Criminal justice
Ranked #7 of 379 for valueCriminal Justice and Corrections · 176 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $63,764
- Ranked-college median: $55,481
- Median debt
- $15,000
- Ranked-college median: $21,500
San Francisco State University acceptance rate
Acceptance rate: 96.4% (fall admissions, CollegesRef 2026–27 edition). 25,809 of 27,777 applicants were admitted. Admissions details
What we know
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025- Students
- 18,639
Larger than 95% of colleges
National median 1,603
San Francisco State UniversityMiddle half of collegesNational median
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San Francisco State University admitted 96.4% of 27,777 applicants.
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Applicants27,777
96.4% of applicants were admitted
- Admitted25,809
11.4% of admitted students enrolled (yield)
- Enrolled (first-year)2,952
Cost & financial aid
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Average net price
$9,803
What students paid per year on average after grants and scholarships. Your price depends on family income.
Published price vs. what students paid
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,324
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $21,644
- Average net price
- $9,803
Students receiving Pell Grants
- Pell Grant recipients
- 46.4%
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Plan your costs for San Francisco State University
- Can I afford it?Loan payment against what its graduates earn
- How much can I borrow?Federal loan limits and what is left to cover
- Will I get a Pell Grant?Estimate this year's award from your SAI
- What would I repay?Monthly payments on $27,000 of loans
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A PDF that applies the 2026–27 federal aid rules to you and up to three colleges: Pell Grant, loan limits, the gap left and repayment.
Start with the Pell Grant estimator See a sample reportOutcomes
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
50.3%
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
82.7%
First-year retention
Students who return for a second year
Median earnings
$73,299
Former students who received federal aid
Where San Francisco State University ranks
- #7Best colleges for criminal justiceof 379 ranked
- #10Best colleges for biologyof 680 ranked
- #16Best colleges for nursingof 686 ranked
Programs at San Francisco State University
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard, field of study, 2025
Bachelor's majors where San Francisco State University is ranked in CollegesRef's value rankings. Earnings are medians 4 years after graduating, for graduates who received federal aid; the tick on each bar marks the median of all ranked colleges in that field.
Biology
Ranked #10 of 680 for valueBiology, General · 339 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $74,204
- Ranked-college median: $58,001
- Median debt
- $15,000
- Ranked-college median: $20,717
Nursing
Ranked #16 of 686 for valueRegistered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing · 182 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $150,102
- Ranked-college median: $85,171
- Median debt
- $13,331
- Ranked-college median: $20,938
Education
Ranked #17 of 521 for valueTeacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods · 210 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $59,993
- Ranked-college median: $48,822
- Median debt
- $12,500
- Ranked-college median: $21,500
Electrical engineering
Ranked #27 of 184 for valueElectrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · 33 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $112,454
- Ranked-college median: $99,787
- Median debt
- $19,178
- Ranked-college median: $20,732
Kinesiology and exercise science
Ranked #28 of 459 for valueSports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness · 144 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $59,056
- Ranked-college median: $53,707
- Median debt
- $13,500
- Ranked-college median: $21,500
Communications
Ranked #29 of 388 for valueCommunication and Media Studies · 211 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $63,731
- Ranked-college median: $56,130
- Median debt
- $15,000
- Ranked-college median: $19,593
Mechanical engineering
Ranked #32 of 276 for valueMechanical Engineering · 72 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $102,104
- Ranked-college median: $91,366
- Median debt
- $18,500
- Ranked-college median: $20,713
Civil engineering
Ranked #42 of 181 for valueCivil Engineering · 61 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $90,894
- Ranked-college median: $85,627
- Median debt
- $21,250
- Ranked-college median: $20,500
Engineering
Ranked #44 of 327 for valueMechanical Engineering · 72 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $102,104
- Ranked-college median: $91,742
- Median debt
- $18,500
- Ranked-college median: $21,000
Psychology
Ranked #51 of 814 for valuePsychology, General · 452 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $55,902
- Ranked-college median: $51,007
- Median debt
- $13,250
- Ranked-college median: $21,000
Business
Ranked #74 of 986 for valueBusiness Administration, Management and Operations · 980 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $73,775
- Ranked-college median: $64,860
- Median debt
- $16,624
- Ranked-college median: $21,375
Mathematics
Ranked #86 of 208 for valueMathematics · 35 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $71,323
- Ranked-college median: $71,273
- Median debt
- $16,750
- Ranked-college median: $18,563
Computer engineering
Ranked #94 of 126 for valueComputer Engineering · 37 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $94,129
- Ranked-college median: $109,085
- Median debt
- $21,000
- Ranked-college median: $20,500
Computer science
Ranked #100 of 466 for valueComputer Science · 369 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $105,166
- Ranked-college median: $97,375
- Median debt
- $17,062
- Ranked-college median: $19,500
Economics
Ranked #108 of 243 for valueEconomics · 56 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $82,697
- Ranked-college median: $83,880
- Median debt
- $18,750
- Ranked-college median: $18,500
Political science
Ranked #120 of 388 for valuePolitical Science and Government · 114 graduates
- Earnings 4 yrs after
- $61,915
- Ranked-college median: $63,181
- Median debt
- $13,773
- Ranked-college median: $19,500
Academics
Verified data· U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Total students
18,639
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
R2 research university
A Doctoral University (which undergraduates attend) with high research activity.
