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Programs & majors brief

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# San Francisco State University Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/san-francisco-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/san-francisco-state-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/san-francisco-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/san-francisco-state-university/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/san-francisco-state-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at SF State?

San Francisco State University awards bachelor's degrees across 48 fields with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 42 of them nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The highest-earning ranked program, Computer Science, shows a median of $105,166 four years after completion, alongside 293 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national field rank of #75.

Among the largest programs, Business Administration and Management reports median earnings of $73,775 with 1,314 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #53. Psychology earns $55,902 and ranks #70 nationally on 398 degrees awarded.

Criminal Justice reaches $63,764 with an Azimuth national rank of #14 and 266 degrees awarded.

### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

-   Business**1,375 · 22.6%**
-   Visual and performing arts**588 · 9.7%**
-   Communication**463 · 7.6%**
-   Social sciences**445 · 7.3%**
-   Biological sciences**403 · 6.6%**
-   Other**2,800 · 46.1%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

54 of 54 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 162 degrees awarded**
$150,102

**Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 38 degrees awarded**
$112,454

**Computer Science 293 degrees awarded**
$105,166

**Mechanical Engineering 75 degrees awarded**
$102,104

**Computer Engineering 38 degrees awarded**
$94,129

**Civil Engineering 65 degrees awarded**
$90,894

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs

Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks

| 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](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## What are the largest programs at SF State?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
1,314

**Psychology, General**
398

**Biology, General**
362

**Computer Science**
293

**Criminal Justice and Corrections**
266

**Communication and Media Studies**
264

**Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**
258

**Film/Video and Photographic Arts**
226

**Design and Applied Arts**
194

**Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness**
186

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do SF State majors rank nationally?

### National program rankings

1.  Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing**#3**
2.  East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics**#4**
3.  Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies**#7**
4.  Urban Studies/Affairs**#8**
5.  Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**#9**
6.  Communication Disorders Sciences and Services**#9**
7.  Nutrition Sciences**#10**
8.  Anthropology**#12**
9.  Criminal Justice and Corrections**#14**
10.  Radio, Television, and Digital Communication**#15**
11.  Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies**#15**
12.  Hospitality Administration/Management**#16**
13.  Biology, General**#18**
14.  Film/Video and Photographic Arts**#19**
15.  Apparel and Textiles**#20**
16.  Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology**#20**
17.  Design and Applied Arts**#23**
18.  Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering**#25**
19.  Geography and Cartography**#26**
20.  Sociology**#26**
21.  Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft**#26**
22.  Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General**#26**
23.  Natural Resources Conservation and Research**#34**
24.  International Relations and National Security Studies**#36**
25.  Civil Engineering**#39**
26.  Mechanical Engineering**#39**
27.  Journalism**#41**
28.  Communication and Media Studies**#44**
29.  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.

[How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).