San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public · 35,377 undergrads (large, city) · website ↗
- 37% Hispanic undergrads
- Test scores not considered
- $70 application fee
What you'll actually pay
Average net price per year — tuition, fees, room & board minus grant and scholarship aid — for in-state students by household income.
| Household income | Avg net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,910 |
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $10,017 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $12,697 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $15,891 |
| Over $110,000 | $23,821 |
| All incomes (average) | $15,364 |
Sticker tuition and fees: $8,728 in-state, $21,328 out-of-state — before aid, from the same earlier College Scorecard release as the net prices above.
These are averages. For an estimate for your family, use San Diego State University's own net price calculator — every college that takes federal student aid must publish one.
Net price calculator ↗Other costs of attendance, 2025–26
The college's own estimate for a full-time undergraduate for the year, before aid, from the October 2026 College Scorecard. It is a newer year than the tuition and net prices above, so don't add the two together.
| Housing and meals, on campus | $23,736 |
| Housing and meals, off campus (not with family) | $18,406 |
| Books and supplies | $970 |
| Other expenses, on campus | $3,438 |
| Other expenses, off campus | $5,446 |
Grants and loans for first-year students, 2022–23
What the college reported for its full-time, first-time students (6,529 of them) in 2022–23; 95% got some kind of aid, loans included. Each average is over the students who received that kind of aid, not over everyone. It is an older year than the 2025–26 costs above.
| Type of aid | Students awarded | Average amount |
|---|---|---|
| Any grant or scholarshipFederal, state, local and the college's own | 94% | $5,459 |
| Federal Pell GrantNeed-based, from the federal government | 24% | $5,775 |
| The college's own grants and scholarshipsNeed- or merit-based, funded by the college | 90% | $2,035 |
| Federal student loansBorrowed by the student; repaid with interest. No Parent PLUS or private loans | 28% | $5,004 |
IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release); full-time, first-time degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates; public domain.
Admissions & outcomes
- Acceptance rate
- 36%
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- —
- Students with Pell grants
- 32%
- Graduation rate (6yr)
- 76%
- Freshman retention
- 91%
- Median earnings @ 10yr
- $64,909
- Median debt at graduation
- $15,000
- International undergrads
- 873 (2.6%)
For comparison, the median across all 1,596 four-year colleges on this site: graduation rate 56%, earnings ten years after entering $54,869, debt at graduation $23,250.
Admission policy, test scores and teaching
- SAT/ACT policy
- Not considered
- Application fee
- $70
- Students per faculty member
- 27 to 1
- Faculty who are full-time
- 50%
- Open admission
- No
Not considered, even if submitted (fall 2024)
undergraduate, 2023–24
undergraduates, fall 2024
fall 2024
fall 2024
What the college considers in admission decisions, fall 2023
How the college said it used each item when deciding on first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking applicants for fall 2023. For SAT and ACT scores, see the fall 2024 policy above.
| High school GPA | Required |
| High school class rank | Not considered |
| High school record | Required |
| Completion of a college-preparatory program | Required |
| Recommendations | Not considered |
| Formal demonstration of competencies (e.g. portfolio) | Not considered |
| English proficiency test (for applicable students) | Required |
| Other test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | Not considered |
| Work experience | Not considered |
| Personal statement or essay | Not considered |
| Legacy status | Not considered |
- First-time applicants
- 82,800
- Admitted
- 28,517
- Enrolled
- 6,162
fall 2023
fall 2023
fall 2023, full and part time
Counts of first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking students, including early decision and early action. The acceptance rate higher up this page comes from a different College Scorecard release, so it may not match these counts.
IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education, Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release), fall 2023; open admission from IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 (revised); public domain.
Most popular fields of study
Share of bachelor's degrees awarded.
Earnings and debt by field of study
Median annual earnings of graduates who received federal student aid and were working, not studying: one year after completing (graduates of 2020–21 and 2021–22) and four years after (2017–18 and 2018–19), measured in 2022 and 2023 and shown in 2024 dollars. Median debt is federal Direct and Grad PLUS loans borrowed at this college by 2022–23 and 2023–24 graduates; it leaves out Parent PLUS and private loans. “National” is the median for the same field and credential across all US colleges.
