San Diego State University

San Diego State University lists a published cost of attendance of $27,780, an average across living arrangements. In-state tuition and fees are $8,728, and out-of-state are $21,328.

Room and board adds $23,030. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported estimated books and supplies of $1,014, transportation of $1,216, and other expenses of $2,566.

The average net price for aid recipients is $15,364, which is below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $270. That net price reflects an average aid offset of $12,416 against the sticker total.

Azimuth ranks the university #214 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

San Diego State University publishes a cost of attendance of $27,780, an average across living arrangements. In-state tuition is $8,728 and out-of-state tuition is $21,328.

For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $9,910. The average net price for families earning $48,001–$75,000 is $12,697, and for families earning over $110,000 it is $23,821.

Azimuth ranks the university #214 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Financial aid reduces the sticker price by an average of $12,416, bringing the average net price for first-time full-time Title IV aid recipients to $15,364.

The median net price at comparable institutions (same type and size) is $15,634, which places San Diego State University below that figure by $270. The median federal student debt at completion is $15,000.

About 59.8% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. The median debt is below the peer median of $20,076 by $5,076.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing stands at $25,565. If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment on the median federal debt is $170.

Azimuth places the return pillar for San Diego State University at the 55th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $21 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, a result in the 54th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,945. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,966.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,017. Four years after completion, the median earnings for completers reach $68,268, which lands in the 73rd percentile nationally.

Compared with the peer median of $65,610 among comparable institutions (same type and size), the university sits above by $2,658.

Four years after completion, the median earnings of San Diego State University graduates stand at $68,268, placing the university in the 73rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the median of $65,610 at comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,658, and it reflects a cohort of 8,479 completers.

Graduates earn about $21 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings scenarios, which are anchored on the university's program mix, sketch a typical outcome of $68,268, a downside scenario of $49,071, and an upside scenario of $90,895.

An estimated 28.8% of programs' graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the program mix rather than observed enrollment.

Four years after completion, graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of $68,268, at the 73rd percentile nationally. That is above the median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $2,658.

Graduates earn about $21 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, at the 54th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $4,945.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $4,966. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,017.

Azimuth ranks the university #665 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix show a downside of $49,071 and an upside of $90,895.

The largest program, Business Administration and Management, awarded 1,875 degrees and shows median earnings of $69,902 four years after completion, ranking #68 nationally in its field in Azimuth. Nursing, with 212 degrees awarded and a median of $120,799, is 1.36x the national median for the field and ranks #19 nationally.

Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering ranks #4 nationally in its field, with 38 degrees awarded and median earnings of $88,417. Computer Engineering follows with 116 degrees awarded and median earnings of $116,842.

Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide range: a downside of $49,071 and an upside of $90,895. These are not observed groups of graduates.

The upper end is led by Nursing, where graduates earn a median of $120,799 four years after completion. Computer Engineering follows at $116,842, and Electrical Engineering follows at $106,416.

The median federal student debt for borrowers who complete a degree at San Diego State University is $15,000. That figure is below the median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

If repaid over ten years, the estimated monthly payment on that debt is $170. Parent PLUS borrowers, a separate population, carry a median of $25,565.

The university's average net price of $15,364 sits below the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $9,910, and the spread between the lowest and highest income bands is $13,911.

These costs coincide with a six-year graduation rate of 76.4% and a first-year retention rate of 90.6%, both well above the peer medians of 65.0% and 83.1%. Graduates earn about $21 less than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

Azimuth ranks the university #36 among nonprofit four-year institutions, with a mobility pillar in the 98th percentile and an access pillar in the 96th percentile. The affordability pillar sits in the 85th percentile, while the return pillar lands in the 55th percentile.

San Diego State University admits 36.2% of applicants, well below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 95,444 applicants, 35,709 admitted, and 6,911 enrolled.

Nursing leads San Diego State University's ranked programs with a median of $120,799 four years after completion, 212 degrees awarded, and an Azimuth national rank of #19. Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering follow at $116,842 and $106,416, with 116 and 106 degrees awarded respectively.

Among the largest programs, Business Administration and Management accounts for 1,875 degrees awarded and a median of $69,902, ranking #68 nationally. Kinesiology and Physical Education reaches $59,914 and an Azimuth national rank of #39 on 406 degrees, while Psychology sits at $51,021 with a national rank of #114.

San Diego State University offers 51 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data published for 53 fields. Two programs stand out for their national standing: Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering and Microbiological Sciences and Immunology each hold an Azimuth rank of #4 within their fields.

Microbiological Sciences and Immunology is smaller, with 25 degrees awarded, and its graduates earn a median of $81,122. The largest program by degrees awarded is Business Administration and Management, which granted 1,875 degrees and ranks #68 nationally.

Its completers earn a median of $69,902 four years after graduating. Nursing is the highest-earning program, with a median of $120,799 and 212 degrees awarded, followed by Computer Engineering at $116,842.

San Diego State University awards bachelor's degrees across a wide set of fields, with 51 programs earning an Azimuth national rank and 53 carrying published four-year earnings data. The degree mix is led by Business, which accounts for 22.7% of degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 8.9% and Psychology at 7.8%.

The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 1,875 degrees awarded, with Psychology next at 699 degrees awarded and Criminal Justice at 417 degrees awarded. The strongest programs by national rank are concentrated in technical and scientific fields.

Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering awards 38 degrees and has median earnings of $88,417 four years after completion; it ranks #2 in California within its field. Microbiological Sciences and Immunology ranks #4 nationally and #3 in California within its field, from 25 degrees awarded.

Nursing is both the highest-earning program at $120,799 and a top-ranked one, with a benchmark ratio of 1.36x against the national median for its field. Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences rounds out the top-ranked programs at #9 nationally within its field, with 21 degrees awarded.

The pattern is one of strength spread across several applied fields rather than concentrated in a single department. The largest program, Business Administration and Management, earns a benchmark ratio of 1.02x and ranks #68 nationally within its field.

The highest-earning programs are in engineering and nursing. Four-year earnings figures may understate later trajectories for graduates who pursue advanced credentials. Across all fields, 16.2% of degrees awarded are in STEM.