Cost advantage
Affordable public option
In-state tuition in the lower range for public universities.
This school$8.0k
Public 4-yr avg$11k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$7,950
Out-of-State Tuition
$20,550
Avg On-Campus Living
$22,266
Avg Off-Campus Living
$22,230
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$30,216
Net price (after aid)$12,278
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$9,341
$30k – $48k$9,867
$48k – $75k$11,825
$75k – $110k$14,556
$110k+$22,523
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$68,077
Median debt at graduation$15,371
Est. monthly loan payment$163
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 4.4×Graduates earn about 4.4× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants42%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans23%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
50%
Freshman Retention
83%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Lower net price
$12.3k below avg
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Need-based aid friendly
42% above avg
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$8.0k
below avg
Out-of-state
$20.6k
below avg
Net price
$12.3k
below avg
Pell
42%
above avg
Median debt
$15.4k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$68.1k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
96%
SAT range
776 - 1041
ACT range
14 - 22
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
San Francisco, CA 94132
Academics
Studying online: a substantial share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 1,965 of San Francisco State University's 23,908 students (8%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 13,635 (57%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
San Francisco State University reported conferring credentials in 81 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About San Francisco State University
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is San Francisco State University located?
- San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, CA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is San Francisco State University?
- San Francisco State University is a public university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at San Francisco State University?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at San Francisco State University is approximately 96%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at San Francisco State University?
- San Francisco State University's published in-state tuition is approximately $7,950 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend San Francisco State University?
- San Francisco State University reports total enrollment of approximately 23,185 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does San Francisco State University actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at San Francisco State University is approximately $12,278 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $9,341 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $22,523. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at San Francisco State University?
- San Francisco State University reports a graduation rate of approximately 50%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of San Francisco State University have?
- Students who borrowed at San Francisco State University left with a median of approximately $15,371 in federal loans, and about 23% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of San Francisco State University earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $68,077 for students who received federal financial aid at San Francisco State University. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about San Francisco State University?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with San Francisco State University.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 81 fields San Francisco State University reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,043 | Graduate63 graduate · 980 bachelor's |
| Psychology, General | 475 | Graduate23 graduate · 452 bachelor's |
| Computer Science | 410 | Graduate41 graduate · 369 bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 396 | Graduate57 graduate · 339 bachelor's |
| Communication and Media Studies | 222 | Graduate11 graduate · 211 bachelor's |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 210 | Bachelor's |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 208 | Graduate26 graduate · 182 bachelor's |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 205 | Graduate20 graduate · 185 bachelor's |
| Design and Applied Arts | 200 | Graduate7 graduate · 193 bachelor's |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 176 | Bachelor's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 157 | Graduate13 graduate · 144 bachelor's |
| Public Health | 142 | Graduate12 graduate · 130 bachelor's |
| English Language and Literature, General | 127 | Graduate32 graduate · 95 bachelor's |
| Political Science and Government | 124 | Graduate10 graduate · 114 bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideOther colleges in San Francisco, CAAll colleges in CaliforniaCalifornia college costs by family incomeStudent debt at California collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with San Francisco State University before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of San Francisco State University are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). San Francisco State University, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/san-francisco-state-university
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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