San Diego State University
San Diego, California · Website
$64,909
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$64,909
median earnings, 10 years after starting
San Diego State University is a public 4-year college in San Diego, California with 35,377 undergraduates and 5,355 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,364 a year (tuition and fees $8,728 in-state, $21,328 out-of-state). It admits 36% of applicants and 76% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $64,909 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $15,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,364
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,728
Out-of-state $21,328
Admission rate
36%
US median 78%
Completion rate
76%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$15,000
About $159 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$64,909
Rank 538 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,364
- Tuition in-state
- $8,728
- Tuition out-of-state
- $21,328
- Cost of attendance
- $27,780
- Students with a need-based grant
- 32%
- Students with federal loans
- 23%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,910
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,017
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $12,697
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $15,891
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $23,821
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,976 in 2015-16 to $8,728 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 36%
- Undergraduates
- 35,377
- Graduate students
- 5,355
- Part-time students
- 9.2%
- Women
- 57%
- Students per teacher
- 27
- Completion rate
- 76%
- Retention rate
- 91%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 223
- Endowment
- $478.6M
- Other
- Hispanic-serving
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 538 of 5,094 US colleges and 86 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,364 | $20,161 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,728 | $8,086 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 36% | 76% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 76% | 64% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 91% | 80% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $15,000 | $11,537 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $52,620 | $36,048 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $64,909 | $41,472 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 66% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 76% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
223 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2,008 | $15,000 | $46,275 | $69,902 | $68,257 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 646 | $14,872 | $29,346 | $51,021 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 415 | $13,499 | $33,261 | $57,510 | $55,378 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 354 | $15,285 | $26,327 | $59,914 | $54,562 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 276 | $18,010 | $33,597 | $68,861 | $57,214 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 261 | $15,000 | $37,773 | $61,389 | $56,359 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 259 | $19,499 | $69,754 | $97,825 | $92,135 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 254 | $10,299 | $23,186 | $35,416 | $41,367 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 249 | $39,964 | $47,098 | $61,680 | $59,916 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 244 | $15,225 | $33,165 | $55,072 | $55,693 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 227 | $12,838 | $23,190 | $58,419 | $53,072 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 206 | $16,866 | $74,523 | $100,586 | $107,009 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 203 | $55,840 | $84,731 | $120,682 | $103,485 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 197 | $15,250 | $44,125 | $74,123 | $82,686 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 195 | $17,375 | $100,221 | $120,799 | $88,910 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $17,364 | $38,060 | $64,824 | $63,293 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $12,500 | $35,136 | $53,387 | $52,657 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 169 | $15,000 | $41,092 | $60,904 | $58,808 |
| JournalismBachelor's | Bachelor's | 167 | $14,998 | $30,269 | $53,997 | $56,278 |
| Education, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 164 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 160 | $14,000 | $22,378 | $61,510 | $58,928 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 142 | $19,832 | $73,584 | $95,865 | $86,517 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 139 | $12,691 | $28,793 | $48,471 | $47,382 |
| Public HealthMaster's | Master's | 131 | $38,020 | $70,475 | $83,325 | $82,751 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 123 | $15,000 | $36,916 | $56,674 | $51,790 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does San Diego State University cost?
$15,364 a year is the average net price at San Diego State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,728 for in-state students and $21,328 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $27,780. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,910 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at San Diego State University?
36% of applicants are admitted to San Diego State University. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do San Diego State University graduates earn?
$64,909 a year is the median pay of former San Diego State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($52,620 after 6 years). That ranks 538 of 5,094 US colleges and 86 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral) at $140,159.
How much student debt do San Diego State University graduates have?
$15,000 is the median federal student loan debt of San Diego State University graduates, about $159 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 23% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at San Diego State University?
76% of first-time, full-time students at San Diego State University finish within 6 years. 91% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at San Diego State University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (2,008 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (646 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (415 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 223 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.