National university
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $12,278 a year
Median debt at graduation: $15,371 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Inside SFSU: Life Beyond the Campus Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.50%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,604
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $26,488 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 20,756 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 46% · Women 54% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 48% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 2% |
| Total students | 23,908 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $12,278 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $26,488 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $15,371 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 50% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 66% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 63% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 64% |
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $68,077 |
| Admission rate | 96% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 42% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 3% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | |
| Economics | |
| Accounting | |
| Finance | |
| Biochemistry | |
| International business | |
| Human resources | |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | |
| Biology | |
| Business administration | |
| Marketing | |
| Mathematics | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | |
| Social work | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| International relations | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Health sciences | |
| Criminal justice | |
| Communication studies | |
| Geography | |
| Romance languages | |
| Sociology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Political science | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | |
| Anthropology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Ethnic and gender studies | |
| Design | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| History | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Broadcasting | |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences | |
| Journalism | |
| English | |
| Psychology | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Linguistics | |
| Film and video | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | |
| Theatre | |
| Dance | |
| Philosophy | |
| Fine arts | |
| Music |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Botany/Plant Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Clinical laboratory science, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Geology and earth science, German, Health-Related Knowledge and Skills, Industrial technology, Interdisciplinary studies, Management science, Natural Sciences, Other philosophy and religious studies, Physical Sciences, Physics, Pre-health, Public health, Religious studies, Secondary education, Social sciences, Special education, Statistics.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Visual and performing arts | |
| Psychology | |
| Biology | |
| Health professions |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 18% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 18% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $22,266 |
| Sports | NCAA Division II · California Collegiate Athletic Association |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 6%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 53%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $7,803IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 22% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | San Francisco International Airport (SFO)About 9 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 830,235Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | OaklandAbout 14 miles away · about 35 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 52°F in January · 58°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from San Francisco Oceanside, CA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.16 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.18 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.33 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is San Francisco State University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 48% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does San Francisco State University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $12,278 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into San Francisco State University?
- San Francisco State University admitted 96% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do San Francisco State University’s graduates do?
- 50% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $68,077; the median federal debt at graduation is $15,371.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 122597
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (high research)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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