California State University-Fresno vs. San Francisco State

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

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
Location Fresno, CA San Francisco, CA
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 23,999 25,282
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #891 #789
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website csufresno.edu sfsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $11,080 $17,955
Avg Net Price $7,507 $13,267
Avg Grant Aid $9,968 $9,830
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 72%

Admission

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,551 29,932
Admitted 17,703 28,195
Acceptance Rate 95.4% 94.2%
Enrolled % 19.5% 11.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.12 3.31
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 16/21 16/23
SAT Range 890/1100 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

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
Student to Faculty Ratio 21:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
Graduation Rate 49% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $52,600
Making Student Loan Payments 63% 63%
Median Student Loan Debt $15,000 $17,250
Median Loan Payment $155 $178

Diversity

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
% Men 40% 43%
% Women 60% 57%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 21% 21%
% Black 3% 5%
% Hispanic 48% 29%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 6%
% International 5% 6%
% Unknown Race 4% 5%

Students

California State University-Fresno San Francisco State
% In-State 97% 96%
% Out-of-State 1% 1%

Campus

California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno based on total student enrollment (25,282 students vs. 23,999 students)

California State University-Fresno vs. San Francisco State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, California State University-Fresno or San Francisco State?

  • California State University Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno 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 California State University Fresno than San Francisco State ($7,507 vs. $13,267)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California State University Fresno are 62% lower than costs at San Francisco State University ($11,080 vs. $17,955)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Fresno than San Francisco State University (85% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Fresno students is 1.4% larger than aid received San Francisco State University ($9,968 vs. $9,830)

California State University-Fresno vs. San Francisco State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno .

  • The average SAT score at San Francisco State University (979) is 82 points higher than at California State University-Fresno (897)
  • Incoming San Francisco State students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at California State University-Fresno (19)
  • Accepted freshman San Francisco State students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.31) than students at California State University-Fresno (3.12)
  • California State University-Fresno has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than San Francisco State (94.2%)

California State University-Fresno vs. San Francisco State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, California State University-Fresno 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 California State University-Fresno.

  • The graduation rate at California State University-Fresno is higher than San Francisco State University (49% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from San Francisco State University earn on average $6,100 more per year than California State University-Fresno graduates after ten years. ($52,600 vs. $46,500)
  • California State University Fresno students graduate with a $2,250 lower median federal student loan debt than San Francisco State graduates. ($15,000 vs. $17,250)
  • California State University-Fresno graduates are paying $23 less per month on federal student loans than San Francisco State graduates. ($155 vs. $178)
  • More San Francisco State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former California State University-Fresno students, three years after graduation. (63% vs. 63%)

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