San Francisco State University

Public · Moderately Selective · CA

Photo: Clyde Charles Brown (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationCA · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads18,639

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.4%

6-yr grad rate50.4%

Drop-out rate17.3%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$8k

Out-of-state tuition$21k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity85%

Gender diversity53.7%

International3.7%

Identity—

Overview

San Francisco State University sits on the southwest side of San Francisco near Lake Merced and carries a long history of student activism, including a 1968 student strike that led to the nation's first College of Ethnic Studies. It's one of the most diverse campuses in the country, and its identity is deeply tied to the city's progressive, creative, and politically engaged culture. The university has long positioned itself as a public option for students drawn to San Francisco's arts and media scenes without a private-school price tag.

Academics

Cinema, broadcast and electronic communication arts, business, and creative writing are standout programs, benefiting from close ties to the Bay Area's media, tech, and arts industries for internships and adjunct faculty drawn from working professionals. The College of Ethnic Studies remains a distinctive academic anchor, reflecting the university's founding role in that field nationally, and social work and public health are also well regarded given the surrounding city's nonprofit and public-sector landscape.

Campus & student life

Being in San Francisco itself means students have direct access to internships across tech, media, and the arts without needing to leave the city, and the campus's Lake Merced-adjacent location gives it a quieter, more residential feel than its urban reputation might suggest. The campus culture leans creative and socially engaged, consistent with its activist history, and many students supplement coursework with real industry experience nearby rather than waiting until after graduation.

Getting in

As part of the Cal State system, admission relies primarily on GPA and coursework rather than essays or interviews, though the university's identity around activism and the arts tends to attract students drawn to those fields specifically. Portfolio or audition requirements apply for some programs in cinema, art, and creative writing beyond the standard Cal State application.

After graduation

Graduates in film, media, and business often move directly into Bay Area industries, leveraging the university's location and internship pipelines built over decades of proximity to San Francisco's creative economy. The alumni network carries a strong presence in Northern California's creative and tech sectors, and Ethnic Studies graduates have gone on to shape the field nationally, given the department's founding role.

Worth knowing

SF State's role in founding Ethnic Studies as an academic discipline is a genuine point of national significance, not just campus lore, and students interested in that field can study it at its literal origin point. The university's location, in San Francisco but away from the most expensive, tourist-heavy parts of the city, gives it a different feel than its address might suggest.

sfsu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate96.4%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Regular decisionNov 30

Applying