San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · WestQuad's selectivityVery selectivefrom CaliforniaAccessiblefrom other states

Known forBig campusVery diverse

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Updates

What changed

New and revised figures from the latest data releases, each with its year.

Published Oct 11, 2026

Fall 2025: 95,444 applied (fall 2024: 89,972)San Diego State University (Fall 2025)
Fall 2025: 35,709 admits (fall 2024: 32,561)San Diego State University (Fall 2025)
Fall 2025: 37% admitted (fall 2024: 36%)San Diego State University (Fall 2025)
Entered fall 2024: 91.1% returned for a second year (entered fall 2023: 90.6%)San Diego State University Common Data Set 2025–26

Sources:San Diego State University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;San Diego State University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Admissions · Fall 2025

1 in 3 applicants admitted

San Diego State admits about 1 in 3 applicants (37%). That puts it in the "Very selective in-state, Accessible out of state" tier, more selective than 91% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

37%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityVery selectivefrom CaliforniaAccessiblefrom other states

Applied

95,444

Admitted

35,709

Yield

19%

of admits enroll

Avg. GPA

3.82

Applications +58% since fall 2014 · admit rate 34% → 36%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A very large campus of 35,377 undergrads, where 32% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

35.4K

undergrads · larger than 99% of colleges

Diversity index

0.73

Pell Grant

32%

below the median

First generation

41%

above the median

Large cityNCAA D-I FBS · Mountain West ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

Steady · index 0.75 → 0.73 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (24% of graduates). 27 students for every faculty member, more than at 98% of colleges. 50% of faculty are full-time. Spends $8,619 a year on instruction per student.

27 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 98% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $31,319 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $7K more than the national median. The 47% who received grants paid $14,704 on average; the other 53% paid the full sticker price of $34,072 in-state / $45,952 out-of-state.

15%

$31.3K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $7K above the national median

Full price, in-state: $34,072 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Little need-based aid above $110K; aid thins out for families above that income

Aid generosity

Limited

grants cover 15% of full price

Federal loans

23%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office

Cost rising · +8% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $64,909 ten years after enrolling, more than at 78% of colleges; 82% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 1.9 years of that salary.

82%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$64.9K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$15K

≈ $159/month for 10 years

Retention

91%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 66% → 76% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price rose 6% after inflation, and what the average first-year paid moved with it. Applications rose 58% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 34% to 36%.

Cost
Rising
+8% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+58%
Selectivity
Steady
admit rate 34% → 36% (to fall 2024)
Diversity
Steady
index 0.75 → 0.73

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

The University of Arizona Global Campus

20.2K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso public

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University of Central Florida

40% admit · SAT 1275 · 59.1K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso public

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University of South Florida

43% admit · SAT 1225 · 37.2K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso public

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University of California-Davis

42% admit · 32.3K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso West

Compare side-by-side

Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
San Diego State University Common Data Set 2025–26
San Diego State University · Fall 2025; Entered fall 2024; 2024–25; 2025–26; Fall 2026 entrants; Fall 2026 cycle; 2026–27; Class of 2025 · retrieved 2026-10-11
4
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
19
San Diego State University (2026)
San Diego State University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 122409 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything