San Jose State acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
San Jose State University · Public · San Jose, CA · 27,111 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
San Jose State admitted 80.2% of applicants for fall 2023, up from 63.5% in 2013. California residents pay $8,846 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $22,166.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
Show as table
| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 63.5% | 25,155 | 15,967 |
| 2014 | 59.8% | 29,738 | 17,797 |
| 2015 | 55.2% | 30,584 | 16,890 |
| 2016 | 53.4% | 31,555 | 16,862 |
| 2017 | 66.9% | 31,909 | 21,340 |
| 2018 | 54.7% | 36,243 | 19,811 |
| 2019 | 63.6% | 35,307 | 22,446 |
| 2020 | 67.4% | 32,375 | 21,810 |
| 2021 | 84.4% | 30,441 | 25,682 |
| 2022 | 76.7% | 34,002 | 26,083 |
| 2023 | 80.2% | 35,780 | 28,708 |
Applications went from 25,155 in fall 2013 to 35,780 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
Show as table
| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $10,381 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,669 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,135 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,813 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,449 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $8,846 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $22,166 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $28,920 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $14,241 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
Similar public colleges
| College | Admit rate | Tuition and fees |
|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly Pomona CA | 73.7% | $8,147 in-state |
| CSUF CA | 86.7% | $7,952 in-state |
| CSUDH CA | 91.3% | $7,853 in-state |
Same state and type first, then the nearest admit rate. Fall 2023 and 2025-26 figures.
What the numbers say
The fall 2023 applicant pool at San Jose State numbered 35,780, and 28,708 of those applicants received an offer, so the admit rate was 80.2%.1 In 2013 the rate was 63.5%, so it has risen by 16.7 percentage points, with a peak of 84.4% in 2021.1 Year to year it was mixed, declining in 5 of the 10 changes.1 Over the decade, admits climbed 80%, from 15,967 to 28,708, far ahead of the 42% growth in applications.1
The college is test-blind, so IPEDS lists no SAT or ACT scores for fall 2023.1
California residents pay $8,846 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, matching the median of the 33 public bachelor's colleges in the state, and nonresidents pay $22,166.2 Grants bring the 2024-25 average net price to $10,381 for families earning $0 to $30,000 and $12,135 for $48,001 to $75,000, rising to $24,449 above $110,000.2 The lowest income band pays more than the $6,973 median for that band across California public colleges.2
Completion within 6 years for the 2019 entering group was 68%, and 123 California bachelor's colleges have a median of 60%.2 Retention was 87% for the fall 2023 class.2 Former students earned a median of $83,493 in 2022-23, and graduates with federal loans had a median debt of $14,750.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 35,780 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 28,708 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 4,520 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 27,111 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $8,846 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $22,166 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $28,920 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $14,241 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $10,381 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $10,669 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,135 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,813 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $24,449 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 68% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 87% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 39% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $83,493 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $14,750 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $8,846 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
| Median net price, income $0 to $30,000, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $6,973 | College Scorecard, median NPT41_PUB, public bachelor's institutions, 2024-252 |
| Median graduation rate within 6 years, California (N = 123) | 60% | College Scorecard, median C150_4, bachelor's institutions, 2019 entrants2 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with San Jose State, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page