The mission of San Francisco State University is to create and maintain an environment for learning that promotes respect for and appreciation of scholarship, freedom, human diversity, and the cultural mosaic of the City of San Francisco and the Bay Area; to promote excellence in instruction and intellectual accomplishment.
- #1201 Ranking
- 117 Bachelors
- 691 Academic Staff
- 27,075 Students
- 1,760 Students (int'l)
- 13,310 Students (female)
- Public Institution Type
Top reasons to study here
- From your first steps on campus, you’ll be encouraged to speak up, step out and immerse yourself in all the opportunities SFSU can bring.
- Numerous graduates also go on to earn doctorates, including at prestigious universities such as Stanford, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT.
- San Francisco State ranks fourth nationally among master’s level colleges and universities for the total number of graduates who go on to Ph.D. programs.
Bachelor's programmes
Humanities (38)
- B.A. Africana Studies
- B.A. American Studies
- B.A. Anthropology
- B.A. Art History
- Bachelor Bilingual Spanish Journalism
- Bachelor Bilingual Spanish Journalism
- B.A. Cinema
- B.A. Classics
- Bachelor Computational Linguistics
- B.A. Creative Writing
- B.A. Dance
- Bachelor English Education
- Bachelor English-Concentration in Literature
- B.A. Ethnic Studies
- B.A. French
- B.A. German
- B.A. History
- B.A. Humanities
- B.A. Italian
- B.A. Japanese
- B.A. Liberal Studies
- B.A. Music
- BMus Music
- B.A. Philosophy
- B.A. Spanish
- B.A. Theatre Arts
Social Sciences (34)
- B.A. Africana Studies
- B.A. American Studies
- B.A. Anthropology
- Bachelor Arts in Asian American Studies
- B.A. Classics
- B.A. Economics
- B.Sc. Environmental Science
- B.A. Ethnic Studies
- B.A. French
- B.A. Geography
- B.A. German
- B.A. History
- B.A. Humanities
- B.A. Italian
- B.A. Japanese
- B.A. Political Science
- B.A. Psychology
- B.A. Sociology
- B.A. Spanish
Natural Sciences & Mathematics (25)
- B.Sc. Applied Mathematics
- B.A. Applied Mathematics
- B.Sc. Biochemistry
- Bachelor Biology-Concentration in Physiology
- B.A. Chemistry
- B.Sc. Chemistry
- B.Sc. Civil Engineering
- B.A. Economics
- B.Sc. Electrical Engineering
- B.A. General Biology
- B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering
- B.A. Physics
- B.Sc. Physics
- Bachelor Physics-Concentration in Astronomy
- B.Sc. Statistics
Business & Management (15)
- B.Sc. Applied Mathematics
- B.Sc. Statistics
Arts, Design & Architecture (14)
- B.A. Art History
- B.A. Cinema
- B.A. Dance
- B.Sc. Interior Design
- BMus Music
- B.A. Music
- B.A. Theatre Arts
Education & Training (10)
- B.Sc. Health Education
- B.A. Liberal Studies
- B.A. Psychology
Engineering & Technology (8)
- B.Sc. Civil Engineering
- B.Sc. Computer Engineering
- B.Sc. Electrical Engineering
- Bachelor Electrical Engineering
- B.Sc. Mechanical Engineering
- Bachelor Mechanical Engineering
- Bachelor Science in Civil Engineering
- Bachelor Science in Electrical Engineering
Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences (7)
- Bachelor Arts in Earth Sciences
- B.A. Earth Sciences
- B.Sc. Earth Sciences
- B.Sc. Environmental Science
Journalism & Media (6)
Computer Science & IT (5)
- B.Sc. Computer Engineering
- Bachelor Computer Engineering
- B.Sc. Computer Science
- B.A. Geography
Applied Sciences & Professions (3)
Law (3)
Medicine & Health (3)
Hospitality, Leisure & Sports (2)
About
History
The history of San Francisco State University contributes unique elements to its mission. The University existed solely as a teacher training institution from 1899 to 1935, first as a normal school, then as a teachers' college. Although officially a liberal arts college after 1935, and a university since 1972.
Education
San Francisco State was ranked in the top 25 for U.S. universities on Payscale and CollegeNet’s Social Mobility Index. That means we’re among the best at making it affordable for our students to graduate and obtain good-paying jobs. Our graduates are now leaders in fields from journalism, creative writing and film to technology, science, business, government and education.
Research
The mission of the Office of Institutional Research (IR) at San Francisco State University is to provide information, data and analysis in a timely manner to better inform decision making at all levels of the University and to satisfy external reporting requirements and needs.
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2021
GSSA 2021
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2021. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 8 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
University Ranking
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2023
1222 -47
2022
1175 -86
2021
1089
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2023
1201
2022
-
2021
-
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
Services
Housing services
On-campus housing at San Francisco State University is limited and in high demand. While living on campus is not required, it is also not guaranteed and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The Housing Office highly recommends students submit their housing as soon as possible to increase their chances of obtaining a space and to avoid being put on the wait list.
Library services
The mission of the J. Paul Leonard Library is to empower its University constituency with lifelong learning skills to identify, find, evaluate, use and communicate information in promotion of excellence in scholarship, knowledge and understanding.
ICT services
Academic Technology (AT) supports Academic Affairs units, colleges, departments, instructors and students wherever teaching, learning and research happens, and serves as the central information technology (IT) unit for Academic Affairs at SF State.
Student Life
Campus life
Our world-class academics, vibrant campus life and unique urban setting draw students from across California, the nation and the world. Take our virtual tour and see for yourself.
Sports facilities
The new Mashouf Wellness Center offers activities, recreation and a wellness program. It’s already a major campus social hub.
The San Francisco State Gators compete in the NCAA II, CCAA and RMAC conferences with both women’s and men’s athletic teams.
Student clubs
Whatever your interest, there’s a student organization dedicated to it here. We have more than 200 on-campus clubs, plus many student activities including workshops, career fairs, concerts, cultural events, spirit days, movie nights and more.
Accreditation
SF State is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
Student Reviews
SFSU
Anonymous rated 3 out of 5 stars
The campus offered a lot but the school failed to offer career oriented software that is vital for your field
Econ SFSU
Anonymous rated 4 out of 5 stars
It had adequate assistance but there could be more economic electives available
Criminal Justice Review
B Bates rated 3 out of 5 stars
I have not learned much yet considering i’m only a sophomore, but i hear great things about the program and i am excited to start taking classes that interest me.
Other programmes from this university
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