Programs & majors brief
San Francisco State University Majors & Programs
Which majors earn the most at SF State?
54 of 54 programs shown
Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.
Compare all matching programs
| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 162 | $150,102 | #3 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 38 | $112,454 | #25 |
| Computer Science | 293 | $105,166 | #75 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 75 | $102,104 | #39 |
| Computer Engineering | 38 | $94,129 | #95 |
| Civil Engineering | 65 | $90,894 | #39 |
| Economics | 58 | $82,697 | #87 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 41 | $76,134 | #20 |
| Human Resources Management and Services small degree count | 8 | $75,207 | — |
| Biology, General | 362 | $74,204 | #18 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,314 | $73,775 | #53 |
| Mathematics | 22 | $71,323 | #113 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 51 | $70,532 | #9 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 27 | $70,207 | #8 |
| Social Work | 28 | $68,524 | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 58 | $65,775 | #36 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 53 | $65,510 | #16 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | 92 | $65,252 | #26 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 266 | $63,764 | #14 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 264 | $63,731 | #44 |
| Geography and Cartography | 26 | $63,590 | #26 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 18 | $62,623 | — |
| Sociology | 122 | $62,385 | #26 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 49 | $62,116 | #34 |
| Political Science and Government | 117 | $61,915 | #121 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 110 | $61,895 | #10 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 29 | $61,603 | #4 |
| Anthropology | 37 | $61,300 | #12 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 258 | $59,993 | #9 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 117 | $59,990 | #7 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 194 | $59,678 | #23 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 186 | $59,056 | #54 |
| History | 61 | $58,717 | #51 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 97 | $58,617 | #51 |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 157 | $58,550 | #15 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General small degree count | 5 | $58,530 | — |
| Journalism | 42 | $57,260 | #41 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 143 | $56,297 | #46 |
| Psychology, General | 398 | $55,902 | #70 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 28 | $55,212 | #15 |
| Apparel and Textiles | 57 | $53,575 | #20 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count | 6 | $48,959 | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 226 | $47,149 | #19 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 30 | $44,848 | #26 |
| Dance small degree count | 8 | $44,627 | — |
| Philosophy | 41 | $42,993 | #60 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 104 | $42,868 | #85 |
| Music | 26 | $38,639 | #123 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics small degree count | 6 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Applied Mathematics small degree count | 12 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Statistics small degree count | 9 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Chemistry small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Physics small degree count | 16 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences small degree count | 8 | Too few graduates to report | — |
Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings
What are the largest programs at SF State?
Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions
How do SF State majors rank nationally?
National program rankings
- Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing#3
- East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics#4
- Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies#7
- Urban Studies/Affairs#8
- Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods#9
- Communication Disorders Sciences and Services#9
- Nutrition Sciences#10
- Anthropology#12
- Criminal Justice and Corrections#14
- Radio, Television, and Digital Communication#15
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies#15
- Hospitality Administration/Management#16
- Biology, General#18
- Film/Video and Photographic Arts#19
- Apparel and Textiles#20
- Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology#20
- Design and Applied Arts#23
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering#25
- Geography and Cartography#26
- Sociology#26
- Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft#26
- Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General#26
- Natural Resources Conservation and Research#34
- International Relations and National Security Studies#36
- Civil Engineering#39
- Mechanical Engineering#39
- Journalism#41
- Communication and Media Studies#44
- English Language and Literature, General#46
Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.
Further analysis
Azimuth evaluates bachelor's programs on four-year earnings among federally aided completers, debt, and cohort size rather than reputation, and outcomes at San Francisco State University diverge by field. Earnings data cover 48 bachelor's programs, and 42 of them hold an Azimuth national rank.
The largest family is Business at 22.6% of degrees awarded, then Visual & Performing Arts at 9.7% and Communication & Journalism at 7.6%. Business Administration and Management is the largest program, at 1,314 degrees awarded a year.
Azimuth ranks it #53 nationally and #10 in California; graduates earn a median of $73,775 four years after completion. Nursing is the highest-earning program, at $150,102 from 162 degrees awarded.
Nursing ranks #3 nationally, with 162 degrees awarded and median earnings of $150,102.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.