San Francisco State University

SFSU is a major public urban university, situated in one of the world’s great cities. Building on a century-long history of commitment to quality teaching and broad access to undergraduate and graduate education, the University offers comprehensive, rigorous and integrated academic programs that require students to engage in open-minded inquiry and reflection.

SFSU prepares its students to become productive, ethical, active citizens with a global perspective.

San Francisco State University educates and equips students to thrive in a global society. We deliver academic excellence by pursuing knowledge, inspiring creativity, supporting our diverse community and advancing social justice and positive change in the world.

San Francisco State University is part of the largest system of higher education in the country granting bachelor's and master's degrees, the California State University (CSU). See the full SFSU Facts on the Strategic Marketing and Communications website.

Student Success at San Francisco State University means holding our students to high expectations and offering them the support they need to reach them.

Advance diversity, equity, social justice and inclusive excellence for students at SFSU, whereby diversity is inclusive of a broad range of identities and their intersections.

Each dollar matters here, and together your support of our students, faculty and programs creates a level of excellence that would not be possible without your investment.

Welcome to San Francisco State University where we pride ourselves on providing all students access to a premier public education.

Every year, SFSU releases around USD 125 million in Scholarships for which Indian students are eligible. Some popular ones are the David Goldstein Memorial Scholarship, Amy Love Memorial Scholarship, Alexandra Laboutine Bannen Scholarship and Early Childhood Special Education Scholarship.

See why to choose SFSU -

• Rankings: The San Francisco State University rankings for the year 2026 is #1401 in the world and #106 in the USA, as per QS. Shiksha popularity rankings for SFSU are #207 in the USA and #848 in the world. The US World and News at the national level ranks this university at #208.
• Popular Courses: For Indian students, the flagship courses at SFSU are MBA, MS in Computer Science, MS in Business Analytics, and MS in Data Science & AI. It is also home to a strong BBA course. All SFSU courses are offered by different colleges like Business, Liberal & Creative Arts, Science & Engineering and more.
• Entrance Exams: The SFSU acceptance rate is 90% which is great for Indian students, as it shows the San Francisco State University admissions are not that selective. Indian students do not have to submit the SAT/ACT scores for UG courses. English language proficiency is required; this university accepts TOEFL (80-88), IELTS (6.5-7), PTE (59-65), Duolingo (120+), GRE and GMAT as per the course.
• SFSU Fees for Indian Students: For PG courses, the fees at San Francisco State University varies. For MS, they need to pay anywhere between INR 14 L to 39 L. For UG, the tuition is around 8.38L.
• OPT Extension Available: The STEM-designated courses at SFSU allow Indian students to stay and work in the USA for three years after graduation (1 year + 2 years OPT extension).
• San Francisco State University vs University of San Francisco: The primary distinction between the two institutions is that SFSU in a public, affordable institution and USF is a smaller private one. Under the QS Rankings 2027, the University of San Francisco is ranked #1201 and the San Francisco QS ranking is #1401 which is lower. On the admission rate front, USF is more selective with 61.71% acceptance rate, but SFSU acceprance rate for the same is around 90%.

Pro Resource: A highly detailed admission guide for Indian students to San Francisco State University is here. Download the FREE PDF: SFSU Admission Guide

San Francisco State University Facts

SFSU is classified as R2: Doctoral Universities - High Research activity. Moreover, this university is designated as a Hispanic-serving institution and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving institution.

Particulars	Stats
Founded	1899
SFSU Acceptance Rate	90%
Type of university	Public
Total student enrollment	20,721
SFSU top 5 courses	MBA, MSBA
No. of UG students	17,607
No. of PG students	3,114
Notable alumni	Chris Larsen, Johnny Mathis, Ghazi Shami

The Office of Student Financial Aid at SFSU has the limited number of scholarships that are specifically for international students attending San Francisco State University. The best action for Indian students can be to go through the SFSU official website and apply for the ones that do not specifically state that you need to be a United States citizen or permanent resident. Some of the scholarships offered to international students are given as follows:

• David Goldstein Memorial Scholarship in Paralegal Studies
• Amy Love Memorial Scholarship
• Alexandra Laboutin Bannon Scholarship
• Early Childhood Special Education Scholarship

Students can check the Scholarships in the USA for Indian Students

SFSU offers 150+ courses. Out of this, 77 Bachelor's courses and 63 Master's courses are offered. Study areas of SFSU courses are Applied Mathematics, Biology, Biochemistry, Business Administration, Business Analytics, Communication Studies, etc.

