San Francisco State University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Fresno, California · Public · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
San Francisco State University is a public university in Fresno, California that admits about 96% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $6,480 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 9.2 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
San Francisco State University is a public institution located in Fresno, California. For the most recent reporting cycle, San Francisco State University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 96%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $6,480 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether San Francisco State University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for San Francisco State University?
San Francisco State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores San Francisco State University typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
How much does San Francisco State University actually cost?
Published tuition is $6,980 for in-state students and $18,860 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $11,634 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $6,480 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 56% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $6,480 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for San Francisco State University
Most popular majors at San Francisco State University
The most popular undergraduate programs at San Francisco State University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. Across all programs, San Francisco State University confers roughly 2,864 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $65,494 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 655 | $65,494 |
| Psychology, General | 552 | $53,513 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 529 | $54,909 |
| Criminology | 399 | $42,026 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 231 | $57,456 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 177 | $113,245 |
| Sociology | 164 | $45,384 |
| Biology, General | 157 | $54,153 |
Is San Francisco State University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), San Francisco State University disclosed 198 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 9.2 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 11 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in California parents ask about
- Stanford University4% acceptance
- University of California-Berkeley12% acceptance
- University of California-Los Angeles9% acceptance
- University of Southern California10% acceptance
- University of California-Davis42% acceptance
- University of California-Irvine26% acceptance
- University of California-San Diego25% acceptance
- University of California-Santa Barbara63% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like San Francisco State University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like San Francisco State University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about San Francisco State University
What GPA do I need for San Francisco State University?
San Francisco State University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does San Francisco State University typically admit?
San Francisco State University does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does San Francisco State University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at San Francisco State University after grants and scholarships is $6,480 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is San Francisco State University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, San Francisco State University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at San Francisco State University?
San Francisco State University accepts about 96% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is San Francisco State University test-optional?
No. San Francisco State University requires SAT or ACT scores as part of a standard application.
Is San Francisco State University a public or private school, and where is it located?
San Francisco State University is a public institution located in Fresno, California.
What are the most popular majors at San Francisco State University?
The largest undergraduate majors at San Francisco State University by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Psychology, General and Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. The school awards about 2,864 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is San Francisco State University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
San Francisco State University reported 198 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 9.2 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by San Francisco State University, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.