San Diego State University, or SDSU, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area. Originally founded in 1897 as the San Diego Normal School, SDSU is the third-oldest university in the California State University system, and one of the oldest universities in California.
SDSU awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in more than 150 fields of study. The university is organized into the following academic divisions:
SDSU’s sports teams are known as the Aztecs and the official mascot is the Aztec Warrior.

The school is known for its programs in art studies and liberal arts.
San Diego State does not offer open admission. The school admitted just 44% of applicants in 2007. Three quarters of students in 2007 had SAT verbal scores of at least 460. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 480 and 590.
The school has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at San Diego State is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.
The school had 35,695 enrolled students in 2007.
A lot of students at San Diego State attend part-time. The school offers students meal plans. San Diego State values student athletics, and belongs to the Western Athletic Conference.
The school is a relative bargain, with lower tuition and fees than most schools offering similar degrees.
More complete details are provided below.
San Diego State University
5500 Campanile Dr
San Diego, CA 92182
General Phone: (619) 594-5000
http://www.sdsu.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts | 1,969 | liberal arts and sciences, political science, speech and rhetoric, economics, English, sociology, history, social services, ... |
| Business And Management | 1,667 | business management, international business, accounting, business and related services |
| Therapy And Counseling | 708 | psychology, communication disorders, school psychology, clinical psychology |
| Education And Teaching | 505 | education, early childhood education, school counseling, science teaching, music teaching, trade and industrial teaching, curriculum and instruction |
| Nutrition And Exercise Therapy | 464 | health and physical education, dietitian, parks and recreation studies, vocational counseling, exercise science, health and fitness |
| Family And Social Work | 399 | public administration, social work |
| Security And Law Enforcement | 379 | criminal justice and safety, criminology |
| Science | 349 | biology, chemistry, geology, physics, microbiology, astronomy, atomic physics |
| Engineering | 333 | electrical engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, manufacturing engineering, engineering science, biomedical engineering |
| Media | 331 | communication studies, journalism, radio and television |
| Art Studies | 279 | art studies |
| Nursing And Emergency Medicine | 190 | registered nursing |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 172 | computer science, computer engineering |
| Medicine | 119 | public health, gerontology, public health courses, medical physics |
| Mathematics | 99 | mathematics, statistics, applied mathematics |
| Hospitality | 83 | hospitality management |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 59 | drama, dance |
| Religion And Philosophy | 51 | philosophy, religion, Jewish studies |
| Music | 41 | music performance, music |
| Medical Support And Technology | 33 | health service and sciences |
| Architecture And Planning | 14 | urban planning |
| Fine Arts | 8 | fine arts |
Number of programs and degrees for San Diego State in 2007:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 6,433 | 71 |
| Master's degree | 1,773 | 64 |
| Doctor's degree | 46 | 10 |
In 2007, San Diego State had a total enrollment of 35,695 students (30,914 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 39% |
| Women | 61% |
| Full-Time | 80% |
| Part-Time | 20% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 82% |
| Graduate | 18% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 45% |
| Black | 4% |
| Hispanic | 20% |
| Asian | 15% |
| American Indian | 1% |
| Unknown | 11% |
| (Foreign Students) | 5% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0% |
| 18-19 | 25% |
| 20-21 | 24% |
| 22-24 | 27% |
| 25-29 | 14% |
| 30-34 | 5% |
| 35-39 | 2% |
| 40-49 | 2% |
| 50-64 | 1% |
| 65+ | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| California | 93% |
| (International Students) | 1% |
| Arizona | 1% |
| Washington | 1% |
| Colorado | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 83 % |
| Part-Time | 67 % |
San Diego State offers campus housing for 3,045 of its 30,914 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of San Diego, California for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other California Colleges).
