San Jose State University
San Jose, CA · Public · Large city · SJSU
Public institution in San Jose, CA · 26,757 undergraduates · 80% acceptance rate · $78,988 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 3%Undergraduates
- Top 8%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 11%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 17%Median graduate debt
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $13,741566th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $7,992360th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $19,872846th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $25,695730th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $15,000309th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $78,988148th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $62,448205th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 64.6%602nd highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 86.4%366th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 80.2%904th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 26,75769th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,696th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 35.4%912th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 34 mi (SFO)
On 7 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 90 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $99,251 | $92,277 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $87,420 | $78,074 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $77,567 | $73,720 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $77,536 | $74,953 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $74,702 | $74,845 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $72,022 | $63,600 |
| Industrial EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $69,338 | $61,020 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $66,077 | $68,219 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,990 | $55,512 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $64,196 | $62,489 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $61,516 | $53,358 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $59,390 | $57,318 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1857source
- Athletic nickname: "Spartans"source
- CEFCU Stadium seats about 30,456source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Blue and Goldsource
- Mascot: Sammy Spartansource
- Motto: ""Powering Silicon Valley""source
- Campus size: about 154 acressource
- Formerly known as "Minns' Evening Normal School" (1857–1862)source
- Formerly known as "California State Normal School" (1862–1921)source
- Formerly known as "San Jose State Teachers College" (1921–1935)source
- Formerly known as "San Jose State College" (1935–1972)source
- Formerly known as "California State University, San Jose" (1972–1974)source
- Athletic conference: FBSsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A space-grant]]}} institutionsource
- Plays for the "Valley Trophy" (since 1921)source
- Football rivalry: Bill Walsh Legacy Game (since 1900)source
- Plays for the "Dick Tomey Legacy Trophy" (since 1936)source
- Plays for the "Victory Bell" (since 1895)source
- Fight song: ""San Jose State Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Dian Fosseysource
- Notable alum: Stevie Nickssource
- Notable alum: Gordon Mooresource
- Notable alum: Lou Henry Hooversource
- Notable alum: Amy Tansource
Athletics — 13 sports
NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $9,219,564 (M $5,204,902 · W $4,014,662)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to San Jose State University’s 26,757 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In CA
- California State University-SacramentoSacramento, CA · 27,867 undergrads
- California State Polytechnic University-PomonaPomona, CA · 24,271 undergrads
- University of California-IrvineIrvine, CA · 29,494 undergrads
- Ashford UniversitySan Diego, CA · 23,734 undergrads
- University of California-Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · 23,205 undergrads
- University of California-RiversideRiverside, CA · 22,644 undergrads
Elsewhere
- The University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyEdinburg, TX · 27,026 undergrads
- George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA · 27,083 undergrads
- Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA · 27,109 undergrads
- North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh, NC · 26,389 undergrads
- University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR · 27,312 undergrads
- University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT · 26,041 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitesjsu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 122755)
- Compare colleges in CARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in CaliforniaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with California State University-SacramentoSide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: San Jose State University vs California State University-SacramentoHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 13 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.