San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California · Public · 96.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 80/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
San Francisco State scores 80 (Strong Value) overall, but the headline hides a serious structural problem: the completion rate is only 50.4%, dragging the completion rate sub-score to 40. Average 6-year earnings of $42,100 and a 5.7-year payback period are acceptable given a $12,278 average net price, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.365 is workable. The upside is concentrated in a few high-performing programs - Registered Nursing (196 graduates, $117,532 year-one), engineering, and business - while arts, humanities, and social science programs routinely earn C and D ROI grades. The repayment rate of 72.2% reflects that a meaningful share of graduates carry balances they struggle to reduce. In-state students at a $7,950 tuition benefit most here; out-of-state costs nearly triple the entry price.
San Francisco State University scores in the top 13% of the schools we score, with strong earnings outcomes relative to cost.
San Francisco State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,950/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $20,550/yr |
| Average net price | $12,278/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $49,112 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $68,077 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $42,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,371 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $163 |
| Estimated payback period | 5.7 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 50.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 18,639 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $7,950/year ($20,550/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $12,278/year, or roughly $49,112 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $9,341/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,523/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $15,371, which works out to about $163 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($42,100) and comes to 0.36, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $9,341 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $9,867 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $11,825 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $14,556 |
| $110,001+ | $22,523 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a $9,341 net price per year - about $37,000 over four years if they complete on time. Against average 6-year earnings of $42,100, the math is workable but tight, and only if the student completes a degree. The 50.4% completion rate means a meaningful fraction of low-income students incur debt without a credential.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $11,825 net price. Families in the $75,001-$110,000 band pay $14,556. At these price points, students in nursing, engineering, or business achieve a solid return; students in arts or humanities face a much longer payback.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families ($110,001 and above) pay $22,523 per year, roughly $90,000 over four years. At average 6-year earnings of $42,100, this is a modest-to-acceptable return for most majors, and a strong return for nursing or engineering graduates.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at San Francisco State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $73,775 | B+ |
| Psychology | $55,902 | B |
| Biology | $74,204 | B |
| Computer Science | $105,166 | B+ |
| Teacher Education | $59,993 | B+ |
| Communication and Media Studies | $63,731 | B |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $63,764 | B+ |
| Registered Nursing | $150,102 | A |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | $47,149 | D |
| Design and Applied Arts | $59,678 | C+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing is SFSU's clearest ROI anchor: 196 graduates, $117,532 year-one earnings, $150,102 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.144 (ROI grade A). Median debt of $16,875 is modest relative to immediate earnings. This is the program that most directly explains the school's Strong Value tier despite its low completion rate.
Computer Science
Computer Science is SFSU's largest high-earning program by volume at 307 graduates, with $50,553 year-one median earnings and $105,166 at year four (ROI grade B+). The four-year trajectory into six figures reflects the Bay Area tech labor market absorbing graduates into software roles. Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.326 is manageable.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is the largest program by volume at 1,023 graduates, with $48,184 year-one earnings and $73,775 at year four (ROI grade B+). Debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.311 is clean. The volume means outcomes are averaged across a wide range of roles and employers.
Psychology
Psychology is the second largest program by volume at 479 graduates, with $34,803 year-one earnings and $55,902 at year four (ROI grade B). The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.431 is acceptable but the earnings trajectory is slow.
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Film/Video is SFSU's worst-performing high-volume program: 195 graduates, $18,654 year-one earnings, $47,149 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.957 (ROI grade D). Students choosing this path should understand they are likely to fund a calling, not a financial return.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 66.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 72.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 65.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How San Francisco State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 96.4% |
| Enrollment | 18,639 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $13,199 |
At 96.4% admission, SFSU has no meaningful admissions filter. No SAT or ACT ranges are reported. The open-access profile means the selectivity signal that helps graduates at more competitive schools is largely absent. Getting in is not the challenge; completing a degree is.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco State University (this school) | 80 | $12,278 | $68,077 |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 96 | $16,665 | $90,768 |
| Iowa State University | 79 | $18,589 | $63,386 |
| University of Kansas | 76 | $18,059 | $61,945 |
| California State University-Bakersfield | 75 | $5,652 | $59,009 |
| Illinois State University | 74 | $19,398 | $62,117 |
Who Thrives Here
SFSU admits 96.4% of applicants - effectively open enrollment - and serves a predominantly commuter student body with a 42.2% Pell grant rate. At 18,639 students, it sits on an urban campus in a high-cost metro area, which shapes the student experience considerably. Students entering nursing, engineering, or business with clear career goals get a defensible return on a modest net price. Students drawn by the San Francisco location without a high-earning major should weigh the 50.4% completion rate carefully - it signals that a large share of enrollees do not finish.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, San Francisco State University pays off. You'd pay about $12,278 a year after aid ($49,112 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $68,077 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 5.7 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, manageable debt relative to earnings. What to keep an eye on: its 50.4% graduation rate.
Median debt of $15,371 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $42,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
San Francisco State University: Common Questions
Is San Francisco State University worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students San Francisco State University pays off. It scores 80/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $12,278 a year after aid ($49,112 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $68,077 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 5.7 years to earn back.
How much does San Francisco State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $12,278 a year, or roughly $49,112 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do San Francisco State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $68,077 ten years after enrolling, roughly $26,277 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off San Francisco State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 5.7 years for San Francisco State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do San Francisco State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $15,371, against average earnings of $42,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at San Francisco State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 50.4%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.