Colleges like San Francisco State University
California State University-San BernardinoSan Bernardino, CA
California State University-FresnoFresno, CA- California State University-San MarcosSan Marcos, CA
Location & details
Where the campus is, how far it sits from a major city, and other colleges within reach.
San Francisco State UniversitySan Francisco, CA, United States
Distances are straight-line miles, not driving distance. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, tiles by OpenFreeMap and OpenMapTiles.
Campus
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA, United States
- Public
- R2 research university
Large city
Inside an urbanized area and a principal city.
- City (this campus)
- Suburb
- Town
- Rural
Nearest major cityIn or next to San Francisco, CA
In the city250 mi
- Calendar
- Semester
- Website
- sfsu.edu
Colleges nearby
City College of San Francisco1.4 miSan Francisco
University of San Francisco USF4.1 miSan Francisco
San Francisco Conservatory of Music4.9 miSan Francisco
California College of the Arts5.3 miSan Francisco
American Conservatory Theater5.8 miSan Francisco
Skyline College6.3 miSan Bruno
Colleges nearby
- City College of San Francisco1 mi from San Francisco State University
- University of San Francisco USF4 mi from San Francisco State University
- San Francisco Conservatory of Music5 mi from San Francisco State University
- California College of the Arts5 mi from San Francisco State University
Still have a question?
Ask about admissions, cost or campus life at San Francisco State University. Answers come from CollegesRef data.
Ask CollegesRefSpecial features
What sets this college apart, grouped by theme, each with what it means and the data or editorial tag behind it.
CollegesRef editorial
Academics
Research university
Doctoral university with high or very high research activity.
Carnegie classification: R2 research university
Athletics
NCAA Division II · Competitive sports with partial scholarships and smaller programs.
- D-INCAA Division I
- D-IINCAA Division II (this college)
- D-IIINCAA Division III
- NAIANAIA
- NJCAANJCAA
Cost & aid
Affordable
Lower cost than many comparable colleges for a typical family.
Average net price $9,803 a year after aid
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Admit rate, net price and outcomes for San Francisco State University and California State University-San Bernardino, side by side.
Compare with California State University-San BernardinoFrequently asked questions
What is the San Francisco State University acceptance rate for 2026?
San Francisco State University admitted 96.4% of 27,777 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, the most recent release. That is the figure colleges report to the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
How much is San Francisco State University tuition?
In-state tuition at San Francisco State University is $8,324 and out-of-state tuition is $21,644 a year before financial aid in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. The average net price after grants is $9,803 a year.
What is the average net price at San Francisco State University?
The average net price at San Francisco State University, what first-time, full-time students paid after grants and scholarships, was $9,803 a year in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition. Your own price depends on family income; the college's net price calculator gives a personal estimate.
What is the graduation rate at San Francisco State University?
50.3% of first-time, full-time students at San Francisco State University graduate within six years (150% of normal time), according to the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
What colleges are similar to San Francisco State University?
The closest matches are Cal State San Bernardino, Cal State Fresno, and Cal State San Marcos, based on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile.
Sources
Last checked Nov 3, 2026
- Admissions
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Cost
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Outcomes
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
- Enrollment
- U.S. College Scorecard · 2025
Figures come from federal reporting. Text marked “CollegesRef editorial” is our own summary, and similar-college lists come from CollegesRef matching. How we source data
