Hill, professor of English, 1st director of Ethnic Studies program
• Jane Hirshfield, professor of poetry; poet
• Vamsee Juluri, professor of media studies
• Deneb Karentz, professor of biology
• Edward L. Kessel, professor of biology
• Laleh Khadivi, professor writing; novelist and filmmaker
• Herbert R. Kohl, professor of education
• Michael Kudlick, professor of computer science
• Art Lande, professor of music
• Emille D. Lawrence, professor of mathematics and statistics
• Jerzy Jan Lerski, professor of political science and history
• Madeleine Lim, professor of film studies; activist
• W. Michael Mathes, professor of history
• J. Thomas McCarthy, professor of law
• Ruthanne Lum McCunn, professor of literature and writing; author
• Jake McGoldrick, professor of English; member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (2001-2008)
• Kirke Mechem, professor of music and composer-in-residence
• Donald Merrifield, professor of physics; Roman Catholic priest and university administrator
• Patrick J. Miller, professor of computer science
• Rusty Morrison, professor of poetry; poet
• Margaret Morse, professor of film and video arts
• Joseph Nation, professor of economics; member of the California State Assembly (2000-2006)
• Thomas Nazario, professor of law
• Elliot Neaman, professor of history
• Tristan Needham, professor of mathematics
• Michael O'Neill, professor of management
• Robert T. Orr, professor of zoology and biology
• John Jay Osborn Jr., professor of contract law
• Terence Parr, professor of computer science
• Eva Paterson, professor of public interest and civil rights law
• John A. Powell, professor of law
• Dean Rader, professor of English; poet
• William Ratliff, professor of foreign policy and history
• Barbara Jane Reyes, professor of Filipino studies
• David Roderick, professor of writing; poet
• John Rothmann, professor of politics; radio host
• James V. Schall, professor of theology and philosophy; Roman Catholic priest
• Dan Schutte, professor of music and composer-in-residence
• Aaron Shurin, professor of writing; poet
• Carol Ruth Silver, professor of public policy; member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors (1978-1989)
• Jessica Snow, professor of art; artist
• K.M. Soehnlein, professor of writing
• Kevin Starr, professor of history; historian and State Librarian of California
• Susan Steinberg, professor of English; author
• John Stillwell, professor of mathematics
• Jeremiah F. Sullivan, professor of law; Justice of the California Supreme Court (1926-1927)
• Rachel Thomas, professor of technology and data ethics
• John B. Tsu, professor of East Asian studies
• Leo Valledor, professor of art
• Andrew Vázsonyi, professor of business
• Heinz Weihrich, professor of global management and administration
• Kathryn Werdegar, professor of law; Justice of the Supreme Court of California (1994-2017)
• Nicole Wong, professor of media and internet law; Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States (2013-2014)
• Paul Zeitz, professor of mathematics
• Rose Zimbardo, professor of English literature
• Stephen Zunes, professor of politics

Recipients of USF honorary degrees include the following:

• September 2003 – Dalai Lama, the 14th Dalai Lama, was awarded an honorary doctoral degree from USF on September 5, 2003, for his lifelong work in promoting peace and compassion, and helping to bring about a more humane world.^[2]
• December 2004 – Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Philippine President^[3]
• April 2005 – Kim Dae-jung, the former president of South Korea and 2000 Nobel Peace Prize winner who helped lead his country's movement toward democratic rule^[4]
• 2005 – Terry Karl, professor of Latin American Studies at Stanford University, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, as a result of her human rights work.^[5]
• May 2005 – Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights activist^[6]
• May 2006 – Richard Blum, founder and chairman of the Himalayan Foundation^[7]
• May 2006 – Gloria Duffy, CEO of the Commonwealth Club of California^[7]
• May 2006 – Michael Tilson Thomas, music director of the San Francisco Symphony^[7]
• May 2007 – Leo T. McCarthy (posthumous honorary degree)^[8]
• December 2007 – the Reverend Glenda Hope, founder of Network Ministries. Hope embodies cultural service that respects the individual dignity of every person, most notably the poor, the homeless, prostitutes, and those living with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood.^[9]
• December 2007 – Sayadaw U Kovida on behalf of the Buddhist monks of Burma. The monks were honored for their courage in rising up in peaceful protest against their country's oppressive military regime. Their actions reflect the university's mission to educate leaders who will fashion a more humane and just world.^[9]
• December 2007 – Gerald McKevitt, S.J., Santa Clara University history professor and university historian. McKevitt is renowned for his knowledge of Jesuit history in California and the West, and received an honorary degree for his dedication to teaching, scholarship, and service to the university community.^[9]
• September 2008 – Greg Mortenson, co-author of Three Cups of Tea; executive director of the Central Asia Institute^[10]
• December 2008 – Mary McAleese, the president of Ireland^[11]

Other recipients of honorary degrees include Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, journalist Helen Thomas, and the late South African activist Stephen Biko.