SF State Facts

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). Though it began as a school for local educators, today San Francisco State's more than 280,000 graduates are leaders in science, business, public service, journalism and the arts — virtually every sphere of activity — around the globe.

  • U.S. News & World Report ranked SF State eighth in the nation for social mobility in its 2024 Best Colleges list

  • SF State was given 4.5 out of 5 stars in Money's Best Colleges in America 2023 list

  • The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine ranked SF State among the Top 100 Colleges and Universities for Hispanics

  • SF State was ranked #3 in the nation for inclusive environments in the Wall Street Journal’s 2022 College Rankings. 

  • College Rover ranked SF State #3 in the nation on its list of Top Foodie Colleges and Universities

  • SF State alumni have won 21 Pulitzers, 16 Oscars, 53 Emmys, 10 Grammys and 12 Tonys. 

  • SF State was the first U.S. university to establish a College of Ethnic Studies and an international relations department. 

  • Billionaire investor and philanthropist Chris Larsen; filmmaker and musician Boots Riley; Cherokee activist Wilma Mankiller; former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown Jr.; dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey; bebe stores CEO Manny Mashouf; Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas; “A Lesson Before Dying” author Ernest J. Gaines; actors Dana Carvey, Alex Borstein, Annette Bening, Delroy Lindo and Carl Weathers; and singers Kirk Hammett and Johnny Mathis all attended SF State.  

historic photo with a sign that reads 'The New Home of SF State College"

For 124 years, San Francisco State University has distinguished itself as a vibrant center of scholarship, innovation and community engagement. Though it began as a school for local educators, today its graduates are leaders in science, business, public service, journalism and the arts — virtually every sphere of activity — around the globe. Founded in 1899 by an act of the California legislature, the San Francisco State Normal School was created to fill the city's acute need for well-trained, experienced teachers. The first graduating class — the class of 1901 — consisted of three dozen students, all women. In 1935, the school was renamed San Francisco State College. To accommodate growing demand, it moved in 1954 to its present campus near Lake Merced. In 1961, it joined what would become the 23-campus California State University system, and in 1974 the college was given a new name: San Francisco State University.  

University Milestones

1901 - First graduating class (36 women)

1904 - First man admitted

1923 - First bachelor of arts degree

1930 - Four-year program initiated

1935 - Liberal arts program first offered

1949 - Master's degree first offered

1960 - SF State becomes part of the California State College system (now the California State University)

1972 - University status attained

Names

San Francisco State Normal School (1899 - 1921)

San Francisco State Teachers College (1921 - 1935)

San Francisco State College (1935 - 1972)

California State University, San Francisco (1972 - 1974)

San Francisco State University (1974 - present)

Presidents

Frederic Lister Burk (1899 - 1924)

Archibald B. Anderson (1924 - 1927)

Alexander C. Roberts (1927 - 1945)

J. Paul Leonard (1945 - 1957)

Glenn S. Dumke (1957 - 1961)

Paul A. Dodd (1962 - 1966)

John Summerskill (1966 - 1968)

Robert R. Smith (1968)

Samuel I. Hayakawa (1968 - 1973)

Paul F. Romberg (1973 - 1983)

Chia-Wei Woo (1983 - 1988)

Robert A. Corrigan (1988 - 2012)

Leslie E. Wong (2012 - 2019)

Lynn Mahoney (2019 - present)

Mascot

The Gator (alligator). Selected by students in 1931, it was originally spelled with an "er" — Golden Gaters — a play on words to emphasize SF State's location.

Athletic Teams

Men: baseballbasketballcross countrysoccertrack & field and wrestling

Women: basketballcross countrysoccersoftballtrack & field and volleyball

Affiliation: NCAA Division II, California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) affiliated member in wrestling

Campus Size

Main campus: 144.1 acres

Romberg Tiburon Center: 52.7 acres

Sierra Nevada Field Campus: approx. 7.1 acres

Downtown Campus: approx. 15,850 sq. ft.
Located at 160 Spear St.
Home to the College of Professional & Global Education (CPaGE)

Enrollment Fall 2023
Enrollment Type Number Percent
Undergraduate 20,673 87%
Post Baccalaureate/Graduate 3,0276 13%
TOTAL 23,700 100%
Sex
Gender Number Percent
Female 13,146 56%
Male 10,428 44%
Non-Binary 126 0.5%
Ethnic Background
Ethnicity Number Percent
Black 1,444 6.1%
Native American 39 0.2%
Asian  5,308 22.4%
Latinx 8,335 35.2%
Unknown 1,414 6%
Pacific Islander 137 .6%
Two or More Races 1,336 5.6%
White  3,885 16.4%
First Generation Students
Achievement Number Percent
First in their families to attend college 7,239 31%
Financial Aid Distribution
Student Status Number Percent
Receiving Financial Aid 16,521 70%

 

SF State awards: 

  • Bachelor's degrees in 76 academic areas with an additional 40 areas of concentration 

  • Master's degrees in 63 academic areas with an additional 32 areas of concentration 

  • Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership with 2 concentrations 

  • Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in special education 

  • Clinical doctorate of physical therapy (D.P.T.), jointly with UC San Francisco 

  • 13 credential programs and 54 certificate programs 

Top 10 Undergraduate Majors 2023-2024
College Student Count Student Percentage
Computer Science 1,754 9%
Psychology 1,476 7%
Business Administration (Marketing) 828 4%
Cinema 707 3%
Business (General Business) 662 3%
Criminal Justice Studies 590 3%
Kinesiology (Exercise & Movement) 579 3%
Business (Finance) 520 3%
Business (Management) 520 3%
Communication Studies 495 2%
TOTAL 23,700 100%

 

Employees
Employee Type Number Percent
Faculty 1,834 47%
Staff 1,501 38%
Academic Student Employees 573 15%
TOTAL 3,908 100%
Faculty
Faculty Type Number Percent
Tenured/Tenure-track 783 43%
Lecturers 1,039 57%
Counselors 12 1%
TOTAL 1,834 100%
Faculty Gender 
(Tenured/Tenure-Track)
Faculty Gender Number Percent
Male 424 54%
Female 359 46%
TOTAL 783 100%
Faculty Ethnicity
(Tenured/Tenure-Track)
Faculty Ethnicity Number Percent
African American 38 5%
American Indian 12 2%
Asian American 191 24%
Filipino 19 2%
Hispanic/Latino 49 6%
Other Non-White 2 0%
Pacific Islander 2 0%
White 404 52%
Not Stated 66 8%
TOTAL 783 100%
Staff
Employee Group Number Percent
Clerical and Administrative Support 108 7%
Technical and Paraprofessional 707 47%
Management 230 15%
Academic Support 181 12%
Service and Maintenance 159 11%
Skilled Crafts 64 4%
Health Care 36 2%
Public Safety 16 1%
TOTAL 1,501 100%