Private university in San Francisco specializing in professional education for working adults since 1901.
Golden Gate University is primarily a postgraduate institution focused on professional training, with smaller undergraduate programs linked to larger graduate schools. The university offers degrees across law, business, accounting, taxation, psychology, and undergraduate studies. Notable programs include the MS in Taxation (ranked #4 by Forbes), MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology (ranked #2 by Forbes), and the DBA in Emerging Technologies with concentration in Generative AI. All programs are integrated with AI curriculum. The university offers 13 graduate degrees, 2 undergraduate degrees, 7 graduate certificates, and 10 undergraduate certificates entirely online, using the Moodle platform.
GGU operates two San Francisco campuses: the Downtown Campus in the Academic Village near City Hall (333 Golden Gate Avenue and 200 McAllister Street) and the Parkmerced Campus on 144 acres in southwest San Francisco near Lake Merced. Both locations provide modern classrooms, study spaces, dining facilities, fitness amenities, student housing, and library resources. The university emphasizes integration with San Francisco's professional and innovation ecosystem, with 60+ countries represented in the student body. Student retention rate is 89%.
Undergraduate admissions require a minimum 2.0 high school GPA and do not require SAT or ACT scores, though some bachelor's programs may have additional requirements. The university does not report high school GPA data for accepted students. Graduate programs have varying admission requirements by discipline. GGU serves working adults and international students, with flexible online and hybrid program options designed to accommodate busy schedules.
GGU graduates are ranked #21 for highest-paid graduates (tied with Duke and Columbia). The university is recognized as #1 for working adults and hosts the world's largest DBA program in Emerging Technology. The Law school was ranked 178-196 out of 196 by U.S. News (2025), though it discontinued its JD program effective November 30, 2023. The Public Affairs Program is tied for #247 out of 271 programs. Endowment stands at $48.9 million (2024).