San Francisco State University
San Francisco 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 Francisco State University Featured Rankings
- #1 Social Work Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Criminal Justice Liberal Arts Colleges
- #1 Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2026
- #2 Nursing Liberal Arts Colleges
- #2 Communications Liberal Arts Colleges
- #2 Business Liberal Arts Colleges
- #6 Engineering Liberal Arts Colleges
- #6 Criminal Justice Colleges and Universities
- #8 Liberal Arts Colleges for Education Degrees
- #9 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2026
- #9 Public Colleges California
- #11 Sociology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #11 Computer Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #11 Philosophy Liberal Arts Colleges
- #11 Communications Colleges and Universities
- #12 Grad Schools California 2026
- #12 Political Science Liberal Arts Colleges
- #12 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #13 English Liberal Arts Colleges
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
- #22 Anthropology Liberal Arts Colleges
- #25 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Majors
About San Francisco State University
According to Wikipedia, San Francisco State University is a public research university in San Francisco. It was established in 1899 as the San Francisco State Normal School and is part of the California State University system.
San Francisco State University's Online Degrees
Certificate in Design Thinking
- Required Credits: 8
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Photoshop Bootcamp
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Big Data
- Required Credits: 9
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Construction Professional
- Required Credits: 12
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Customer Experience
- Required Credits: 8
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Event and Meeting Planning
- Required Credits: 6
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Project Management
- Required Credits: 7
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 8
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Web Development Bootcamp
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in E-Learning Design and Development
- Required Credits: 7
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Intervener Training: Deafblind Education
- Required Credits: 2
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Going Virtual
- Required Credits: 5
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Leadership in Disruptive Times
- Required Credits: 8
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Spanish/English Interpretation
- Required Credits: 18
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Clinical Medical Assistant
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Clinical Trials Design & Management
- Required Credits: 6
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Dental Assistant
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in EKG Technician
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Medical Administrative Assistant
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Medical Billing and Coding
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
Certificate in Pharmacy Technician
- Required Credits: 1
- Completion Time: 1 year or less
- Format: Fully online
San Francisco State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29,878 | 96% | 83% | 50% |
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 Francisco State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $8,324 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $6,699 |
| 30K - 48K | $7,385 |
| 48K - 75K | $8,572 |
| 75K - 110K | $12,150 |
| 110K+ | $20,813 |
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 Francisco State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former San Francisco State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $73,299 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 Francisco 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 27,106 | 23,534 | 3,572 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is San Francisco State University?
San Francisco State University is located at 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA 94132.
How Safe is San Francisco State University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, San Francisco State University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, San Francisco State University has a violent crime rate of 0.06% and a property crime rate of 0.16%. San Francisco has a violent crime rate of 0.60% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 3.96%. 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 Francisco State University Known For?
San Francisco State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Literature
- Sociology
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Philosophy
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Political Science
- History
- Mathematics
- Education
- Physics
- Criminal Justice
- Earth Sciences
- Engineering
- Business
- Biology
- Psychology
- Economics
- Medical
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
San Francisco State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much San Francisco 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 Francisco State University ranks #51 in the U.S. and #141 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #57 in the U.S. and #160 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #86 in the U.S. and #228 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #109 in the U.S. and #348 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #111 in the U.S. and #351 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #112 in the U.S. and #407 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #115 in the U.S. and #248 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #121 in the U.S. and #453 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #122 in the U.S. and #323 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #146 in the U.S. and #545 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #152 in the U.S. and #575 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #153 in the U.S. and #607 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #162 in the U.S. and #268 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #168 in the U.S. and #686 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #177 in the U.S. and #876 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #179 in the U.S. and #547 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #181 in the U.S. and #643 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #184 in the U.S. and #440 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #190 in the U.S. and #897 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #214 in the U.S. and #742 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #309 in the U.S. and #1608 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #339 in the U.S. and #1492 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesSan Francisco State University ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1154 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are San Francisco State University's Most Influential Alumni?
San Francisco State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Sociology, Literature, and Social Work. Here are some of San Francisco State University's most famous alumni:
- Anne Rice
- An American writer.
- Mohammad Javad Zarif
- An Iranian career diplomat.
- Stanley Mazor
- An American engineer.
- Ann Powers
- An American writer and music critic.
- Dana Carvey
- An American comedian.
- Michael McClure
- An American writer.
- Cherríe Moraga
- An American writer.
- Douglas Crockford
- An American computer programmer.
- Michael Medved
- An American radio show host and writer.
- Alvin Ailey
- An African - American dancer, choreographer and activist.
- Saeb Erekat
- A Palestinian diplomat.
- Rebecca Solnit
- An American writer.
Who Are San Francisco State University's Most Influential Faculty?
San Francisco State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Sociology, Literature, and Social Work. Here are some of San Francisco State University's most famous faculty:
- Mariel Vázquez
- A Mexican mathematical biologist.
- Squire Booker
- A Chemist and biochemist.
- Camille Dungy
- An American writer.
- Xandra Ibarra
- A Performance artist based in Oakland, California.
- Dawn Mabalon
- A Filipina American historian .
- Gülnur Tumbat
- A Turkish athletics competitor.
- Andrew Jolivette
- An American academic.
- Jeffrey T. Bury
- An American geographer.
- Nick Sousanis
- An American art critic.
- Tongo Eisen-Martin
- An American poet.
- Stephen R. Kane
- An Australian-American astronomer.
- Cynthia Gómez
- An American psychologist.
