More selective than 7% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $26,488. College Scorecard.
Higher than 29% of California colleges we cover and 43% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 62% of California colleges we cover and 83% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
San Francisco State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 29,878 applicants, San Francisco State University admitted 28,727 and 2,985 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
San Francisco State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
San Francisco State University majors, earnings & careers
San Francisco State University offers 84 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 18
- Humanities & Languages · 15
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 13
- Business & Finance · 9
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Arts & Design · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Non-degree / basic skills · 1
Highest-earning majors at San Francisco State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $150,102 | $16,875 |
| Electrical Engineering | $112,454 | $16,125 |
| Computer Science | $105,166 | $16,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $102,104 | $22,047 |
| Computer Engineering | $94,129 | $20,148 |
| Civil Engineering | $90,894 | $18,873 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $86,425 | $19,716 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $85,037 | $24,120 |
Quick list of all 84 majors
- Accounting$81,587
- Anthropology$61,300
- Apparel and Textiles$53,575
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biochemistry$76,134
- Biology$74,204
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media$58,550
- Business Administration$73,775
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$74,482
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$90,894
- Classics—
- Communications$63,731
- Computer and Information Sciences$86,425
- Computer Engineering$94,129
- Computer Science$105,166
- Criminal Justice$63,764
- Dance$44,627
- Dietetics—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)$61,603
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics$82,697
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$59,993
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$112,454
- English$56,297
- Environmental Science / Conservation$62,116
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$59,990
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$58,530
- Film and Photography$47,149
- Finance$78,310
- Geography$63,590
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$59,678
- Health Sciences$65,252
- Health-Related Knowledge and Skills—
- History$58,717
- Hospitality Management$65,510
- Human Resources$75,207
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- International Business$75,824
- International Relations$65,775
- Journalism$57,260
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$59,056
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$58,617
- Linguistics$48,959
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$71,691
- Mathematics$71,323
- Mechanical Engineering$102,104
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$85,037
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$38,639
- Natural Sciences—
- Nursing$150,102
- Nutrition Science$61,895
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$55,212
- Philosophy$42,993
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Physiology$68,440
- Political Science$61,915
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$55,902
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$68,524
- Sociology$62,385
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$62,623
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$70,532
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$42,868
- Theatre$44,848
- Urban Studies / Affairs$70,207
- Writing$59,032
- Zoology / Animal Biology$45,722
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Francisco
Overall prices in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,697. Housing costs 95% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 21 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, San Francisco County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
San Francisco County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare San Francisco State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University | 96% | $12,278 | 50% | $68,077 | This school |
| California State University-Los Angeles | 91% | $3,967 | 53% | $59,211 | |
| California State University-San Marcos | 95% | $10,229 | 55% | $62,908 | |
| California State University-Fresno | 95% | $7,000 | 57% | $61,244 | |
| California State University-San Bernardino | 94% | $4,564 | 55% | $59,977 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
San Francisco State University would cost you $8,311 more per year than California State University-Los Angeles, on average.
- Higher sticker price at San Francisco State University, mostly from more California State University-Los Angeles students living at home, which lowers its average (+$10,790).
- California State University-Los Angeles gives aided families $226 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | San Francisco State University | California State University-Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $7,950 | $7,160 | +$790 |
| Books & supplies | $1,099 | $1,011 | +$88 |
| Housing & meals | $17,955 | $18,658 | −$703 |
| Personal & travel | $3,978 | $6,858 | −$2,880 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,494 | −$15,284 | +$10,790 |
| Sticker price | $26,488 | $18,403 | +$8,085 |
| Average grants | −$14,210 | −$14,436 | +$226 |
| You pay | $12,278 | $3,967 | +$8,311 |
“+” means San Francisco State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about San Francisco State University
What is the San Francisco State University acceptance rate?
San Francisco State University accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 28,727 of 29,878 applicants were admitted.
How much does San Francisco State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,488 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $12,278 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,341 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,523.
How much do San Francisco State University graduates earn?
Former San Francisco State University students earn a median $68,077 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the San Francisco State University graduation rate?
50% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 83% return for their second year.
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “San Francisco State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/san-francisco-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).