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San Jose , CA
San Jose State University (SJSU) is a public university located in downtown San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast. The university offers more than 145 areas of study through its eight colleges, which include business, engineering, health and human sciences, and social sciences. With a strong focus on innovation and entrepreneurship, SJSU provides students with numerous opportunities for experiential learning, industry partnerships, and research collaborations.
SJSU is known for its diverse student body and welcoming campus community. With a total enrollment of over 36,000 students, it offers a vibrant multicultural environment where students from various backgrounds can thrive. The university is also renowned for its leading programs in fields such as engineering, computer science, business, and journalism. Additionally, students have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including research centers, laboratories, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, which is the largest library in the region.
Apart from its strong academic reputation, SJSU also offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and organizations, enabling students to develop leadership skills, engage in community service, and pursue their interests outside the classroom. The university's location in the heart of Silicon Valley provides students with excellent internship and job opportunities in the thriving tech industry. With its commitment to providing a comprehensive education, fostering innovation, and preparing students for successful careers, San Jose State University continues to be a top choice for students seeking a dynamic and well-rounded higher education experience.
San Jose State University is a public four-year college located in San Jose, CA and set in an urban environment. This school follows a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 84%. The freshman retention rate at San Jose State University is 86.79% and the six-year graduation rate is 69%.
The freshmen application deadline for this school is November 30. The transfer application deadline is December 2.
Learn more about what San Jose State University has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.
Quick Facts
28,008
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
26:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
69%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
Discovering as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission improves your chances of getting admitted. Read on to find out some essential data about admission policy and requirements at San Jose State University.
In 2025, the school accepted 31,419 new students.
Test Scores
16% of the first-year students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 32% between 1,200 and 1,399, 38% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 13% between 800 and 999. The percent of first-year students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 27, 53 between 24-29, 13 in the range between 18-23, and 7 between 12-17.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 3.53. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into San Jose State University.
Deadlines
The cutoff date for submitting applications to San Jose State University is November 30. If you are applying for a transfer, the application deadline is December 2.
Retention Rate
What is the freshman retention rate? The freshman retention rate is the percentage of full-time students who entered the institution as freshmen in the previous academic year and returned for the fall term of the current academic year. Why is that metric important? Because it tells you if the majority of freshmen enjoyed their first year at a school enough to come back.
The freshman retention rate for San Jose State University was 86.79% in 2025, reflecting the superb quality of the educational programs at this institution.
Another important metric to consider is the graduation rate. This rate indicates how many students finish their degrees within a certain timeframe. At this academic institution, the proportion of students graduating in six years is 69%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
It is never easy to figure out which school is the right fit for you. Gaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
The overall number of students enrolled at San Jose State University in 2025 was 37,661.
That year, the institution had an out-of-state student body percentage of 1. There was a total of 28,008 undergrad students, including 1,395 international students. The school reported to have a total of 3,351 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
With a coeducational student body, the school had 13,609 male and 13,978 female full-time students in 2025.
Student Population Diversity
When it comes to improving a sense of inclusion and belonging among students, there is no denying the importance of student diversity. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.
This school had 10,686 Asian students and 975 Afro-American students in 2025. 8,696 undergraduates at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 1,484 identified with more than one race. The school also had 128 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 19 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 1,208 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before sending an application to any college or university, the financial component should be taken into account. Here are some data on the expenses that most students at this school have.
Tuition and Fees
If you were wondering how much the tuition cost for San Jose State University is, here are some recent data that will come in handy.
For the students who live in the area, the tuition cost was $6,450, as reported by public county or municipal institutions. For students who don't live in the state in which the university is located, the tuition was $19,770 in 2025. For international students, tuition fees at this school were $19,770, as well. Fees per academic year required of full-time students totaled $2,396 in 2025.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $19,770 | $2,396 | $22,166 |
| In-State | $6,450 | $2,396 | $8,846 |
Books and Supplies
Another important financial factor to take into consideration is the estimated cost of books and supplies for a college or university. The estimated cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $958.
Boarding
Before you apply to a college or university, you should, among other things, think about the price of a dorm room and cafeteria meals. How much do room and board fees average around at schools?
At San Jose State University, the 2025 annual cost of room and board (on campus) was $18,418. If you only wanted a room on the campus, it cost $11,332 for the 2025 academic year.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 6,450 |
| Room and Board | $ 18,418 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 958 |
| Total Expense | $ 25,826 |
Financial Aid
Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all different types of financial help for students. If you want to find out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at San Jose State University, here are some recent data you should take into consideration.
According to the most recent data, 2,426 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $15,813.
Need-based
Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.
12,060 students were awarded some form of need-based financial aid. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at San Jose State University is available to international students. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need came to be 12,585. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution totaled $63,737,408, and state $96,844,296.
$3,323
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.
Institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants were given to 10,830 students overall (including freshmen) at San Jose State University in 2025. Institutional help in the form of non-need-based scholarships or grants was given to 2,315 full-time freshmen. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $642,356. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers.
Majors
Faculty
26:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Knowing more about a school's faculty can help you gauge the caliber of the education it can provide to you.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at San Jose State University was 26:1: that means 26 students per one teacher. According to the most recent information, there are 1,874 teachers at this school. This number included 863 male and 1,000 female faculty members. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school is telling of the importance gender equality has at San Jose State University.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Knowing what to expect out of campus life at a college or university can set you up for success. Find out some details about campus life at San Jose State University.
Its campus is 154 acres in size.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
That includes sororities and fraternities. If you are interested in music, you can join the San Jose State University band or chorus. There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you. Interested in media and communication? San Jose State University publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
FAQ
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San Jose State University is located in San Jose, CA.
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San Jose State University offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for San Jose State University is 84%.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for San Jose State University is 86.79%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.