San Diego State University Acceptance Rate, Admission 2024

San Diego State University is a public research university in the United States of America in San Diego, California, chartered in 1897. This is one of the 23 campuses of California State University, among the largest universities in the US. Has more than 30,000 enrolled students who are undergoing undergraduate and graduate programs. It is accredited for its programs in business, engineering, sciences, and the arts and humanities. The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education has classified the university as a first-tier research doctoral university. It is among the list of high-ranking universities in the country by US News, Forbes, and Times Higher Education.

San Diego State University provides 91 undergraduate programs, 78 graduate programs, and 22 doctoral programs for its students. Some of the popular majors offered at this school include business administration, psychology, criminal justice, biology, and international business.

Organized into seven colleges: Arts & Letters, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Health, and Human Services, Professional Studies & Fine Arts, and Science. The competitors are strategic and its role in the development of strategic products is strategically important.

Campuses

It occupies the 289-acre land in the eastern region of San Diego, which is the main campus. It possesses red-roofed Spanish Renaissance-style building structures that have a Lear’s holds and operates facilities such as libraries, theater, art gallery, aqua-plex, athletic field, and student center. Also has successful sustainability management and LEED-certified buildings.

The students at San Diego State University have access to more than 250 student organizations based on academic, cultural, recreational, and social affiliations. The Greek organizations are active at the university with fraternities and sororities in place. NCAA Division I sports teams during the Mountain West Conference are some of the most recognized teams in football, basketball, and baseball.

San Diego State University Acceptance Rate

For students applying for the Fall 2024 intake, the acceptance rate at SDSU is approximately 32%, which means that getting enrolled at the university is relatively not too easy but also not very difficult. SDSU doesn’t require SAT or ACT scores, though it is recommended. With those numbers in mind, Niche said San Diego State’s admissions are selective with an acceptance rate of 38%. The admissions application deadline is Nov. 30 and the application fee is $70.

SDSU prides itself on its rigorous academic standards and seeks students who have demonstrated their ability to succeed in a challenging academic environment. Another factor that can impact acceptance rates is the availability of spots in specific programs or majors.

San Diego State University Admission 2024

SDSU is a large state university located in San Diego that has had more than 69,000 freshman applications for the fall of 2023, while it can only accept about 5,000 first-year students. This implies that only the most eligible students are offered admission into the institution every year.

As of 2024, the minimum high school cumulative GPA required for admission to SDSU is 3.7 in the A-G college preparatory coursework. However, the middle 50% of the students admitted have a higher GPA than the 3.5-4.0 scale, the average GPA being between 3.9-4.3. Another factor that can be helpful is an upward trend in the GPA during the high school years.

According to the SAT, the middle 50 percent of the students admitted at SDSU in 2023 scored between 1200 and 1390 in the combined math and writing/analyst reading tests. The composite scores of the student on the ACT were between 27-33. Standardized test scores are not required for application to the university but can improve the chances of admission if they are within these parameters.

Who Is a First-Year Student?

You can apply as a first-year student if you:

Are on track to graduate with a high school diploma by spring 2024;
Graduated high school, but have not taken college courses beyond the summer after graduation.

To meet the minimum admission requirements at SDSU, you must complete:

Social Science: 2 years required, including one year of U.S. history and government.
Mathematics: 3 years required; 4 recommended, including algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and other advanced courses.
English: 4 years required, with substantial reading of classic/modern literature and writing of structured papers.
Laboratory Science: 2 years required; 3 recommended, with one year each of biological and physical science, both with a laboratory component.
Foreign Language: 2 years required, of the same language. (Subject to waiver for equivalent competence.)
Visual and Performing Arts: 1 year required, selected from visual art, dance, drama/theatre, or music.
Electives: 1 year required, selected from college preparatory A-G courses or other approved courses.

Subject and Years Specifications

To meet minimum admission requirements, you must complete a 15-unit comprehensive pattern of college preparatory courses (known in California as A-G requirements) with grades of C- or higher. You must complete your subject requirements by the end of the spring term before enrolling at SDSU.

Subject Years Specifications

Social Science 2 years required Must include one year of U.S. history and government.
English 4 years required Acceptable courses must include substantial reading of classic/modern literature and writing of structured papers. Elective courses do not fulfill the English requirement.
Mathematics 3 years required;
Recommended Acceptable courses include Algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and other advanced courses that require algebra and geometry as prerequisites. Computer programming courses do not fulfill the math subject requirement.

Laboratory Science 2 years required;

Recommended Must include one year of biological science and one year of physical science.
Both must have a laboratory component.
Foreign Language 2 years required Must be the same language. (Subject to waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence).
Visual and Performing Arts 1 year required Must be a year-long visual and performing arts course selected from visual art, dance, drama/theatre, or music. May complete two semester-long courses in the same discipline.
Electives 1 year required College preparatory courses selected from the areas listed above or other approved college preparatory A–G courses.

