University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (USAHS) traces its origins to a physical therapy education program established in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1979. Its development into a university focused on health professions explains why its academic offerings differ from those of a broad-based undergraduate college.
The institution subsequently expanded beyond its Florida origins, adding other locations, including San Marcos, California, and programs in occupational therapy and other health fields. For prospective students, the important historical distinction is that the San Marcos location is part of a multicampus university, not a separate California institution.
USAHS concentrates on graduate and professional health sciences education. Its principal fields include physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, nursing, and health sciences; program availability and delivery format vary by location.
Representative credentials include the Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Occupational Therapy, and Doctor of Occupational Therapy. Some other offerings use online or hybrid formats rather than the same campus-based schedule as a clinical degree. Applicants should check the catalog entry for their specific program and location: a degree listed by the university is not necessarily taught in full at San Marcos.
Clinical education is a substantial part of many rehabilitation programs. Its scheduling, placement requirements, and possible travel expenses deserve as much attention as classroom coursework when comparing programs.
USAHS's California location is in San Marcos, a city in northern San Diego County. The setting is more consistent with a professional-school campus and regional commuting than with a large residential university.
The university also operates locations outside California, including in Florida and Texas. Students should confirm which campus is assigned to their program and whether any coursework, laboratory sessions, or clinical placements require travel elsewhere. San Marcos is connected to the wider San Diego region by road and regional transit, but the practicality of a commute depends on class times and placement sites.
USAHS states that its purpose is to educate health professionals who can improve patients' lives through practice, education, and research. Its stated approach emphasizes clinical skills, evidence-informed care, and learning across health professions.
Those are institutional aims, not independently measured outcomes for every graduate. A prospective student can assess how they appear in a particular degree by examining its curriculum, supervised clinical requirements, faculty qualifications, and licensure disclosures. USAHS is a specialized health sciences university rather than a religiously affiliated institution.
Name of the institution
University of St. Augustine for Health SciencesLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PrivateSetting type
Suburb: LargeInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, graduate with no undergraduate degreesInstitution size category
1,000 - 4,999University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences is institutionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarship
Doctor's degree - professional practice
Doctor's degree - otherData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.