More selective than 33% 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 $26,593. College Scorecard.
Higher than 63% of California colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 81% of California colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
San Jose State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 35,780 applicants, San Jose State University admitted 28,708 and 4,520 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
San Jose 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 Jose State University majors, earnings & careers
San Jose State University offers 86 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 14
- Engineering · 13
- Humanities & Languages · 13
- Science & Math · 12
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Arts & Design · 6
- Communications & Media · 4
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at San Jose State University
Not enough graduates in any one major to report earnings.
Quick list of all 86 majors
- Accounting—
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering—
- Air Transportation—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Anthropology—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biology—
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration—
- Chemical Engineering—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Communications—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice—
- Dance—
- Dietetics—
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering—
- Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Human Resources—
- Industrial Engineering—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Science / Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International and Comparative Education—
- International Relations—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Materials Engineering—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Natural Sciences—
- Nursing—
- Nutrition Science—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Psychology, Other—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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 →Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% 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 Jose
Overall prices in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $3,272. Housing costs 112% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 16 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Santa Clara County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Santa Clara County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare San Jose 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 Jose State University | 85% | $13,760 | 69% | $78,988 | This school |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | 75% | $11,531 | 68% | $71,902 | |
| University of California-Riverside | 76% | $14,304 | 76% | $67,699 | |
| California State University-Sacramento | 94% | $9,338 | 56% | $64,876 | |
| California State University-Fullerton | 91% | $6,555 | 70% | $62,951 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
San Jose State University would cost you $2,229 more per year than California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, on average.
- Higher sticker price at San Jose State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$3,536).
- San Jose State University gives aided families $409 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | San Jose State University | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,410 | $7,780 | +$630 |
| Books & supplies | $938 | $995 | −$57 |
| Housing & meals | $19,866 | $16,330 | +$3,536 |
| Personal & travel | $3,514 | $4,041 | −$527 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,135 | −$5,191 | −$944 |
| Sticker price | $26,593 | $23,955 | +$2,638 |
| Average grants | −$12,833 | −$12,424 | −$409 |
| You pay | $13,760 | $11,531 | +$2,229 |
“+” means San Jose 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 Jose State University
What is the San Jose State University acceptance rate?
San Jose State University accepts 85% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 28,708 of 35,780 applicants were admitted.
How much does San Jose State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $26,593 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,760 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,730 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,862.
How much do San Jose State University graduates earn?
Former San Jose State University students earn a median $78,988 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the San Jose State University graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 87% return for their second year.
Is San Jose State University the right fit for your family?
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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 Jose State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/san-jose-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).