San Francisco State vs. San Jose State

Should I go to San Francisco State University or San Jose State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if San Francisco State or San Jose 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 Francisco State University vs. San Jose State University comparison
San Francisco State University San Jose State University College 3 College 4
San Francisco State University San Jose State University
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Overview

San Francisco State San Jose State
Location San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 25,282 35,751
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #789 #558
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sfsu.edu sjsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Francisco State San Jose State
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $17,955 $18,568
Avg Net Price $13,267 $14,219
Avg Grant Aid $9,830 $9,210
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 59%

Admission

San Francisco State San Jose State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 29,932 34,002
Admitted 28,195 26,083
Acceptance Rate 94.2% 76.7%
Enrolled % 11.8% 15.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.31 3.35
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/23 19/26
SAT Range 930/1130 1010/1240
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 Dec 15, 2024

Academics

San Francisco State San Jose State
Student to Faculty Ratio 19:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)

Outcomes

San Francisco State San Jose State
Graduation Rate 46% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,600 $59,900
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 73%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,250 $15,000
Median Loan Payment $178 $155

Diversity

San Francisco State San Jose State
% Men 43% 48%
% Women 57% 52%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 19%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 29% 26%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 5%
% International 6% 6%
% Unknown Race 5% 4%

Students

San Francisco State San Jose State
% In-State 96% 96%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

San Francisco State San Jose 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 Jose State University is larger than than San Francisco State based on total student enrollment (35,751 students vs. 25,282 students)

San Francisco State vs. San Jose State Cost Comparison

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

  • San Francisco State University and San Jose 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 Francisco State as San Jose 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 Francisco State University than San Jose State ($13,267 vs. $14,219)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Francisco State University are 3.4% lower than costs at San Jose State University ($17,955 vs. $18,568)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at San Francisco State University than San Jose State University (72% vs. 59%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Francisco State University students is 6.7% larger than aid received San Jose State University ($9,830 vs. $9,210)

San Francisco State vs. San Jose State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at San Jose State University (1055) is 76 points higher than at San Francisco State (979)
  • Incoming San Jose State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at San Francisco State (21)
  • Accepted freshman San Jose State students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.35) than students at San Francisco State (3.31)
  • San Francisco State has a higher acceptance rate (94.2%) than San Jose State (76.7%)

San Francisco State vs. San Jose State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Francisco State or San Jose 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 Jose State and San Francisco State.

  • The graduation rate at San Francisco State is the same as at San Jose State University (46% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from San Jose State University earn on average $7,300 more per year than San Francisco State graduates after ten years. ($59,900 vs. $52,600)
  • San Jose State University students graduate with a $2,250 lower median federal student loan debt than San Francisco State graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,250)
  • San Jose State graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than San Francisco State graduates. ($155 vs. $178)
  • More San Jose State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Francisco State students, three years after graduation. (73% vs. 63%)

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