Popular courses at SFSU

Among Indian students, popular courses of SFSU are MBA, MS in Computer Science, MS in Business Analytics, MS in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, etc. SFSU MBA course is of 1 year duration.

San Francisco State University Fees for Indian Students

The first-year San Francisco State University fee for UG courses is around USD 8,722 (Around INR 8.38 L). The tuition fee for PG courses will vary as per the courses but, as per Shiksha Study Abroad, SFSU tuition fee is around INR 12 L - INR 56 L.

Cost of Living at SFSU

For the academic year 2026-27, the living expenses while studying in the U.S. at SFSU are given below-

Expenses	On Campus	Cost in INR
Housing	USD 18,270	INR 17.5 L
Food	USD 5,620	INR 5.40 L
Books and Supplies	USD 1,100	INR 1.05 L
Transportation	USD 1,566	INR 1.50 L
Personal Expenses	USD 2,844	INR 2.73 L
Loan fees	USD 62	INR 6k

(USD 1 = 95.26)

The San Francisco State University admission deadlines for Indian students are given below for 2026 - 

• Spring 2027: Sep 30, 2026
• Fall 2027: May 1, 2027

Students who want to take admission to San Francisco State University have to fill the online application form via Cal State apply application form. The application fee for SFSU courses is USD 70 (Around INR 6.7K). The SFSU application status can be checked through the registered email as SFSU communicates with students through email.

(USD 1 = INR 95.26)

San Francisco State University Application Deadline 2026

The Main intakes at SFSU for Indian students are Spring and Fall. The application deadlines are given here -

Particulars	Application Deadlines
Fall 2027	May 1, 2027
Spring 2027	Sep 30, 2026

San Francisco State University Eligibility

Indian students need to be ready with the documents listed below as these will be required for SFSU admissions-

• Transcripts of high school or college
• English language test scores
• CV / resume
• LOR
• Personal statement
• Essay
• Portfolio (if required)

Postgraduate Admission Requirements

A Bachelor's degree is required for admission to SFSU PG courses. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 in their Bachelor's degree. GMAT / GRE scores are also required as per the courses.

Undergraduate Admission Requirements

The students must have a High School Diploma for admission to SFSU UG courses. A GPA of 2.5 or higher is required for admission. The university does not accept SAT / ACT test scores.

As per Shiksha Popularity rankings, San Francisco State University ranking is #204 in the U.S. for 2026. In the world rankings, San Francisco State University ranks at #882 for 2026. San Francisco State University subjects have also been ranked in Shiksha Popularity rankings 2026.

San Francisco State University Course Name	Shiksha Popularity Ranking 2026 (Country)
BBA	#192
Business & Management	#297

By Other Ranking Bodies

Apart from Shiksha Popularity ranking, QS has also ranked the university globally. San Francisco State University QS ranking is #1401+ in 2027. San Francisco State University ranking is #208 as per US News in 2026 in the National Universities.

The main campus of SFSU is in Southwest San Francisco. It covers around 144 acres of land. SFSU offers 200+ organizations for students to get actively involved in. There is one Indian students association too at this university. To enjoy the campus life at this university, students can also take part in the athletics. Sports affiliation of SFSU are NCAA Division II, Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, California Collegiate Athletic Association. Few athletic teams at this university are Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Softball, etc.

A few housing options at San Francisco State University are-

• Mary Park Hall
• Mary Ward Hall
• Towers at Centennial Square
• Towers Junior Suites
• Manzanita Square
• University Park North
• University Park South