Public · San Diego, CA
San Diego State University
San Diego State University merit aid, cost of attendance, freshman GPA and SAT/ACT scores, net price by income, and graduate earnings.
Costs, merit aid & admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 36%
- Undergraduates
- 35,377
- Avg merit aid / yr
- $2,390
- Cost of attendance (in-state)
- $36,090
- Cost of attendance (out-of-state)
- $48,690
- SAT 75th percentile
- 1300
- ACT 75th percentile
- 29
Costs are annual prices before aid. Average merit aid is the average non-need-based award to freshmen who got one — not an offer to every applicant.
San Diego State University incoming freshman academic profile
- Average high school GPA
- Not reported
- SAT composite middle score
- Not reported
- ACT composite middle score
- Not reported
Average GPA of enrolled freshmen (scale may be weighted or unweighted). SAT/ACT are median scores of students who submitted them — not scholarship cutoffs.
San Diego State University net price by family income
Historical average cost after all grants and scholarships — not need-based aid eligibility. 2024–25 academic year.
| Family income | $0–30K | $30–48K | $48–75K | $75–110K | $110K+ | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual net price | $8,258 | $8,236 | $10,413 | $13,498 | $22,130 | $13,243 |
Families earning $150,000+ should not assume they'll get need-based grants; the "Over $110K" group mixes very different incomes.
At what family income does financial aid stop at San Diego State University?
There's no universal cutoff. Need-based aid depends on income, assets, family size and college rules; merit scholarships are based on grades and scores, so high income doesn't rule them out. Use San Diego State University's net price calculator for a personal estimate, and the federal aid estimator for federal aid.
Graduation, earnings & student debt
- 6-year graduation
- 78.1%Fall 2019 / 2019–20 entering cohort
- First-year retention
- 90.6%Fall 2023 entering cohort; return in fall 2024
- Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
- $73,4942011–12 and 2012–13 entering cohorts; earnings in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars
- Median federal debt
- $14,500Federal fiscal years 2024 and 2025, pooled
Historical group figures, not individual predictions. Debt excludes private and Parent PLUS loans. Source: College Scorecard (ID 122409).
Colleges with acceptance rates similar to San Diego State University
San Diego State University accepts about 36% of applicants. These colleges have the closest reported acceptance rates.
- Baptist University of Florida · Graceville, FL36% acceptance
- Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Guayama · Guayama, PR36% acceptance
- Mount Holyoke College · South Hadley, MA36% acceptance
- Case Western Reserve University · Cleveland, OH35% acceptance
- William & Mary · Williamsburg, VA37% acceptance
- Brescia University · Owensboro, KY35% acceptance
- Dickinson State University · Dickinson, ND37% acceptance
- Eastwick College-Ramsey · Ramsey, NJ37% acceptance
- Fisk University · Nashville, TN37% acceptance
- Southern University and A & M College · Baton Rouge, LA35% acceptance
Colleges with merit aid similar to San Diego State University
San Diego State University reports average merit aid of $2,390 per year. These colleges report the closest average non-need-based awards.
- Appalachian State University · Boone, NC$2,419 avg merit aid / yr
- Cameron University · Lawton, OK$2,438 avg merit aid / yr
- SUNY College of Technology at Canton · Canton, NY$2,453 avg merit aid / yr
- Boise State University · Boise, ID$2,473 avg merit aid / yr
- Central Connecticut State University · New Britain, CT$2,272 avg merit aid / yr
- Rhode Island College · Providence, RI$2,610 avg merit aid / yr
- Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA$2,659 avg merit aid / yr
- University of South Dakota · Vermillion, SD$2,684 avg merit aid / yr
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus · Indiana, PA$2,094 avg merit aid / yr
- University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI$2,686 avg merit aid / yr
Data sources & limitations
Admissions, costs and merit aid: collegedata.fyi (Common Data Set + federal data), imported Oct 2026. Net prices and outcomes: College Scorecard, Oct 15, 2026 release, matched by federal ID. SAT 75th percentile adds section scores; 90th-percentile and GPA match thresholds are estimates. ROI compares four years of average net price with median earnings 10 years after entry, ranked in thirds across colleges. Blank means not reported — never estimated. Confirm costs and scholarships with the college.