San Jose State University
San Jose 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 Jose State University Featured Rankings
- #2 Criminal Justice Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 5 Affordable Online Library Science Master's Programs
- #3 Business Liberal Arts Colleges
- #3 Liberal Arts Colleges in California 2026
- #4 Communications Liberal Arts Colleges
- #5 What Can You Do with a Degree in Organizational Psychology?
- #7 Best Online Master's of Music Education
- #10 The Most Influential Colleges in Track & Field Today
- #11 Most Affordable Colleges in California 2026
- #11 Public Colleges California
- #16 Best Colleges in California 2026
- #22 Best Liberal Arts Colleges 2026
About San Jose State University
According to Wikipedia, San José State University is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University system.
San Jose State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35,780 | 85% | 87% | 68% |
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 Jose State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $8,846 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $10,381 |
| 30K - 48K | $10,669 |
| 48K - 75K | $12,135 |
| 75K - 110K | $15,813 |
| 110K+ | $24,449 |
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 Jose State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former San Jose State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $83,493 a year, and 93% 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 Jose 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 40,205 | 29,579 | 10,626 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is San Jose State University?
San Jose State University is located at One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0186.
How Safe is San Jose State University?
Relative to its enrollment, San Jose State University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of 0.12%. San Jose has a violent crime rate of 0.61% and a property crime rate of 2.64%. 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 Jose State University Known For?
San Jose State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Criminal Justice
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Education
- Engineering
- Sociology
- Business
- Political Science
- Nursing
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Social Work
- History
- Physics
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Earth Sciences
- Biology
- Philosophy
- Economics
- Medical
- Religious Studies
San Jose State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much San Jose 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 Jose State University ranks #101 in the U.S. and #145 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #128 in the U.S. and #430 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #130 in the U.S. and #469 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #149 in the U.S. and #564 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #149 in the U.S. and #704 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #149 in the U.S. and #528 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #151 in the U.S. and #457 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #624 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #397 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #165 in the U.S. and #468 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #167 in the U.S. and #639 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #171 in the U.S. and #523 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #181 in the U.S. and #423 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #187 in the U.S. and #545 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #196 in the U.S. and #829 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #210 in the U.S. and #505 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #215 in the U.S. and #1023 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #216 in the U.S. and #929 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #233 in the U.S. and #859 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #240 in the U.S. and #782 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #253 in the U.S. and #1284 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #270 in the U.S. and #965 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSan Jose State University ranks #303 in the U.S. and #1310 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are San Jose State University's Most Influential Alumni?
San Jose State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of San Jose State University's most famous alumni:
- Béla H. Bánáthy
- A Hungarian linguist and systems scientist.
- Dian Fossey
- An American zoologist, gorilla researcher .
- Alan E. Kazdin
- An American psychologist.
- Amy Tan
- An American novelist.
- Wayne Thiebaud
- An American painter .
- Luis Valdez
- An American writer and director.
- Stevie Nicks
- An American singer and songwriter, member of Fleetwood Mac.
- Christopher Darden
- An American lawyer.
- Tommie Smith
- An American track and field athlete.
- Michael Whelan
- An American artist.
- Patricia A. McKillip
- An American fantasy writer.
- John Carlos
- An American track and field athlete.
Who Are San Jose State University's Most Influential Faculty?
San Jose State University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Social Work. Here are some of San Jose State University's most famous faculty:
