San Jose State University

California's oldest public institution of higher education, SJSU is located in downtown San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley -- an advantage for students interested in exploring professional opportunities or internships at one of the many tech companies and startups in the area. Apple, Intuit, Salesforce, PayPal, and IBM are among the companies that have hired SJSU students, and alumni in the tech sector include Intel's Gordon Moore, Dolby Labs' Ray Dolby, and Oracle's Ed Oates. SJSU students have likewise excelled in other areas: look no further than singer Stevie Nicks, writer Amy Tan, and the late gorilla researcher and advocate Dian Fossey. The cost is relatively inexpensive, less than the national average; the university offers students an average $8,000 in financial aid. There are more than 450 student organizations on campus, including 40 fraternities or sororities, multiple cultural and religious groups, and around 40 club sports. The cultural center on campus, MOSAIC, hosts conferences and events supporting social justice issues for marginalized groups. The school is remarkably diverse. Less than a fifth of the student body is white, Hispanic students make up a quarter of the student population, and Asians comprise 36%. And at 65%, its graduation rate is 31% higher than at universities with similar demographics.