San Diego State University
San Diego, California · Public, a large city · 35,377 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into SDSU?
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
36.2%
82,800 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
22% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Courses takenRequired
- College-prep programRequired
How much does SDSU 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
$9,180
Tuition and fees, out of state
$25,500
A full year, sticker price
$26,045
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$13,243
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $8,258 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $8,236 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $10,413 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $13,498 |
| Over $110,000 | $22,130 |
- Room and board on campus
- $23,736 a year; $18,406 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $970 a year
- The school's own grants
- 90% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $2,035
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do SDSU students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$14,500
About $165 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
24.2%
Get a Pell Grant
35.4%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
11.8%
What do SDSU 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
$59,773
Ten years after starting
$73,494
Middle half: $47,641 to $103,653
Best-paid program, five years out
$125,346
Computer Engineering
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$34,455
Fine and Studio Arts
Do SDSU students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
90.6%
Graduate in six years
78%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
83% graduated
11% transferred, 1% still enrolled
Who goes to SDSU?
Women
56.6%
First in their family at college
41.2%
Part-time
9.2%
Students per teacher
27
- Background
- White 34%, Hispanic 37%, Black 4%, Asian 13%, Two or more 8%, International 2%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 8,664 beds
What do SDSU 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 and Information Sciences, General | 0 | $58,349 | $95,478 | $15,000 |
| Computer Science | 427 | $78,290 | $112,630 | $13,000 |
| Information Science/Studies | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 216 | $72,773 | $101,917 | $18,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Civil Engineering | 286 | $74,131 | $101,091 | $16,421 |
| Computer Engineering | 192 | $79,102 | $125,346 | $21,498 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 33 | $89,358 | $118,301 | Hidden |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 202 | $81,083 | $118,313 | $12,600 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 66 | $71,143 | $98,525 | $15,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 445 | $77,287 | $102,337 | $15,000 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 0 | $68,710 | $83,615 | $14,010 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 4,172 | $56,205 | $70,101 | $14,946 |
| Construction Management | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 0 | $59,206 | $92,275 | $13,222 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 115 | $51,837 | $75,945 | $18,750 |
| International Business | 206 | $52,339 | $77,401 | $15,000 |
| Marketing | 0 | $54,304 | $84,364 | $15,000 |
| Real Estate | 0 | $50,257 | Hidden | Hidden |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 395 | $111,312 | $119,646 | $15,000 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 2 | Hidden | $64,631 | Hidden |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 299 | $30,611 | $69,982 | $13,250 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | 0 | Hidden | $58,617 | Hidden |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 0 | Hidden | $66,548 | Hidden |
| Public Health | 339 | $40,070 | $63,164 | $16,066 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 760 | $32,896 | $69,820 | $13,781 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 528 | $43,128 | $79,838 | $13,812 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | 57 | $46,281 | $70,473 | Hidden |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 204 | $40,513 | $65,256 | $14,875 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 59 | $42,055 | $90,808 | $13,798 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 9 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Chemistry | 138 | $63,412 | $78,153 | $19,405 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 14 | $59,614 | $75,057 | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 54 | Hidden | $63,305 | Hidden |
| Physical Sciences, General | 3 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physics | 41 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 63 | $55,412 | $71,096 | $14,870 |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 5 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 18 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 234 | $31,796 | $54,020 | $15,000 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 171 | $40,549 | $57,143 | $13,000 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 47 | $29,617 | $46,555 | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 58 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 11 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 152 | $33,274 | $55,895 | $9,000 |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Education and Teaching | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 280 | $36,537 | $56,423 | $14,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dance | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Design and Applied Arts | 0 | $37,926 | $56,355 | $15,000 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 98 | $27,400 | $42,439 | $15,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 539 | $27,669 | $34,455 | $15,000 |
| Music | 112 | $25,783 | Hidden | $19,587 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerontology | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| International/Globalization Studies | 29 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 495 | $33,277 | $58,585 | $13,000 |
| Linguistics and Anthropology | 7 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 413 | $41,317 | $56,946 | $14,821 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 144 | $34,411 | Hidden | $13,249 |
Other programs
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 32 | $46,097 | $57,839 | Hidden |
Compare SDSU 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: the school's page (opens in a new tab). 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 Diego State University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences