San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University's published cost of attendance is $26,488, but need-based aid reshapes what families actually pay. Low-income families see a net price of approximately $9,341, middle-income families pay around $11,825, and higher-income families pay approximately $22,523.

Azimuth ranks San Francisco State University #118 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

For a fuller picture of how sticker price and net price diverge, see the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/). San Francisco State participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, including Pell Grants, Cal Grants, and Direct Loans.

As a California public university, the institution benefits from one of the country's more robust state-grant systems, which meaningfully reduces out-of-pocket costs for lower-income California residents. Families apply for need-based aid using the FAFSA or the California Dream Act Application, and aid packages typically combine grants, work-study, and loans in proportions that vary by household income and dependency status.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $15,371, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $19,732; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $67,804, median federal debt of $15,371 projects to a monthly payment of about $174 under standard ten-year repayment.

For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of San Francisco State University earn median earnings of $67,804 four years after enrollment, placing San Francisco State University in the 71.7 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $17,968 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 94.5 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to CA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,672 (the state median earnings of working adults without a college credential).

Business is the dominant program family, accounting for 23% of degrees, followed by Arts at 10% and Social Sciences at 7%. Business Administration combines large cohort scale with solid earnings, anchoring the institution's aggregate return story.

Azimuth ranks Business Administration #45 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 1,314 graduates earning median earnings of $73,775. The Psychology, General program graduates 398 students with median earnings of $55,902, and Azimuth ranks Biology, General #23 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 362 graduates earning median earnings of $74,204.

Computer Science and Criminal Justice round out the top programs, graduating 293 and 266 students respectively, with median earnings of $105,166 and $63,764.

San Francisco State University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 23% of degree output, followed by Arts at 10% and Social Sciences at 7%. That distribution reflects the university's applied-professional orientation — a portfolio shaped by San Francisco's diversified labor market in finance, healthcare, media, and public-sector services.

Business Administration is the largest program with 1,314 graduates, and it doubles as the institution's strongest aggregate-return major, combining high enrollment with median earnings of $73,775 four years after enrollment. Among the highest-earning programs, Computer Science leads with median earnings of $105,166 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #70 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Biology, General follows with median earnings of $74,204, and Azimuth ranks it #23 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration graduates 1,314 students annually with median earnings of $73,775, and Azimuth ranks the program #45 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

These programs represent the clearest high-return pathways at San Francisco State University, [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). The broader program portfolio spans 54 programs serving roughly 6,074 students annually, with 44 meeting Azimuth's ranking threshold.

Several of the largest programs — Psychology, General (398 graduates, median earnings of $55,902) and Biology, General (362 graduates, median earnings of $74,204) — are grad-school-dependent pathways where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to graduate or professional school. Programs like Criminal Justice (median earnings of $63,764) and Communication and Media Studies (median earnings of $63,731) represent high-mobility direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings more closely reflect labor-market outcomes.

The [supply-demand map](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national wage trends. ```