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San Diego State University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at San Diego State University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

24:1
Student to faculty ratio
35
Average class size
56%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

San Diego State has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 24:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
287
10-19
731
20-29
1,055
30-39
461
40-49
295
50-99
483
100+
196

Honors Programs

San Diego State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on San Diego State's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at San Diego State University:

91%
First-year retention rate
56%
4-year grad rate
76%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are San Diego State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Business Administration and Management, General
Psychology, General
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
Speech Communication and Rhetoric
-71.2
374.24
819.68
1265.12
1710.56
2156

The Full List

Major Graduates
Area
  • Hispanic-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American/Chicano Studies 12
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 7
  • Women's Studies 7
  • African-American/Black Studies 5
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 3
  • Women's Studies 2
  • Latin American Studies 2
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 1
  • African-American/Black Studies 1
  • American Indian/Native American Studies 0
  • European Studies/Civilization 0
  • Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Studies 0
  • Asian Studies/Civilization 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 252
  • Microbiology, General 29
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 2156
  • International Business/Trade/Commerce 100
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General 62
  • Construction Management, General 14
  • Business Administration and Management, General 8
  • Accounting 0
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 300
  • Journalism 119
  • Radio and Television 84
  • Health Communication 37
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 3
  • Radio and Television 2
  • Journalism 2
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 219
  • Computer Science 2
  • Information Science/Studies 0
Education
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 140
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 1
  • Trade and Industrial Teacher Education 0
  • Music Teacher Education 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 186
  • Civil Engineering, General 144
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 104
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 101
  • Computer Engineering, General 70
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 30
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 1
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 17
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 122
  • Writing, General 4
  • English Language and Literature, General 4
  • Writing, General 1
  • Rhetoric and Composition 0
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 57
  • Spanish Language and Literature 17
  • Linguistics 14
  • Japanese Language and Literature 9
  • Comparative Literature 6
  • Japanese Language and Literature 5
  • French Language and Literature 3
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
  • Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 2
  • French Language and Literature 2
  • Linguistics 1
  • Russian Language and Literature 1
  • German Language and Literature 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 200
  • Public Health, General 170
  • Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 139
  • Athletic Training/Trainer 1
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 0
  • Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General 0
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS 0
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders, General 0
  • Dietetics/Dietitian 0
History
  • History, General 89
  • History, General 1
Homeland Security
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 542
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies 5
  • Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration 0
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 260
  • Humanities/Humanistic Studies 8
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 27
  • Statistics, General 22
  • Applied Mathematics, General 19
  • Applied Mathematics, General 1
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 169
  • Nutrition Sciences 60
  • International/Globalization Studies 10
  • Linguistics and Anthropology 6
  • Gerontology 4
  • International/Globalization Studies 1
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Studies 64
  • Environmental Science 32
  • Environmental Studies 5
  • Environmental Science 1
Parks
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 405
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 14
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 1
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 21
  • Philosophy 5
  • Religion/Religious Studies 2
  • Religion/Religious Studies 1
  • Jewish/Judaic Studies 1
  • Islamic Studies 0
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 43
  • Physics, General 19
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 6
  • Astronomy 6
  • Physics, General 1
  • Atomic/Molecular Physics 1
  • Physical Sciences, General 0
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 669
  • Psychology, General 12
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 78
  • Public Administration 52
  • Social Work 2
  • Public Administration 1
Social Sciences
  • Economics, General 200
  • Sociology, General 155
  • Political Science and Government, General 127
  • Anthropology, General 47
  • Social Sciences, General 42
  • Geography 41
  • International Relations and National Security Studies, Other 27
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 23
  • Sociology, General 9
  • Political Science and Government, General 8
  • International Relations and National Security Studies, Other 7
  • Economics, General 3
  • Geography 2
  • Urban Studies/Affairs 1
  • Anthropology, General 1
  • International Relations and Affairs 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 278
  • Music Performance, General 57
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 45
  • Music, General 8
  • Art/Art Studies, General 7
  • Dance, General 6
  • Musical Theatre 2
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 2
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