San Jose State vs. Stanford

Should I go to San Jose State University or Stanford University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if San Jose State or Stanford is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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San Jose State University vs. Stanford University comparison
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San Jose State University Stanford University
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Overview

San Jose State Stanford
Location San Jose, CA Stanford, CA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 35,751 18,283
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #558 #2
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website sjsu.edu stanford.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

San Jose State Stanford
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $57,693
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $57,693
Room & Board $18,568 $18,619
Avg Net Price $14,219 $18,279
Avg Grant Aid $9,210 $60,619
% Receiving Grant Aid 59% 53%

Admission

San Jose State Stanford
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 34,002 56,378
Admitted 26,083 2,075
Acceptance Rate 76.7% 3.7%
Enrolled % 15.5% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.35 3.96
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Average Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 19/26 33/35
SAT Range 1010/1240 1500/1580
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023 Jan 2, 2024

Academics

San Jose State Stanford
Student to Faculty Ratio 22:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (30%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Social Sciences (21%)
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Engineering (15%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (5%)

Outcomes

San Jose State Stanford
Graduation Rate 46% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,900 $122,900
Making Student Loan Payments 73% 88%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $12,475
Median Loan Payment $155 $128

Diversity

San Jose State Stanford
% Men 48% 53%
% Women 52% 47%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 19% 37%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 26% 15%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 10%
% International 6% 9%
% Unknown Race 4% 0%

Students

San Jose State Stanford
% In-State 96% 35%
% Out-of-State 1% 48%

Campus

San Jose State Stanford
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • San Jose State University is larger than than Stanford based on total student enrollment (35,751 students vs. 18,283 students)

San Jose State vs. Stanford Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, San Jose State or Stanford?

  • Stanford University is 904.8% more expensive to attend than San Jose State for in-state tuition ($57,693.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 227.4% higher at Stanford than San Jose State University ($57,693.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Jose State University than Stanford ($14,219 vs. $18,279)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at San Jose State University are 0.3% lower than costs at Stanford University ($18,568 vs. $18,619)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at San Jose State University than Stanford University (59% vs. 53%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Stanford University students is 558.2% larger than aid received San Jose State University ($60,619 vs. $9,210)

San Jose State vs. Stanford Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, San Jose State or Stanford? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Stanford or San Jose State .

  • The average SAT score at Stanford University (1479) is 424 points higher than at San Jose State (1055)
  • Incoming Stanford students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at San Jose State (23)
  • Accepted freshman Stanford students have a 0.61 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at San Jose State (3.35)
  • San Jose State has a higher acceptance rate (76.7%) than Stanford (3.7%)

San Jose State vs. Stanford Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, San Jose State or Stanford? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Stanford and San Jose State.

  • The graduation rate at Stanford is higher than San Jose State University (96% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Stanford University earn on average $63,000 more per year than San Jose State graduates after ten years. ($122,900 vs. $59,900)
  • Stanford University students graduate with a $2,525 lower median federal student loan debt than San Jose State graduates. ($12,475 vs. $15,000)
  • Stanford graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than San Jose State graduates. ($128 vs. $155)
  • More Stanford graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Jose State students, three years after graduation. (88% vs. 73%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/