San Diego State University

www.sdsu.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$5,742

0% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$13,192

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

2.27%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

36.7%

64,784 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

36,334

85.7% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

76%

3,630 Graduates

About

San Diego State University is a higher education institution located in San Diego County, CA. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at San Diego State University were General Business Administration & Management (1,682 degrees awarded), General Psychology (524 degrees), and General Health & Physical Education (386 degrees).

In 2020, 10,118 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at San Diego State University. 58.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 41.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (3,494 degrees), 1.1 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (3162 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at San Diego State University is $5,742, which is $−22,821 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

Photo by Stuart Seeger

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at San Diego State University is $5,742, which is $−22,821 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $13,192.

In 2020, 53% of undergraduate students attending San Diego State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 26% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$5,742

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at San Diego State University was $5,742. The cost of tuition at San Diego State University is $−22,821 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

This chart compares the tuition costs of San Diego State University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$13,192

2020 Value

9.01%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 San Diego State University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $13,192. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of San Diego State University grew by 9.01%.

This chart compares the average net price of San Diego State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$15,643

Room and Board

$1,969

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at San Diego State University was of $15,643 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,969. The cost of room and board increased by 3.28% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies increased by 2.82% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at San Diego State University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

53%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

26%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

53% of undergraduate students at San Diego State University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2019, when 53% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at San Diego State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

2.27%

2018 Default Rate

114

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at San Diego State University was 2.27%, which represents 114 out of the 5023 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

San Diego State University received 64,784 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 7.51% annual decline. Out of those 64,784 applicants, 23,778 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 36.7% acceptance rate.

There were 36,334 students enrolled at San Diego State University in 2020, and 85% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

San Diego State University has an overall enrollment yield of 20.4%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

36.7%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

23,778

Accepted Out of 64,784

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of San Diego State University was 36.7% (23,778 admissions from 64,784 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 34.1%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −7.51%, while admissions declined by −0.531%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of San Diego State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

85%

Submission Percentage

4,132

Scores Submitted

85% of enrolled first-time students at San Diego State University in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

San Diego State University has a total enrollment of 36,334 students. The full-time enrollment at San Diego State University is 31,149 students and the part-time enrollment is 5,185. This means that 85.7% of students enrolled at San Diego State University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at San Diego State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 33.9% White, 33.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 6.42% Two or More Races, 4.24% Black or African American, 0.347% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.278% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at San Diego State University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly Hispanic or Latino Female (20%), followed by White Female (19.6%) and White Male (14.4%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (24.9%), followed by Hispanic or Latino Female (22.6%) and White Male (11.5%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

85.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at San Diego State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 36,334 students. The full-time enrollment at San Diego State University is 31,149 and the part-time enrollment is 5,185. This means that 85.7% of students enrolled at San Diego State University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at San Diego State University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

89%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at San Diego State University was 89%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), San Diego State University had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at San Diego State University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
12,333
Hispanic or Latino
12,062
Asian
4,608

The enrolled student population at San Diego State University is 33.9% White, 33.2% Hispanic or Latino, 12.7% Asian, 6.42% Two or More Races, 4.24% Black or African American, 0.347% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.278% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 1,272 students (3.5%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 1674 more women than men received degrees from San Diego State University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at San Diego State University is white (3,494 degrees awarded). There were 1.1 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (3162 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at San Diego State University is General Business Administration & Management (1,682 degrees awarded), followed by General Psychology (524 degrees) and General Health & Physical Education (386 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at San Diego State University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (435 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (187 degrees), and Engineering (911 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Other managers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at San Diego State University are Other managers (525,431 people), Software developers (403,850 people), Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (348,514 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (323,668 people), and Civil engineers (253,444 people).

The most specialized majors at San Diego State University are Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (435 degrees awarded), Language & Linguistics (187 degrees), Engineering (911 degrees), Interdisciplinary Studies (468 degrees), and Social Sciences (801 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at San Diego State University are Surgeons, Physicians, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, and Sales engineers

Common Industries by Major

Computer Systems Design

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at San Diego State University are Computer Systems Design (550,476 people), Elementary & secondary schools (507,586 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (446,455 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (441,023 people), and Construction (346,252 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by San Diego State University.

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
1682 degree-majorss awarded
General Psychology
524 degree-majorss awarded
General Health & Physical Education
386 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at San Diego State University was General Business Administration & Management with 1682 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at San Diego State University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

4,222

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

5,896

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 4,222 degrees were awarded to men at San Diego State University, which is 0.716 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (5,896).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at San Diego State University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 980 degrees were awarded to men at San Diego State University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.14 times more than the 862 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 862 degrees were awarded to women at San Diego State University in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.88 times less than the 980 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

36%

100% Completion Time

74%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 36% of students graduating from San Diego State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 74% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 77% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Male

Highest Graduation Rate (90%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at San Diego State University is Male and American Indian or Alaska Native (90% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2.64% of graduates (96 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
3,494 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
3,162 degrees awarded
Asian
1,249 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at San Diego State University is white (3,494 degrees awarded). There were 1.1 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (3162 degrees).

4.84% of degree recipients (490 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
1,999 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
1,987 degrees awarded
White Male
1,495 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at San Diego State University is white female (1,999 degrees awarded). There were 1.01 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino female (1,987 degrees).

Operations

San Diego State University has an endowment valued at nearly $353M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $9.95M (2.82%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, San Diego State University had a total salary expenditure of $846M. San Diego State University employs 311 Professors, 239 Associate professors, and 208 Assistant professors. Most academics at San Diego State University are Male Professors (196), Male Associate professors(129), and Female Lecturers (116).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at San Diego State University are: Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 374 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 329 employees, and Business and Financial Operations with 284 employees.

Endowment

$353M

2020 Endowment

13.2%

growth from 2019

San Diego State University has an endowment valued at about $353M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of San Diego State University grew 13.2% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $46.7M higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at San Diego State University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$0 - Federal
$17.4k - State
$0 - Local

As of 2020, San Diego State University received $0 in grants and contracts from the federal government, $17.4k from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$272M

2020 Salaries

7.54%

growth from 2019

In 2020, San Diego State University paid a median of $272M in salaries, which represents 32.2% of their overall expenditure ($846M) and a 7.54% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 7.21% growth from 2018 and a 5.08% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$99.1M

Instructional Salaries

954

Number of Employees

In 2020, San Diego State University paid a total of $99.1M to 954 employees working as instructors, which represents 36.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

311 Employees

Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

374 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at San Diego State University were Professor with 311 employees; Associate professor with 239 employees; and Associate professor with 208 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at San Diego State University were Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 374 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 329 employees; and Business and Financial Operations with 284 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Lecturer

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at San Diego State University was Male Professor with 196 employees, Male Associate professor with 129 employees, and Female Lecturer with 116 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at San Diego State University.