San Diego State University: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university with an acceptance rate of 34%. San Diego State University is part of the California State University system. The 293-acre campus is located on the northeastern edge of the city. The college ranks highly for study abroad, and SDSU students have a choice of 350 study abroad programs. The university has an active Greek system with 46 fraternities and sororities. SDSU's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. In athletics, the San Diego State Aztecs compete in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference.

Considering applying to San Diego State University? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, San Diego State University had an acceptance rate of 34%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 34 students were admitted, making SDSU's admissions process competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

San Diego State University requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 86% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of SDSU's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to SDSU scored between 560 and 650, while 25% scored below 560 and 25% scored above 650. On the math section, 50% of students admitted to SDSU scored between 550 and 670, while 25% scored below 550 and 25% scored above 670. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1320 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at San Diego State University.

Requirements

San Diego State University does not require the SAT writing section. SAT Subject tests are not required, but if the score meets a benchmark, it may be used to fulfill certain core course requirements. Note that SDSU participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. 

ACT Scores and Requirements

San Diego State University requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 38% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of SDSU's admitted students fall within the top 36% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to San Diego State University received a composite ACT score between 22 and 29, while 25% scored above 29 and 25% scored below 22.

Requirements

Note that SDSU does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. San Diego State does not require the ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA for freshman admitted to SDSU was 3.77, and 60% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to San Diego State University have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to San Diego State University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

San Diego State University is one of the larger and more selective universities in the California State University System. Roughly one-third of applicants are accepted. What makes the difference between an acceptance and a rejection? Unlike the University of California System, the California State University admission process is not holistic. Except for EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) students, applicants do not need to submit letters of recommendation or an application essay, and extracurricular involvement is not part of the standard application. Instead, admissions is based primarily on an eligibility index that combines GPA and test scores. The reasons why an applicant with adequate scores and grades would be rejected tends to come down to factors such as insufficient college preparatory classes, high school classes that weren't challenging, or an incomplete application.

Be aware that San Diego State is designated as impacted for all majors and pre-majors because it receives more applications than can be accommodated. In addition, particularly competitive majors such as Nursing, Theater Arts-Performance, Music, and Dance have additional requirements for eligibility.

The green and blue dots in the above graph represent accepted students. The majority of successful applicants had "B+" averages or higher, SAT scores (ERW+M) of 950 or higher, and ACT scores of 20 or better. Higher grades and test scores improve your chances of admission significantly. You'll notice that some students with lower grades and scores were accepted, and also that there are many spots of red (rejected students) in the middle of the graph. Some students with grades and test scores that seem to be on target for San Diego State University will still be rejected.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and San Diego State University Undergraduate Admissions Office.