San Diego State University
San Diego State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
San Diego State University Featured Rankings
- #1 California's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Online Master's in Hospitality and Tourism
- #4 California's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #5 Online Master's in Public Administration
- #7 Online Master’s in Counseling
- #9 Most Affordable Accredited Online Schools
- #10 The Most Influential Colleges in Baseball Today
- #10 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2026
- #10 Public Colleges California
- #11 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- #12 Research Universities in California 2026
- #13 Grad Schools California 2026
- #13 Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
- #14 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #16 Criminal Justice Research Universities
- #16 The Most Influential Colleges in Football Today
- #19 Social Work Research Universities
- #19 The Most Influential Colleges in Soccer Today
- #21 Most Influential Colleges in Golf Today
- #47 Best Online Master's Programs
About San Diego State University
According to Wikipedia, San Diego State University is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University system. In Fall 2022, SDSU hit an all time high enrollment record student body of nearly 37,000 and an alumni base of more than 300,000.
San Diego State University's Online Degrees
BS in Business Administration
- Required Credits: 49-55
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Master of Hospitality and Tourism
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Meeting and Event Management
- Required Credits: 30
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Regulatory Affairs
- Required Credits: 31
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 51-60
- Completion Time: 4-5 years
- Format: Fully online
MA in Educational Leadership
- Required Credits: 32
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MPA in Public Administration
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MPH in Public Health
- Required Credits: 51
- Completion Time: 3-4 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Rehabilitation Counseling
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: 3.5-4.5 years
San Diego State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 82,800 | 36% | 91% | 78% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does San Diego State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,180 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $8,258 |
| 30K - 48K | $8,236 |
| 48K - 75K | $10,413 |
| 75K - 110K | $13,498 |
| 110K+ | $22,130 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do San Diego State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former San Diego State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $73,494 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
San Diego State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 42,660 | 36,724 | 5,936 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is San Diego State University?
San Diego State University is located at 5500 Campanile Dr, San Diego, CA 92182-0001.
How Safe is San Diego State University?
Relative to its enrollment, San Diego State University has a violent crime rate of 0.04% and a property crime rate of 0.07%. San Diego has a violent crime rate of 0.41% and a property crime rate of 1.69%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is San Diego State University Known For?
San Diego State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Sociology
- Social Work
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Psychology
- Biology
- Engineering
- Communications
- Literature
- Physics
- Education
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Anthropology
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Medical
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
San Diego State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much San Diego State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
San Diego State University ranks #87 in the U.S. and #271 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #93 in the U.S. and #181 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #106 in the U.S. and #151 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #114 in the U.S. and #318 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #121 in the U.S. and #474 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #126 in the U.S. and #345 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #130 in the U.S. and #292 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #132 in the U.S. and #442 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #136 in the U.S. and #619 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #139 in the U.S. and #465 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #144 in the U.S. and #404 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #144 in the U.S. and #575 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #150 in the U.S. and #566 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #150 in the U.S. and #564 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #152 in the U.S. and #380 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #155 in the U.S. and #470 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #166 in the U.S. and #634 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #179 in the U.S. and #691 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #187 in the U.S. and #624 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #221 in the U.S. and #1067 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #249 in the U.S. and #1197 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #256 in the U.S. and #831 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSan Diego State University ranks #344 in the U.S. and #1512 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are San Diego State University's Most Influential Alumni?
San Diego State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology. Here are some of San Diego State University's most famous alumni:
- Arthur Jensen
- A Professor of educational psychology.
- Vernor Vinge
- An American mathematician, computer scientist, and science fiction writer.
- John Baldessari
- An American artist .
- Greg Bear
- An American writer best known for science fiction.
- Julia Robinson
- An American mathematician and doctor.
- Gregory Peck
- An American actor .
- Jacques Gauthier
- An American paleontologist .
- Constance Reid
- An American writer.
- Norman E. Brinker
- An American restaurateur .
- Joe Gibbs
- An American race team owner and football coach.
- Marshall Faulk
- An American football player .
- Alurista
- A Chicano poet and activist.
Who Are San Diego State University's Most Influential Faculty?
San Diego State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology. Here are some of San Diego State University's most famous faculty:
- Jean Twenge
- An American psychologist.
- Joanna Brooks
- A Literary and religious scholar.
- Ilya Kaminsky
- A Poet, critic, translator and professor.
- J. Carlos Santamarina
- An Argentinian university teacher.
- Mya Breitbart
- An American biologist.
- J. T. O'Sullivan
- An American gridiron football player .
- Annegret Hannawa
- A Researcher.
- J. Luke Wood
- An American social scientist.
- Luq Barcoo
- An American football defensive back.
- Shadab Zeest Hashmi
- A Pakistani writer.
- Katie Farris
- An American writer and academic.
- Kate Paye
- An American basketball player-coach.
