Public · University
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California · Large city
- 96.4%
- Admit rate
- $12,278
- Avg net price
- 50%
- Graduation rate
- $68,077
- Median earnings
San Francisco State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in San Francisco, California (large city setting), enrolling 18,639 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).
About San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the fourth-most populous city in California and the 17th-most populous in the United States. The earliest archeological evidence of human habitation in the area dates to 3000 BCE. The Ohlone name for San Francisco was Ahwaste, meaning "place at the bay". Although the Financial District, Union Square, and Fisherman's Wharf are well known around the world, San Francisco is also characterized by its numerous culturally rich streetscapes featuring mixed-use neighborhoods anchored around central commercial corridors to which residents and visitors alike can walk. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large city
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 5 miles to San Francisco, CA
- To the ocean
- 2 miles
- Nearest airport
- 9 miles to San Francisco (SFO) · major hub
How San Francisco State University compares
More selective than 10% · #95 most selective of 107 in California
Higher than 41% · #89 of 122 in California
Higher than 69%
Higher than 81% · #55 of 130 in California
Cheaper than 84% · #20 cheapest of 118 in California
Lower than 89%
Lower than 14%
Larger than 94%
Percentiles compare San Francisco State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate18,63986%
- Graduate3,11914%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women10,88558%
- Men7,75442%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White15%
- Black6.5%
- Hispanic40%
- Asian23%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 18,639
- Graduate enrollment
- 3,119
- Student–faculty ratio
- 19 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 42%
- First-generation students
- 48%
- Students over 25
- 18%
- Median family income
- $27,896
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $118,791
- Endowment
- $175,553,573
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 2,985 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From California96%
- Other U.S. states1.7%
- International2.6%
Most first-years stay in state — San Francisco State University draws overwhelmingly from California.
3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 96.4%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $7,950
- Out-of-state tuition
- $20,550
- Room & board
- $22,266
- Books & supplies
- $1,100
- Total cost of attendance
- $26,488
- Average net price
- $12,278
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 50%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 28%
- First-year retention
- 83%
- Transferred to another college
- 6%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $52,650
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $68,077
- Median debt at graduation
- $15,371
- Students with federal loans
- 23%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 59%
About 22% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 4,596
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 25%
- Housing charge (year)
- $11,277
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,148
- Application fee
- $70
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II without football
- Varsity athletes
- 287 (154 men · 133 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (8)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 47
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 94
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (22,563 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$11,825/year × about 4.7 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Modest institutional aid: 49% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,859. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 3,186 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $68,077
- Typical debt at graduation
- $15,371
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 23%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 66%
Typical debt would take roughly 2.3 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $6,864 (11%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 66°F
- Winter low
- 46°F
- Annual rain
- 20.6″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, San Francisco Oceanside, CA US station (1.6 mi from campus).
What San Francisco State University graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to San Francisco State University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare San Francisco State University side by side →
California State University-Chico
Chico, California · Midsize city · 82 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 13,631
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $64k
California State University-San Marcos
San Marcos, California · Large suburb · 29 mi to San Diego
- Students
- 14,877
- Admission
- 95%
- Net price
- $10k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $63k
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, California · Large city · 4 mi to Sacramento
- Students
- 28,350
- Admission
- 94%
- Net price
- $9k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $65k
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington · Distant town · 65 mi to Spokane
- Students
- 21,099
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $69k
California State University-East Bay
Hayward, California · Large suburb · 22 mi to San Francisco
- Students
- 9,809
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $9k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $71k
University of California-Merced
Merced, California · Midsize suburb · 56 mi to Fresno
- Students
- 8,372
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $12k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $64k
Colleges near San Francisco State University
Hilltop Beauty School
Daly City, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 77 students
City College of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Public · Certificate · 17,348 students
University of California-San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Public · Graduate
University of San Francisco
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 5,287 students
San Francisco School of Massage & Bodywork
San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 139 students
Unitek College
South San Francisco, CA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 191 students
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 226 students
California Institute of Integral Studies
San Francisco, CA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 38 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.