Bachelor's degrees (62)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023–24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 2,164 | $56,205 | $69,902national $68,257 | $14,946 |
| Psychology, General | 681 | $33,788 | $51,021national $50,706 | $13,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 547 | $40,445 | $57,510national $55,378 | $12,500 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 406 | $32,896 | $59,914national $54,562 | $13,781 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 303 | $44,976 | $61,389national $56,359 | $14,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 285 | $27,669 | $35,416national $41,367 | $15,000 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 268 | $33,277 | $58,419national $53,072 | $13,000 |
| Biology, General | 252 | $43,128 | $68,861national $57,214 | $13,812 |
| Computer Science | 221 | $78,290 | $100,586national $107,009 | $13,000 |
| Economics | 203 | $49,742 | $74,123national $82,686 | $14,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 200 | $111,312 | $120,799national $88,910 | $15,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 186 | $77,287 | $97,825national $92,135 | $15,000 |
| Public Health | 170 | $40,070 | $60,904national $58,808 | $16,066 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 169 | $41,317 | $55,072national $55,693 | $14,821 |
| Sociology | 164 | $37,982 | $53,387national $52,657 | $12,337 |
| Civil Engineering | 144 | $74,131 | $95,865national $86,517 | $16,421 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 141 | $36,537 | $48,471national $47,382 | $14,000 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 139 | $30,611 | $61,510national $58,928 | $13,250 |
| Political Science and Government | 135 | $43,429 | $64,824national $63,293 | $13,000 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 126 | $31,796 | $49,406national $48,590 | $15,000 |
| Journalism | 121 | $43,326 | $53,997national $56,278 | $15,333 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 105 | $72,773 | $100,139national $98,207 | $18,000 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 102 | $40,513 | $58,215national $55,012 | $14,875 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 101 | $81,083 | $106,416national $100,647 | $12,600 |
| International Business | 100 | $52,339 | $69,141national $73,201 | $15,000 |
| History | 90 | $40,549 | $57,861national $50,680 | $13,000 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 86 | $31,944 | $43,485national $50,497 | $15,000 |
| Social Work | 80 | $42,357 | $56,674national $51,790 | $11,000 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 79 | $33,274 | $49,167national $55,000 | $9,000 |
| Computer Engineering | 70 | $79,102 | $116,842national $109,015 | $21,498 |
| Music | 65 | $25,783 | $42,090national $42,892 | $19,587 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 62 | $51,837 | $70,113national $56,726 | $18,750 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 60 | $34,411 | $55,115national $60,053 | $13,249 |
| Public Administration | 53 | $44,736 | $57,264national $65,093 | $15,750 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 49 | $27,400 | $41,812national $39,775 | $15,000 |
| Anthropology | 48 | $40,983 | $53,991national $46,676 | $13,000 |
| Chemistry | 43 | $63,412 | $74,676national $65,120 | $19,405 |
| Geography and Cartography | 43 | — | $58,004national $57,853 | $14,147 |
| Social Sciences, General | 42 | $38,735 | $52,095national $53,366 | $13,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 38 | $35,158 | $55,230national $51,710 | $16,700 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 37 | $48,750 | $67,414national $63,560 | $13,100 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 34 | $39,660 | $59,733national $66,596 | $19,709 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 30 | $71,143 | $88,417national $81,171 | $15,000 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 29 | $46,281 | $81,122national $62,582 | — |
| Mathematics | 27 | — | $57,999national $69,562 | — |
| Philosophy | 26 | — | $53,390national $54,455 | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 24 | $38,722 | —national $62,532 | — |
| Statistics | 22 | $55,412 | $83,076national $92,425 | $14,870 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 21 | $29,617 | $42,922national $49,984 | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 20 | $42,055 | $69,606national $91,532 | $13,798 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 17 | $89,358 | $100,564national $93,843 | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 14 | $46,097 | $57,093national $50,983 | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 6 | $59,614 | $73,647national $60,190 | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 1 | — | $53,621national $70,786 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | — | $58,349 | $86,613national $92,374 | $15,000 |
