Public · San Francisco, CA
San Francisco State University
Get to know the college, from admissions and cost to life on campus.
Overview
SF State is where the modern field of Ethnic Studies was born: a five-month student strike in 1968-69 forced the creation of the first College of Ethnic Studies in the country, and it's still the only one of its kind at a U.S. university. That same activist identity runs through a campus of 21,000 students in the middle of San Francisco, with 270+ clubs and Greek life dating to 1928.
About San Francisco State University
- Type
- Public Research University
- Setting
- Urban
- Undergraduates
- 18,639
Admissions
- Early Decision/Early Action
- No
- Accepts Common App
- —
Cost
Tuition and aid
- Full cost of attendance
- $25,244per year
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Average family income
- $43,129
- Students with a school grant
- 49%
- Average school grant
- $5,859
- Average federal debt
- $15,000at graduation
- Need-blind
- —
- Meets full need
- —
- Merit scholarships
- —
- CSS Profile
- —
- International aid
- —
Academics
- Majors offered
- 84
- Freshmen who return
- 83%
- Notable
- 1969founding of the first College of Ethnic Studies in the U.S.
Students
Campus life
- Setting
- Urban
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Live on campus
- —
- Student organizations
- —
- Varsity sports
- —
SF State's identity starts with a fight: a five-month student strike in 1968-69, led partly by the Black Students' Union, forced the creation of the country's first College of Ethnic Studies, and one of its own graduates from that era, actor Danny Glover, still holds the university's Presidential Medal for it. That activist thread runs through campus life today: 270+ registered student organizations, Greek life across six councils since 1928, and the Student Life Event Center hosting large-scale performances and shows. Urban San Francisco is the backdrop for all of it, giving students a real city rather than a traditional quad to build their college years around.
Summarized by Spike from what students write: Golden Gate Xpress.
Outcomes
- Earnings 6 years in
- $56,619
- Graduate within 6 years
- 50%
- Average federal debt
- $15,000
- Graduates go into
- Leaders in various fields, Bay Area and beyond contributors
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Spike Rankings 2027
Where San Francisco State University ranks.
Ranked on federal data about graduation, earnings and cost. How Spike ranks colleges
Common questions
Questions about San Francisco State University
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