About
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system. SDSU is the oldest higher education institution in San Diego; its academic roots were established as a normal school in University Heights, then known as the San Diego Normal School. In the fall of 2025, the university enrolled a record 41,184 students.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 5.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 224 Title IV programs, 82 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 140 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing82 · 36.6%
- No Data140 · 62.5%
- Failing2 · 0.9%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
WASC Senior College and University Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 21
Action history · 17
- Jul 2024Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Jan 2024Approved for Distance EducationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
- Jun 2023Renewal of AccreditationCouncil on Education for Public Health · Public Health (PHBG) - Baccalaureate and Graduate level school of public health
- Jul 2021Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Jul 2020Renewal of AccreditationAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 13,585 students received $85.6M in Pell grants, alongside $126.5M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 5,164 borrowers who entered repayment, 61 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at San Diego State
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus51
- Non-campus11
- Public property5
Includes 15 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- Villa Alvarado1 fireElectricalDamage $50,000-$99,999
- Aztec Corner2 firesCookingDamage $100-$999
- Aztec Corner2 firesCookingDamage $100-$999
- Piedra del Sol1 fireCookingDamage $100-$999
- Huaxyacac1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Data quality: 1 report was later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
San Diego State vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions San Diego State selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSan Diego State University | 76% | — | 41,137 | $16,174 | R2 Research |
| 68% | 89.9% | 79,818 | $13,670 | R1 Research | |
| 69% | 46.3% | 42,003 | $8,931 | R2 Research | |
| 51% | 91.3% | 14,074 | $16,065 | R2 Research | |
| 68% | 87.5% | 39,766 | $18,287 | R1 Research | |
| 53% | 90.9% | 19,951 | $12,932 | R2 Research | |
| 84% | 58.1% | 52,269 | $23,519 | R1 Research | |
| 54% | 79.9% | 44,956 | $15,235 | R1 Research | |
| 75% | 74.2% | 31,903 | $20,470 | R1 Research | |
| 68% | 86.1% | 56,365 | $15,960 | R1 Research | |
| 78% | 40.1% | 69,713 | $10,650 | R1 Research | |
| 65% | 73.9% | 47,980 | $13,853 | R1 Research | |
| 51% | 96.2% | 32,911 | $10,011 | R1 Research | |
| 56% | 88.5% | 18,012 | $10,170 | R2 Research | |
| 77% | 43.2% | 49,622 | $10,043 | R1 Research | |
| 53% | 90.7% | 22,450 | $16,177 | R1 Research | |
| Peer group median | 68% | 86.1% | 41,570 | $14,544 |
Institutions like San Diego State
Explore the federal data for institutions in San Diego State's comparison group.
- R1 ResearchArizona
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Grad rate68%Admit rate89.9%Enrollment79,818Net price$13,670View data - R2 ResearchCalifornia
California State University-Long Beach
Grad rate69%Admit rate46.3%Enrollment42,003Net price$8,931View data - R2 ResearchOhio
Cleveland State University
Grad rate51%Admit rate91.3%Enrollment14,074Net price$16,065View data - R1 ResearchVirginia
George Mason University
Grad rate68%Admit rate87.5%Enrollment39,766Net price$18,287View data - R2 ResearchOregon
Portland State University
Grad rate53%Admit rate90.9%Enrollment19,951Net price$12,932View data - R1 ResearchNew Jersey
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Grad rate84%Admit rate58.1%Enrollment52,269Net price$23,519View data - R1 ResearchTexas
The University of Texas at Arlington
Grad rate54%Admit rate79.9%Enrollment44,956Net price$15,235View data - R1 ResearchNew York
University at Buffalo
Grad rate75%Admit rate74.2%Enrollment31,903Net price$20,470View data - R1 ResearchArizona
University of Arizona
Grad rate68%Admit rate86.1%Enrollment56,365Net price$15,960View data - R1 ResearchFlorida
University of Central Florida
Grad rate78%Admit rate40.1%Enrollment69,713Net price$10,650View data - R1 ResearchTexas
University of Houston
Grad rate65%Admit rate73.9%Enrollment47,980Net price$13,853View data - R1 ResearchNevada
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
Grad rate51%Admit rate96.2%Enrollment32,911Net price$10,011View data - R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Grad rate56%Admit rate88.5%Enrollment18,012Net price$10,170View data - R1 ResearchFlorida
University of South Florida
Grad rate77%Admit rate43.2%Enrollment49,622Net price$10,043View data - R1 ResearchWisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Grad rate53%Admit rate90.7%Enrollment22,450Net price$16,177View data
San Diego State Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
We help SDSU analyze and understand institutional data through accurate reporting, in-depth analyses, and educational programs.
Visit IR office page- Jeanne Stronach, MAAssistant Vice President
- Kathleen KingSenior Reporting Analyst
- Meg CalhounIR Analyst
- Sibel SengelIR Analyst
- Anna Jost, MPHResearch Analyst
- Erin Jacobs, PhDDirector
- Xi Yan, MSSenior Data Scientist
- Tatiana Chavez, MSData Scientist
- Cris Manlangit, MSAssistant Director
- Thanh HuynhData Engineer
- Habon AhmedStudent Intern
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data dictionaryREDCap’s Data Dictionary – A powerful tool in your toolbelt!This document provides an introduction and guide to using the Data Dictionary feature in REDCap, highlighting its utility in managing project fields and sharing or transferring project setups. It outlines steps to upload and commit changes within REDCap after editing the Data Dictionary CSV file and details common errors and solutions when handling the Data Dictionary. The document includes a demo project setup to illustrate practical application, while emphasizing the need for careful attention to errors to prevent data retrieval issues.research.sdsu.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planWe Rise We Defy: Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives2024San Diego State University's strategic plan 'We Rise We Defy: Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives' outlines the vision and mission for 2025-2030. It focuses on growth, commitment to teaching, research, and creativity, aiming to transform students' lives while engaging communities. The plan maintains five strategic priorities from its first phase and further aims to elevate SDSU as a premier public research university.sdsu.edu
Grants & funding (1)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of San Diego State (30)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Gregory PeckEntertainment, arts, and media
- Raquel WelchEntertainment, arts, and media
- Fred DryerEntertainment, arts, and media
- Julie KavnerEntertainment, arts, and media
- Kathy NajimyEntertainment, arts, and media
- Kawhi LeonardSports
- Tony GwynnSports
- Ellen OchoaScience
- Stephen StrasburgSports
- Marshall FaulkSports
- Kevin FaulconerPolitics and government
- S. Donley RitcheyBusiness
Frequently asked questions about San Diego State University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about San Diego State.
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