CSU vs. San Francisco State

Should I go to California State University Chico or San Francisco State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if CSU or San Francisco State 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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California State University Chico vs. San Francisco State University comparison
California State University Chico San Francisco State University College 3 College 4
California State University Chico San Francisco State University
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Overview

 CSU San Francisco State
Location Chico, CA San Francisco, CA
Setting Small City Large City
Enrollment 14,183 25,282
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #659 #789
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csuchico.edu sfsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 CSU San Francisco State
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $15,212 $17,955
Avg Net Price $15,517 $13,267
Avg Grant Aid $9,162 $9,830
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 72%

Admission

 CSU San Francisco State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 21,417 29,932
Admitted 20,347 28,195
Acceptance Rate 95% 94.2%
Enrolled % 9.9% 11.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 3.31
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 16/23
SAT Range 970/1170 930/1130
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Dec 15, 2023 Nov 30, 2023

Academics

 CSU San Francisco State
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 CSU San Francisco State
Graduation Rate 59% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,400 $52,600
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,000 $17,250
Median Loan Payment $175 $178

Diversity

 CSU San Francisco State
% Men 45% 43%
% Women 55% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 21%
% Black 2% 5%
% Hispanic 29% 29%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6%
% International 3% 6%
% Unknown Race 7% 5%

Students

 CSU San Francisco State
% In-State 97% 96%
% Out-of-State 2% 1%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • San Francisco State University is larger than than CSU based on total student enrollment (25,282 students vs. 14,183 students)

CSU vs. San Francisco State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, CSU or San Francisco State?

  • California State University Chico and San Francisco State cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at CSU as San Francisco State University ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at San Francisco State University than CSU ($13,267 vs. $15,517)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Chico are 18% lower than costs at San Francisco State University ($15,212 vs. $17,955)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at San Francisco State University than California State University Chico (72% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by San Francisco State University students is 7.3% larger than aid received California State University Chico ($9,830 vs. $9,162)

CSU vs. San Francisco State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at California State University Chico (1003) is 24 points higher than at San Francisco State (979)
  • Incoming CSU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at San Francisco State (21)
  • Accepted freshman CSU students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.37) than students at San Francisco State (3.31)
  • CSU has a higher acceptance rate (95%) than San Francisco State (94.2%)

CSU vs. San Francisco State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, CSU or San Francisco State? 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 San Francisco State and CSU.

  • The graduation rate at CSU is higher than San Francisco State University (59% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from San Francisco State University earn on average $200 more per year than CSU graduates after ten years. ($52,600 vs. $52,400)
  • California State University Chico students graduate with a $250 lower median federal student loan debt than San Francisco State graduates. ($17,000 vs. $17,250)
  • CSU graduates are paying $3 less per month on federal student loans than San Francisco State graduates. ($175 vs. $178)
  • More CSU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former San Francisco State students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 63%)

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