Top Ranked Programs
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. ```