Founded in 1901, GGU specializes in educating professionals through its schools of law, business, taxation, technology, accounting, and undergraduate studies.

[4] Golden Gate University evolved out of the literary reading groups of the San Francisco Central YMCA at a time when, according to one contemporary estimate, only one of every two thousand men had a college education.

In April 1894 the YMCA moved to a new five-story building at the northeast corner of Mason and Ellis Streets.

In November 1910 the school moved into the YMCA's new building (closed in 2009) at 220 Golden Gate Avenue at Leavenworth Street, in the Tenderloin neighborhood.

[9] The institution was separately incorporated from the Central YMCA on May 18, 1923, as Golden Gate College with the power to confer degrees as California law then provided.

[10] The college became fully independent of the YMCA in 1962; however, the "Y" contributed members to the school's Board of Trustees for some time thereafter.

[11] The college continued to share the YMCA's building until June 1968, when it moved into the Allyne Building, a warehouse at 536 Mission Street originally built in 1924 as the showroom and wholesale department of Sherman Clay, a large retailer of pianos, records, record players, and other musical instruments.

[12] The college had purchased the building at auction in April 1964, and the law school had occupied the first two floors since December 1964.

[23] GGU currently uses the Moodle online learning platform to manage and deliver course content.

[29] The day-to-day operation of the university is in the hands of a president, provost, vice-presidents, and the deans of the schools (Accounting, Business, Law, Undergraduate Studies, and Taxation).

According to Data USA, "The enrolled student population at Golden Gate University-San Francisco is 32.4% White, 17.5% Hispanic or Latino, 17.2% Asian, 12.7% Black or African American, 1.65% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, 1.32% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 1.11% Two or More Races.