First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | November 30, 2026 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: admissions.sdsu.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, in-state students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | San Diego State University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus BC | 3 | 7 MATH 141 and MATH 150 Satisfies freshmen…7 MATH 141 and MATH 150 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Biology | 3 | 6 BIOL 100, BIOL 100L and 2 units of BIOL 299 | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 CHEM 200 and CHEM 201 | |
| United States History | 3 | 6 HIST 109 and HIST 110 Satisfies American…6 HIST 109 and HIST 110 Satisfies American History/Institutions and Ideals, and U.S. Constitution requirements. Does not satisfy California Government requirement. | |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 PSY 101 | |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 STAT 250 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 CS 299 | |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 ECON 101 |
Show all 38 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus BC | 3 | 7 MATH 141 and MATH 150 Satisfies freshmen…7 MATH 141 and MATH 150 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Biology | 3 | 6 BIOL 100, BIOL 100L and 2 units of BIOL 299 | |
| Chemistry | 3 | 6 CHEM 200 and CHEM 201 | |
| United States History | 3 | 6 HIST 109 and HIST 110 Satisfies American…6 HIST 109 and HIST 110 Satisfies American History/Institutions and Ideals, and U.S. Constitution requirements. Does not satisfy California Government requirement. | |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 PSY 101 | |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 STAT 250 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 CS 299 | |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 ECON 101 | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 ECON 102 | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 HIST 101 | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 ENV S 100 and 1 unit of ENV S 299 Satisfies…4 ENV S 100 and 1 unit of ENV S 299 Satisfies Foundations of Learning Physical Sciences and Laboratory. | |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 6 SPAN 201 and SPAN 211 Satisfies the language requirement. | |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 6 CS 100 and CS 299 Satisfies freshmen…6 CS 100 and CS 299 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Art History | 3 | 6 ART 258 and ART 259 | |
| Music Theory | 1 | 3, 4, 5 4 PHYS 180A and PHYS 182A | |
| Music Theory | 2 | 3, 4, 5 4 PHYS 180B and PHYS 182B | |
| Music Theory | 3 | 6 MUSIC 105 and MUSIC 299** | |
| Music Theory | 4 | 6 MUSIC 105 and MUSIC 205A** | |
| 2D Art and Design | 3 | 3 ART 101 | |
| 3D Art and Design | 3 | 3 ART 103 | |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 AFRAS 170A Does not satisfy American…3 AFRAS 170A Does not satisfy American Institutions-California Government requirement. | |
| Art Drawing | 3 | 3 ART 100 | |
| C (Electricity and Magnetism) | 3 | 4 PHYS 196 and PHYS 196L | |
| C (Mechanics) | 3 | 4 PHYS 195 and PHYS 195L | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 CHIN 202 and 1 unit of CHIN 296 Satisfies the…6 CHIN 202 and 1 unit of CHIN 296 Satisfies the language requirement. | |
| Classics Latin | 3 | 6 CLASS 202L | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 3 POL S 103 POL S 299 | |
| English Lang. and Comp | 3 | 6 RWS 100 and 3 units of RWS 299 Satisfies…6 RWS 100 and 3 units of RWS 299 Satisfies freshmen writing competency. | |
| European | 3 | 6 HIST 106 and 3 units of HIST 299 | |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 FRENC 201 and FRENC 210 Satisfies the language…6 FRENC 201 and FRENC 210 Satisfies the language requirement. | |
| Geography Human Geography | 3 | 3 GEOG 102 | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 GERMN 202 Satisfies the language requirement. | |
| Govt./Politics: United States | 3 | 3 3 POL S 102 POL S 299 Satisfies U.S…3 3 POL S 102 POL S 299 Satisfies U.S. Constitution requirement. Does not satisfy California Government requirement. | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 6 ITAL 201 Satisfies the language requirement. | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 6 JAPAN 111 and JAPAN 112 | |
| Lit. and Comp | 3 | 6 RWS 100 and ECL 299 Satisfies freshmen writing…6 RWS 100 and ECL 299 Satisfies freshmen writing competency and Foundations of Learning: Arts and Humanities, Humanities. | |
| Mathematics Calculus AB/AB Subscore | 3 | 6 MATH 120 and MATH 141 Satisfies freshmen…6 MATH 120 and MATH 141 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Precalculus | 3 | 4 MATH 141 Satisfies freshmen mathematics competency. | |
| Research | 3 | 3 GEN S 299 | |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 GEN S 299 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 6 SPAN 395 and SPAN 401 |
Source: catalog.sdsu.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | 2,156 |
| Psychology | 669 |