High School GPA

San Diego State University considers the breadth and depth of your academic record and encourages you to challenge yourself by taking a rigorous curriculum including Advanced Placement (AP), honors, and/or International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. CSU Minimum First-Year

Eligibility

SDSU is an impacted campus with a competitive applicant pool. The average high school GPA for admitted students is 3.9. First-year students must meet the following minimum CSU eligibility requirements to be considered:

Must be a high school graduate or equivalent;
Must Complete or will complete 15 year-long college preparatory courses with a grade of C- or higher upon graduation from high school; and
earn a qualifying A-G grade point average (GPA) in one of the following ways:
Must meet at least a 2.5 GPA or greater for California residents and graduates of a California high school; OR
Must meet at least a 3.0 or greater for non-California residents and graduates of a non-California high school

Transfer Student Requirements

Upper-division transfer students are those who have earned more than sixty semester units or ninety-quarter units of college-level courses that are transferable before enrolling in a university. During admission, these high school students are still categorized as first-time freshmen if they take college courses. Transferable courses are those that are accredited to be taken for credit in a bachelor’s degree program.

The CSU GE-Breadth is an educational program that enables students from California community colleges to fulfill lower division courses in General Education before transferring to any CSU campus. A maximum of 39 units of GE-Breadth courses out of a total of 48 can be transferred from a California community college. “Certification” refers to the process where the community college informs the CSU that the student completed the necessary lower division GE courses. Students are welcome to visit assist.org to identify which of the community college courses are approved for CSU GE-Breadth certification.

Lower Division Transfers

San Diego State does not accept any lower division transfer students means students with fewer than 60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours. Transfer admission is another factor that has been affected by high enrollment demands; most CSU campuses do not admit lower-division transfer students.

Upper Division Transfers

Upper-division transfers have more than 60 semester units (90 quarter units), or the equivalent. Transfer admission to the upper division has been more competitive than before, and the admission standards have been set beyond the minimum CSU benchmarks. In order of preference, the choice is given to those applicants who, in their previous coursework, studied at a California community college.

All students who are admitted to SDSU are admitted to a major. To be eligible for admission to SDSU, transfer applicants should meet the following minimum CSU eligibility requirements and SDSU requirements.

Must apply during the CSU initial admission application filing period, October/November for fall admission in the following year. Provide updates to Academic History and Prerequisites in https://calstate.liaisoncas.com/applicant-ux/#/login, which is due by 11:59 p.m. (PST), January 31, 2023.
The applicant must complete a minimum of 60 transferable semester units by the end of spring 2023. Transferable units are defined as course units that apply to a baccalaureate degree.
Complete a certified GE package of 39 units (CSU GE or IGETC) or any applicable lower division GE pattern listed in the SDSU University Catalog, including completion of the “Golden Four” General Education (GE) requirements in written communication, oral communication, critical thinking, and mathematics with a grade of C- (1.7) or better in each course by the end of spring 2023.
Is also required to complete all major preparation courses listed in the SDSU University Catalog by the end of the spring term before fall admission. If a major preparation course is not offered at your community college, you must take it at another local community college or via Cross Enrollment or Open University at SDSU by the end of spring 2023.
Meet the cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for the major as listed in the SDSU University Catalog. Click here to determine the GPA required for your major. Your GPA is based on all transferable units attempted.
For non-SDSU service area* applicants, an additional overall GPA will be required. This GPA is determined based on the applicant pool and may be higher than the GPA required for the major.
All applicants must meet the required GPA at the time of application and maintain the GPA through the end of spring 2023.
Applicants with prior SDSU Regular Session, Special Session, Open University, or Cross Enrollment, coursework must have a minimum SDSU GPA of 2.0 in addition to the cumulative GPA listed above.
Local, service-area* applicants who meet the criteria listed above and who meet the cumulative GPA required for the major will have admission priority for fall 2023. All other applicants will be admitted on a space-available basis and must meet requirements (1) through (6) above.
Students are in SDSU’s service area if 100% of their transferable credits have been completed at Cuyamaca, Grossmont, Imperial Valley, San Diego City, San Diego Mesa, San Diego Miramar, or Southwestern colleges by the end of the spring before fall admission (e.g. spring 2023 for fall 2023 admission).

Very Important:

The Transfer Admission Guarantee does not apply to applicants to dance, music, nursing, social work, theatre arts with an emphasis on performance, or any major for which there is an SDSU-approved Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT), Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T)/ Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degree.

Nursing applicants must also complete the Cal State Apply Academic History and Prerequisites and meet additional ranking criteria.

Music and dance applicants must pass an audition for acceptance to the major. Click here for details.

Theatre arts with emphasis on performance applicants must pass an audition for acceptance to the major. For information, visit here. SDSU is only accepting applications from students seeking a second bachelor’s degree in nursing. Students with international coursework must submit an international course evaluation report.

Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA-T or AS-T)

Available at California Community Colleges to give facilitated transfer preparation and admission to CSU degree majors. Students obtaining their AA-T or AS-T degree are granted junior status transfer to a CSU and will be admitted ahead of other transfer applicants. The admission priority is also applicable to the impacted programs or campuses in CSU or any program that is considered similar to the earned degree of AA-T/AS-T. Students completing an AA-T/AS-T in a program of study comparable to a CSU major must complete the remaining graduation requirements within 60 semester (90 quarter) units. The student is required to provide proof of their AA-T/AS-T degree to the specific CSU campus of their choice or to which they have been admitted.

In summary, the AA-T/AS-T degrees offer designed articulation and California State University readiness in combination with guaranteed admission and preference for certain majors/campuses. They should still be eligible and apply for admission according to other conditions.

Admitted Upper Division Transfers

Transfer admission decisions are based on self-reported information. Admission is provisional pending verification of the self-reported information on the applicant’s Cal State Application using the official transcript submitted to the Office of Admissions. Offers of admission will be rescinded if the GPA, completed courses, or course grades are lower than what is reported on the applications or if the student misses any admission deadlines.

Acceptance of Transfer Courses

San Diego State University accepts transfer students and recognizes the effort that the student puts in accruing credits in regionally accredited institutions. Only courses that have been articulated by the sender institution as being at the baccalaureate level will be credited toward the degree at SDSU. SDSU does reserve the right to determine how the previous credit would meet the specific major and General Education credit hour requirements necessary for an SDSU degree.

Credits from regionally accredited schools that do not grant a baccalaureate degree, and courses from specialized institutions that offer baccalaureate degrees are also acceptable if SDSU believes them to be similar in difficulty and content to those offered at SDSU.

Institutional credits obtained from institutions that are not regionally accredited or clock hours earned as part of a professional program in such fields as medicine, law, or veterinary medicine will be considered at the discretion of the receiving institution. However, the student can request credit if the appropriate SDSU department acknowledges that the course is sufficiently similar to our courses.

The aim of this is to ensure that there is a clear transfer of credits, but at the same time, the educational standards and the requirements expected of any SDSU graduate are observed. Thus, we can ensure that transfer students are assisted and supported in their transition as efficiently as possible.

For Adult Students

Specifically, this category targets individuals that are 25 years old and above.

To be considered for admission as an adult student, applicants must meet all of the following:

Possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent
Have not attended a full-time post-secondary institution for over one term in the previous five years (it is alright if one is studying part-time).
The credit requirements for enrollment are as follows: the student must have attended college within the past five years and have maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
Demonstrate competency in math and writing via test scores as per university standards
Write at least two pages of the statement to cover the university preparation and academic objectives.
Be evaluated based on the probability of success relative to a normal student who joins an institution as a freshman or transfer student

Moreover, all non-native English speakers applying to the University have to provide English language proficiency by presenting valid TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, or Duolingo English Test scores.

For those who are admitted, the official transcript and other supporting documents must be received by the 1st of May of the year of admission if one is to be in the fall class. Those who do not qualify as adult students based on the above criteria should apply as transfer students in a community college first.

Preparation is Key

Before starting your CSU application on Cal State Apply, gather these items

Unofficial report cards of high school and college that include all the courses taken, completed as well as those still ongoing and the corresponding credits.
Your citizenship status
You will need a credit card to make a $ 70 nonrefundable application fee
For dependents: The income of parents every year
For EOP applicants: Information on your parents’ employment history and two recommendations

Submit Accurate Information

Everything that relates to admission is based firstly on the information provided in your application personally. When completing your application, you should give detailed information when it comes to things such as GPA, course names, and course grades, among others. Failure to report information objectively can be dangerous when it comes to admission.

Manage Notifications

Check the grant permission box on your application if you would like the Office of Admissions to share information with your parent or legal guardians via the given email addresses. These cannot be updated after submitting and it is a unique data entry position and requires someone who is detail-oriented with good communication skills.

Use Available Resources

If you need help, refer to the Cal State Apply Application Guide available for the applicants. Cal State Apply is where you submit the CSU common application, which is the application platform that is used for the application process.

Application Deadlines:

First-Time Freshmen

May 1 – transcripts including fall term grades.
July 15 – transcripts including spring term grades.

Transfers

May 1 – transcripts including fall term grades and work in progress.
June 30 – transcripts including spring term grades

Conclusion

San Diego State University evaluates applications on an individual basis and in a very comprehensive and holistic manner. In general, admitted students have generally completed several Honors, AP, and/or IB classes, engage in many extracurricular activities, and display leadership abilities. Some other common requirements that boost the chances of getting admission are personal essays and letters of recommendation.

To sum up, although SDSU is not an easy admission, students who performed well in the college preparatory courses, obtained high scores on the standardized tests, participated in multiple AP or IB courses, and demonstrated excellent writing skills in the essay application for fall 2024 have a high chance of