The school offers students a meal plan with 10 meals per week.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 42,053 | 18,481 | 44% | 5,124 | 28% |
| Men | 17,363 | 7,169 | 41% | 2,018 | 28% |
| Women | 24,690 | 11,312 | 46% | 3,106 | 27% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 460 | 570 |
| SAT Math | 480 | 590 |
| ACT Verbal | 18 | 25 |
| ACT Math | 19 | 25 |
| ACT Composite | 19 | 24 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | not required |
| High School Record | not required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | not required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | not required |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 97% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 33% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
| Other Standardized Tests | not required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 3,428 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 13,598 |
| Room and board | $ 10,904 |
| Room charge | $ 5,410 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 2,928 |
| Books and supplies | $ 1,332 |
| Other expenses | $ 3,330 |
Financial Aid:
San Diego State participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 115100)
San Diego State has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 368 | 223 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 117 | 83 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 75 | 100 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | calendar year | 32 | $120,386 | 16 | $121,628 |
| Associate professor | calendar year | 2 | * | 3 | $98,904 |
| Lecturer | calendar year | 2 | * | 9 | $88,976 |
| No academic rank | calendar year | 3 | $176,552 | 0 | * |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 39 | $122,494 | 28 | $108,698 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2007):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 200 | $96,936 | 104 | $93,164 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 131 | $76,741 | 105 | $76,935 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 110 | $70,070 | 73 | $69,259 |
| Lecturer | academic year | 67 | $61,779 | 90 | $59,043 |
| No academic rank | academic year | 7 | $141,593 | 5 | $125,294 |
| All faculty total | academic year | 515 | $82,094 | 377 | $76,296 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Western Athletic Conference |
| Basketball | Western Athletic Conference |
| Baseball | Western Athletic Conference |
| Track | Western Athletic Conference |
Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 168 | 175 | 343 |
| Football | 83 | 0 | 83 |
| Baseball | 30 | 0 | 30 |
| Basketball | 13 | 12 | 25 |
| Track | 0 | 22 | 22 |
| All Other Sports | 42 | 141 | 183 |
ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business, Management, Marketing & Related Support Services, Other
International Business/Trade/Commerce
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Dance, General
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Education, General
Music Teacher Education
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
ENGINEERING
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering Science
Manufacturing Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Public Administration
Social Work
FINE ARTS
Fine/Studio Arts, General
HOSPITALITY
Hospitality Administration/Management, General
LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
Anthropology
Asian Studies/Civilization
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, General
Comparative Literature
Creative Writing
Economics, General
English Composition
English Language and Literature, General
European Studies/Civilization
French Language and Literature
Geography
German Language and Literature
Hispanic-American,Puerto Rican & Mexican-American/Chicano Studies
History, General
Humanities/Humanistic Studies
International Relations and Affairs
Japanese Language and Literature
Latin American Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Linguistics
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, General
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Speech and Rhetorical Studies
Urban Studies/Affairs
Women's Studies
MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
MEDIA
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
Journalism
Radio and Television
MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
MEDICINE
Gerontology
Health/Medical Physics
Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)
Public Health, Other
MUSIC
Music Performance, General
Music, General
NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Dietetics/Dietitian (RD)
Health and Physical Education, General
Health and Physical Education/Fitness, Other
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Jewish/Judaic Studies
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies
SCIENCE
Astronomy
Atomic/Molecular Physics
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Geology/Earth Science, General
Microbiology, General
Physics, General
SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Criminology
THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Clinical Psychology
Communication Disorders, General
Psychology, General
School Psychology
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets San Diego State Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 1% | ![]() ![]() |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 2% | ![]() ![]() |
| Lowest tuition & fees (in-state) (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 3% | ![]() ![]() |
| % of degrees in nutrition and exercise therapy (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 6% | ![]() |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 7% | ![]() |
| Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in therapy and counseling (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 10% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in art studies (vs. all colleges) | Top 12% | ![]() |
| % of freshmen enrolled part-time (vs. all colleges) | Top 13% | ![]() |
| Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted) (vs. all colleges) | Top 15% | ![]() |
| Minority % of student body (for colleges of its size and type) | Top 18% | ![]() |
| % of degrees in liberal arts (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 19% | ![]() |
Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Remedial classes for students
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, navy, air force)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member
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