San José State University
San Jose, California · Public, a large city · 27,601 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into SJSU?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
84.6%
35,780 applied
SAT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
ACT, middle half
Not published
Not used for admission
Test scores this year
Not used at all
16% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
How much does SJSU cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees, California residents
$8,846
Tuition and fees, out of state
$22,166
A full year, sticker price
$28,920
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$14,241
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $10,381 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,669 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,135 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,813 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,449 |
- Room and board on campus
- $21,890 a year; $20,138 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $958 a year
- The school's own grants
- 36% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $6,608
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do SJSU students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$14,750
About $168 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
18.5%
Get a Pell Grant
38.8%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
15.5%
What do SJSU graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$67,528
Ten years after starting
$83,493
Middle half: $53,627 to $122,772
Best-paid program, five years out
$159,053
Computer Engineering
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$52,115
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication
Do SJSU students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
86.8%
Graduate in six years
67.7%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
76% graduated
15% transferred, 1% still enrolled
Who goes to SJSU?
Women
47.7%
First in their family at college
49%
Part-time
17.9%
Students per teacher
25
- Background
- White 12%, Hispanic 33%, Black 4%, Asian 39%, Two or more 5%, International 4%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 4,261 beds
What do SJSU graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 426 | Hidden | $148,572 | Hidden |
| Information Science/Studies | 59 | Hidden | Hidden | $16,211 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 123 | Hidden | $138,550 | Hidden |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 128 | Hidden | $116,274 | Hidden |
| Chemical Engineering | 42 | Hidden | $113,891 | Hidden |
| Civil Engineering | 223 | Hidden | $109,028 | $14,308 |
| Computer Engineering | 490 | Hidden | $159,053 | $10,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 209 | Hidden | $138,397 | Hidden |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | 198 | Hidden | Hidden | $11,750 |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 17 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Engineering, General | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Industrial Engineering | 77 | Hidden | $119,007 | Hidden |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 12 | Hidden | $103,975 | Hidden |
| Materials Engineering | 16 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mechanical Engineering | 326 | Hidden | $126,078 | $14,500 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 0 | Hidden | $94,283 | Hidden |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 3,251 | Hidden | $78,333 | $12,500 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 0 | Hidden | $76,633 | Hidden |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 0 | Hidden | $102,696 | Hidden |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 56 | Hidden | $80,128 | Hidden |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 4 | Hidden | $100,683 | Hidden |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 0 | Hidden | $117,195 | Hidden |
| Marketing | 0 | Hidden | $101,373 | Hidden |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 374 | Hidden | $157,894 | $14,725 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 95 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 0 | Hidden | $77,887 | Hidden |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Public Health | 380 | Hidden | Hidden | $14,500 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 521 | Hidden | $82,596 | $13,000 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 0 | Hidden | $92,165 | Hidden |
| Biology, General | 363 | Hidden | $86,191 | $15,000 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 15 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 118 | Hidden | $81,164 | Hidden |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 109 | Hidden | $87,740 | Hidden |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | 12 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 103 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 8 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 60 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physics | 33 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 24 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 155 | Hidden | $61,740 | Hidden |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 106 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 20 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 41 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 29 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 343 | Hidden | Hidden | $11,081 |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 30 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Design and Applied Arts | 433 | Hidden | $84,869 | $11,593 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 36 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 407 | Hidden | $63,473 | $15,000 |
| Music | 78 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Behavioral Sciences | 80 | Hidden | $78,753 | Hidden |
| International/Globalization Studies | 21 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 115 | Hidden | $66,304 | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 44 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Natural Sciences | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Nutrition Sciences | 131 | Hidden | $82,061 | Hidden |
Other programs
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Transportation | 106 | Hidden | $74,495 | Hidden |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 63 | Hidden | $75,624 | Hidden |
Compare SJSU with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: FairTest. Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with San José State University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences