San Diego State vs. San Francisco State

Should I go to San Diego State University or San Francisco State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if San Diego State or San Francisco State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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San Diego State University vs. San Francisco State University comparison
San Diego State University San Francisco State University College 3 College 4
San Diego State University San Francisco State University
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Overview

San Diego State San Francisco State
Location San Diego, CA San Francisco, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 37,402 25,282
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #337 #789
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sdsu.edu sfsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Diego State San Francisco State
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $19,714 $17,955
Avg Net Price $13,017 $13,267
Avg Grant Aid $9,934 $9,830
% Receiving Grant Aid 43% 72%

Admission

San Diego State San Francisco State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 77,250 29,932
Admitted 30,331 28,195
Acceptance Rate 39.3% 94.2%
Enrolled % 21.7% 11.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.82 3.31
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 22/29 16/23
SAT Range 1090/1300 930/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

San Diego State San Francisco State
Student to Faculty Ratio 25:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • English and Literature (7%)
  • Health Professions (7%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

San Diego State San Francisco State
Graduation Rate 66% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,400 $52,600
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,349 $17,250
Median Loan Payment $158 $178

Diversity

San Diego State San Francisco State
% Men 42% 43%
% Women 58% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 34% 21%
% Black 4% 5%
% Hispanic 31% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 6%
% International 6% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

San Diego State San Francisco State
% In-State 77% 96%
% Out-of-State 21% 1%

Campus

San Diego State San Francisco State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Diego State University is larger than than San Francisco State based on total student enrollment (37,402 students vs. 25,282 students)

San Diego State vs. San Francisco State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Diego State or San Francisco State?

  • San Diego State University and San Francisco State cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at San Diego State as San Francisco State University ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Diego State University than San Francisco State ($13,017 vs. $13,267)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco State University are 9.8% lower than costs at San Diego State University ($17,955 vs. $19,714)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at San Francisco State University than San Diego State University (72% vs. 43%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Diego State University students is 1.1% larger than aid received San Francisco State University ($9,934 vs. $9,830)

San Diego State vs. San Francisco State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, San Diego State or San Francisco State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between San Francisco State or San Diego State .

  • The average SAT score at San Diego State University (1130) is 151 points higher than at San Francisco State (979)
  • Incoming San Diego State students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at San Francisco State (21)
  • Accepted freshman San Diego State students have a 0.51 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at San Francisco State (3.31)
  • San Francisco State has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than San Diego State (39.3%)

San Diego State vs. San Francisco State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Diego State or San Francisco State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between San Francisco State and San Diego State.

  • The graduation rate at San Diego State is higher than San Francisco State University (66% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from San Diego State University earn on average $800 more per year than San Francisco State graduates after ten years. ($53,400 vs. $52,600)
  • San Diego State University students graduate with a $1,901 lower median federal student loan debt than San Francisco State graduates. ($15,349 vs. $17,250)
  • San Diego State graduates are paying $20 less per month on federal student loans than San Francisco State graduates. ($158 vs. $178)
  • More San Diego State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Francisco State students, three years after graduation. (65% vs. 63%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/