| Criminal Justice/Safety Studies | 542 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 405 |
| Speech Communication and Rhetoric | 300 |
| Art/Art Studies | 278 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 260 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 252 |
Show the other 70 majors
| Computer Science | 219 |
| Economics | 200 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 200 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 186 |
| Public Health | 170 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 169 |
| Sociology | 155 |
| Civil Engineering | 144 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 140 |
| Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist | 139 |
| Political Science and Government | 127 |
| English Language and Literature | 122 |
| Journalism | 119 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 104 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 101 |
| International Business/Trade/Commerce | 100 |
| History | 89 |
| Radio and Television | 84 |
| Social Work | 78 |
| Computer Engineering | 70 |
| Environmental Studies | 64 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 62 |
| Nutrition Sciences | 60 |
| Music Performance | 57 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 57 |
| Public Administration | 52 |
| Anthropology | 47 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 45 |
| Chemistry | 43 |
| Social Sciences | 42 |
| Geography | 41 |
| Health Communication | 37 |
| Environmental Science | 32 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 30 |
| Microbiology | 29 |
| Mathematics | 27 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies, Other | 27 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | 23 |
| Statistics | 22 |
| Philosophy | 21 |
| Physics | 19 |
| Applied Mathematics | 19 |
| Construction Engineering Technology/Technician | 17 |
| Linguistics | 14 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | 14 |
| Construction Management | 14 |
| Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies | 12 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 10 |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 9 |
| Music | 8 |
| Humanities/Humanistic Studies | 8 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other | 7 |
| Women's Studies | 7 |
| Dance | 6 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 6 |
| Astronomy | 6 |
| Linguistics and Anthropology | 6 |
| Comparative Literature | 6 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 5 |
| Writing | 4 |
| Gerontology | 4 |
| Musical Theatre | 2 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 2 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 |
| French Language and Literature | 2 |
| Latin American Studies | 2 |
| Athletic Training/Trainer | 1 |
| Atomic/Molecular Physics | 1 |
| Jewish/Judaic Studies | 1 |
| Russian Language and Literature | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where San Diego State University ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #6 for Hospitality managementof 50 colleges
- #20 for Speech-language pathologyof 50 colleges
Scholarships
Amounts and eligibility change; check the college’s page for current details.
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Mountain West Conference
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Soccer, Tennis
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, Mountain West Conference
Basketball, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball, Water Polo
ROTC
Air Force, Army, Navy
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection, Ratio Christi
Also
Honors college, Study abroad
Greek life
16% of men in fraternities · 12% of women in sororities · 14% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2025–26)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), hillel.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, large
Federal locale classification
Metro area
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
3,298,799 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
San Diego International (SAN)
Nearest hub airport
San Diego International (SAN)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 14.5 of 20
Elevation
433 ft
Time zone
Pacific
January low
46°F
July high
80°F
Annual snowfall
0.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
16 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$2,330 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- National University5 mi
- University of San Diego7 mi
- San Diego Christian College7 mi
- Point Loma Nazarene University11 mi
- University of California-San Diego12 mi
- John Paul the Great Catholic University24 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Public, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- University of North Texas33,858 students
- California State University-Long Beach34,243 students
- University of California-San Diego33,792 students
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor33,730 students
- Texas State University34,547 students
- The University of Alabama33,435 students