San Francisco State University College Portrait
San Francisco State University1600 Holloway Avenue San Francisco, CA 94132
415-338-1111
San Francisco State University
A San Francisco State of Mind...
San Francisco State University, located in one of the world's most vibrant and beautiful cities, is a recognized leader in addressing issues both global and close to home. In the global arena, SF State enrolls the largest number of international students at any comprehensive university in the U.S. With a diverse range of students from almost every state and nearly 100 countries, the University community is a perfect setting for learning to succeed in a pluralistic society and global economy. SF State's pioneering commitment to community and civic engagement is prevalent throughout the curriculum. Nearly 300 courses combine academic study with community involvement, and our location in a center of business, technology and culture provides a laboratory for community-service projects, work-study opportunities and internships.
Living in the Gator Community
SF State is an arts and culture center, with hundreds of workshops, guest lectures and exhibits held throughout the year. Events and exhibits feature the work of students and faculty members as well as professionals from outside the University community. In addition, more than 200 clubs and organizations help students explore their interests and connect with others and many fraternities and sororities are active on campus. Intercollegiate sports for women are basketball, cross-country, indoor and outdoor track and field, soccer, softball and volleyball. For men, SF State offers baseball, basketball, cross-country, soccer and wrestling. Intramural leagues, tournaments and recreational activities include basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, swimming, bowling, ultimate frisbee, water polo, softball, badminton, tennis and flag football.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2011?
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| Total Students | 29,541 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 25,383 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 14,547 | 57% |
| Men | 10,836 | 43% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 83 | <1% |
| Asian | 6,933 | 27% |
| African American / Black | 1,248 | 5% |
| Hispanic | 5,183 | 20% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 171 | 1% |
| White | 6,880 | 27% |
| Two or More Races | 1,153 | 5% |
| International | 1,763 | 7% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 1,969 | 8% |
| Where do SF State undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| California | 93% |
| Other US States & Territories | 1% |
| Other Countries | 6% |
| How old are SF State undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 21% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2011)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 19 - 24 | |
| Math | 18 - 25 | 450 - 560 |
| English | 19 - 24 | |
| Critical Reading | 440 - 560 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top of graduating class Data Not Available | ||
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.15 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $25,086.00
Out-of-State & Other Costs
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The cost to attend San Francisco State University varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 44% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $7,444.00. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 42% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,470.00. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
SF State Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 25 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 46% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 79% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 863 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 48% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 40% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 8% |
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Campus-based Housing
48% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
12% of all undergraduates live on campus
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Campus Safety
The San Francisco State University Police Department is a diversified organization that provides professional law enforcement, parking, transportation and traffic coordination. The San Francisco State University Police Department is a pro-active, service-oriented agency trained to respond to the needs of the community. The Department is staffed and equipped to deliver professional, personalized protection, with pride, sensitivity, and integrity.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Medium full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Balanced arts & sciences/professions, high graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Single doctoral (other field)
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
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Student Activities and Involvement at SF State
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 92% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 49% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 16% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 84% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 13% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 41% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 46% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 11% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 96% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 91% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 61% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 57% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 93% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 44% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 73% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 95% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 66% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 67% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 92% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 63% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 70% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 73% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 76% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at San Francisco State University in 2010-11 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 5,712 |
| Master's | 1,547 |
| Doctoral | 37 |
| Total | 7,296 |
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| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2010-11 | |
|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 21% |
| Psychology, General | 7% |
| Communication and Media Studies | 4% |
| English Language and Literature, General | 4% |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 4% |
| Links to degree programs at San Francisco State University |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 89% four-year success and progress rate means that 89% of students starting in Fall 2005 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
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Counts for the Fall 2005 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 2,999 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 2,267 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2010 that returned for their second year: 81%
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Student Learning at San Francisco State University
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Academic Program Assessment was institutionalized as an academic priority at SF State with the 1999 Academic Senate policy on program assessment. In 2002 the Senate policy was revised to integrate four separate Academic Senate documents regarding assessment. Since that time, departments have developed assessment plans, and they report to the Office of Academic Planning and Educational Effectiveness regularly on progress toward enacting their plans. Each academic college has a faculty assessment coordinator who works directly with faculty on developing and implementing departmental assessment of student learning. Student learning results are reported in periodic departmental program reviews.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
2010 - 11 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is well above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1041
Senior Score: 1097
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 973
Senior Score: 929
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is well above what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1046
Senior Score: 1141
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 973
Senior Score: 929