| Design and Applied Arts | — | $37,926 | $54,569national $51,490 | $15,000 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 0 | — | $73,095national $61,296 | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 0 | — | $66,649national $55,753 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 0 | $68,710 | $80,011national $76,194 | $14,010 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | — | $59,206 | $88,136national $83,343 | $13,222 |
| Marketing | — | $54,304 | $81,368national $69,303 | $15,000 |
| Real Estate | — | $50,257 | $50,662national $84,821 | — |
Master's degrees (28)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023–24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 253 | $71,534 | $61,680national $59,916 | $15,270 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 235 | $82,231 | $120,682national $103,485 | $37,881 |
| Public Health | 108 | $72,635 | $83,325national $82,751 | $38,106 |
| Social Work | 78 | $68,370 | $78,813national $65,123 | $23,713 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services | 57 | $62,016 | $74,187national $60,111 | $23,329 |
| Public Administration | 46 | $76,845 | $91,303national $81,408 | $27,224 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 43 | $65,588 | $94,199national $95,627 | $29,028 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 36 | $82,273 | $87,991national $67,030 | $41,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 34 | $68,720 | $84,280national $71,953 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 31 | $122,274 | $165,564national $120,193 | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 30 | $48,289 | $73,113national $55,035 | $35,265 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 28 | $86,530 | —national $65,184 | — |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 26 | $70,005 | $82,905national $71,685 | $20,500 |
| Psychology, General | 26 | — | $111,549national $64,711 | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 25 | $64,531 | $70,426national $71,416 | — |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 25 | $83,390 | —national $74,856 | $35,272 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 24 | $109,013 | —national $115,974 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 20 | $82,209 | $103,392national $95,833 | $18,883 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 19 | — | $67,588national $49,978 | — |
| History | 13 | $43,296 | —national $55,360 | — |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | 12 | $68,176 | —national $79,665 | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 12 | $39,525 | —national $60,728 | — |
| Criminology | 11 | — | $67,163national $67,647 | — |
| English Language and Literature, General | 8 | $39,721 | $48,158national $55,512 | — |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | — | $83,704 | —national $71,241 | $20,500 |
| Special Education and Teaching | — | $74,354 | $84,034national $64,397 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 0 | $69,728 | $82,189national $63,707 | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | — | — | $110,830national $110,694 | — |
Doctoral degrees (3)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023–24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 63 | $150,654 | $158,013national $100,573 | $60,963 |
| Public Health | 10 | $131,791 | —national $108,962 | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 0 | $83,888 | $87,179national $82,893 | $88,390 |
Graduate certificates (1)
| Field of study | Degrees awarded 2023–24 | Earnings, 1 yr after | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Median federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 11 | — | —national $60,655 | $20,500 |
A dash means the Department of Education suppressed the figure because too few graduates were measured — not zero. 149 more programmes at this college have every figure suppressed and are not listed. These figures are calculated for all 2 campuses that share this college's federal student-aid ID, so a branch campus shows its institution's figures.
Contact and accreditation
- Address
- 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182-0001
- Phone
- (619) 594-5200
- Institutional accreditor
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
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Find my matches →Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts) and IPEDS Fall Enrolment for international student counts. College Scorecard, October 2026 release: net price calculator link, mission flags and religious affiliation (2025–26), enrolment shares, test policy, SAT/ACT ranges and student-to-faculty ratio (fall 2024), cost-of-attendance components (2025–26), and earnings and debt by field of study. IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023–24 for the application fee and the IPEDS 2024 directory for the phone number. IPEDS Admissions 2023–24 (ADM2023, provisional release) for admission requirements and first-time applicants, admits and enrolments (fall 2023). IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022–23 (SFA2223, provisional release) for grants and loans to full-time, first-time students. All are U.S. Department of Education data in the public domain. Verify current costs and requirements with the school.
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