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Community service is a key feature of San Francisco State's programs. The school of about 26,000 undergrads and nearly 3,000 graduate students was one of the first universities in the U.S. to offer academic credit for community work, as well as one of the first to include community service learning hours on students' transcripts. Students can choose among about 300 public service-related courses in a wide variety of areas, including health care fields, education, and public administration. Bachelor's degrees are available in around 200 areas of study from the six different colleges; master's degrees range from business to the arts. SFU has two doctorates as well -- an Ed.D. and a Ph.D. in special education, offered jointly with UC-Berkeley. A unique offering at the school is its College of Ethnic Studies, which houses programs in Asian Studies, Africana Studies, Latina/Latino studies, and other disciplines. The school takes pride in its entertainment-oriented coursework, such as cinema, music, and writing, and counts an impressive number of Oscar, Emmy, and Pulitzer Prize nominees among its alumni, including actors Annette Bening and Danny Glover. Two off-campus centers provide on-the-ground opportunities for field work: the Romburg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies, which focuses on tidal marshes and estuarine habitat; and SFU's Sierra Nevada Field Campus, a site for classes and research in environmental subjects.
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
FALL 2020 PLAN: San Francisco State University is offering most of its fall classes fully online, with the exception of some courses that require face-to-face interaction, such as labs and research projects. A limited population, including at-risk students and international students, still have access to on-campus housing.
costs
Est. Full Price 2020-2021
$28,200
% of students who get any grants
63%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$15,600
Average price for low-income students
$11,700
admissions
Acceptance rate
72%
Median SAT/ACT Score
1060/20
SAT/ACT Required for Fall 2021?
no
Enrollment
25,800
Financial Aid
% of students with need who get grants
89%
% of need met
65%
% of students who get merit* grants
2%
Average merit grant
$2,660
student success
Graduation rate
55%
Average time to a degree
4.8 years
Average student debt
$16,810
Average salary within 5 years
$53,900
% earning more than $28,000
77%
key deadlines
Early decision application
N/A
Regular application
N/A
coronavirus update
FALL 2020 PLAN: San Francisco State University is offering most of its fall classes fully online, with the exception of some courses that require face-to-face interaction, such as labs and research projects. A limited population, including at-risk students and international students, still have access to on-campus housing.
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