San Diego State University is a reputable public research university in San Diego, California, USA. It is a big university with around 30,000 undergraduate students. Admissions are moderately competitive and have an overall acceptance rate of around 34%. The most popular majors are Business, Engineering, Psychology, Biology, and Communications. The six-year graduation rate is approximately 72%, and San Diego State alumni have a median starting salary of nearly INR 6,50,000 (about $8,300 median income a decade after graduation).
San Jose State University is a big public university located in San Jose, California, USA. It has approximately 30,000 undergraduate students. Admissions are open and have an overall acceptance rate of around 80%. Popular majors are Engineering, Business, Computer Science, Social Sciences, and Humanities. The six-year graduation rate is around 58%, and the median starting salary given to San Jose State graduates is around INR 5,50,000 (approximately $7,000 median income ten years after graduation).
| San Diego State University | San Jose State University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 4.2 Out of 10 | 4.7 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 1001 QS World University 2026 # 1001 Times Higher Education 2026 # 625 Center for World University Rankings 2025 | # 1513 Center for World University Rankings 2025 # 1624 US News 2024 # 1418 US News 2023 |
| Subject Strength | # 173 for Engineering by US News 2025 # 501 for Medicine by QS World University 2023 # 151 for Law by Academy Ranking of World Universities 2021 | # 1001 for Medicine by Times Higher Education 2022 # 1001 for Law by Times Higher Education 2022 |
| Programs | UG Programs -70 PG Programs -63 | UG Programs -127 PG Programs -78 |
| Acceptance Rate | 34.0 % | 80.0 % |
| Exam Score | GRE-300 IELTS-6.5 PTE-58 SAT-1090 TOEFL-80 | IELTS-6.5 PTE-53 SAT-1000 TOEFL-80 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 40843 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 36375 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 38740 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 19732 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 16753 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 12039 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Top Recruiters: Apple, Amazon, Accenture, Deloitte, Facebook, The Walt Disney Studios, HP, Bank of America, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Sharp, US Department of Defense, Intuit, etc. Average Salary are Lisited Below :
| Some of the program and average salary are:
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| application requirements | Submit official transcripts Submit entrance test scores Submit English language requirements Check program specific requirements | Submit official transcripts Submit LORs Submit English language requirements Check program specific requirements |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.7/10 Read 10 reviews | 7.6/10 Read 12 reviews |
Top Courses Comparison
| ranking | # 601 for Business by QS World University 2025 # 601 for Business by Times Higher Education 2025 | # 1001 for Business by Times Higher Education 2022 |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 105/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 58/90TOEFL - 80/120 | Duolingo - 120/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 53/90TOEFL - 80/120 |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Apr 1, 2026 (Cal State Apply Application For Fall 2026 Intake) Apr 15, 2026 (Documents submission Deadline For Fall Intake) Apr 15, 2026 (Program Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) | Apr 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Apr 20, 2026 (Document Submission Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Oct 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Spring 2027 Intake) Oct 20, 2026 (Document Submission Deadline For Spring 2027 Intake) |
| ranking | # 601 for Computer Science by Times Higher Education 2025 | # 1001 for Computer Science by Times Higher Education 2022 |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 105/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 58/90TOEFL - 80/120 | IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 53/90TOEFL - 80/120 |
| application dates | Feb 15, 2025 (Submit Documents Deadline for Fall Intake) Aug 1, 2025 (SDSU AZTEC Scholarships Deadline) Mar 1, 2026 (Complete Program Application for Fall Intake) Feb 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Fall Intake) | Feb 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Feb 20, 2026 (Document Submission Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Oct 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Spring 2027 Intake) Oct 20, 2026 (Document Submission Deadline For Spring 2027 Intake) |
| exam scores | Duolingo - 105/160IELTS - 6.0/9PTE - 54/90TOEFL - 80/120 | Duolingo - 95/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 53/90TOEFL - 80/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -40843 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -19732 |
| application dates | Nov 10, 2024 (Early Consideration Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) Apr 1, 2025 (Regular Application Deadline For 2025 Intake) | Dec 1, 2025 (Document Submission Deadline For Spring 2026 Intake) Apr 20, 2026 (Document Submission Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) Sep 30, 2025 (Application Deadline For Spring 2026 Intake) Apr 1, 2026 (Application Deadline For Fall 2026 Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | San Diego State University | San Jose State University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1895 | 1857 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 31:1 | 26:1 |
| Male:Female | 46% Male, 54% Female | 52% Male, 48% Female |
| Location Facts | SDSU's campus is within a 15-minute drive of downtown San Diego, the Pacific Ocean, and the mountains. | SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) system. Located in downtown San Jose, the SJSU main campus is situated on 154 acres , or roughly 19 square blocks. |
| Library | 485 Databases, Library Spaces: Reserve a Study Room, Open Study Rooms, Open Study Spaces, Quiet Study. Locations: The Dome, Love Library, Library Addition. Service Points: Library Computing Hub, Research Services, Circulation, Special Collections, Digital Humanities Center |
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| Campus Life | SDSU offers something for everyone! Student Resources, ALI student life events, Aztec Nights festivities to a variety of student organizations and recreation activities. | The San Jose State University's campus is separated into two sections:
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| Hostel | #Room & Board - $17110 #Room & Board - $21630 | #Semester Room - $6186 |
| Famous Alumni | Arthur Gordon Linkletter (a star basketball player and swimmer), Cleavon Little(American Stage Actor), and Andreas Brown (Author) | San Jose State University has over 270,000 alumni from various countries. Some of the San Jose State University's notable alumni are:
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| City Life | San Diego is a major city in the U.S. state of California on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. With a 2023 population of 3,319,000 .Top Companies: Cubic Corporation,Pulse Electronics, Qualcomm, Sanyo, Sony, Teradata, Zovio, General Dynamics, Intuit and Oracle. | San Jose is the third most populous city in California and is considered one of the best places to live in California. San Jose is most notable for its affluent lifestyle, flourishing job market, cultural diversity, and beautiful natural landscape. Providing residents with a mixture of urban and suburban living is always something to do, and the public school system is highly rated. Considered the leader of the technology revolution, the city is booming with the high-tech industry at the front and center. The heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose, has become the desired location for innovators and world leaders of many software and computer companies. San Jose is home to over 6,600 technology companies and start-ups. Attracting only the best in the industry to the area, the demographic continues to change as young professionals move in with hopes of landing a job at one of the top company names in the nation. Some of the most well-known companies headquartered in San Jose include Adobe, PayPal, Cisco, eBay, Calyx Software, Verifone, Sage Intacct, and Western Digital. Other industry leaders such as Apple, Google, and Netflix are located close by in the neighboring cities of Cupertino, Mountain View, Palo Alto, and Menlo Park. |
| Weather |
San Diego State University vs San Jose State University
Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)
San Diego State University and San Jose State University are both highly regarded public universities in California with a history of emphasizing practical education and regional industries support. Both San Diego State and San Jose State are ranked 1001–1200 by the QS World University Rankings 2026. San Diego State is ranked 822nd in the US News Global Rankings 2026, and San Jose State is 1677th-ranked. Both are ranked 1001–1200 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2026. Both schools are not known for global research leadership but both have good academic programs with good links to local industries, particularly in business, engineering, and applied sciences.
General Information
San Diego State University, which was founded in 1897, is one of the institutions affiliated with the California State University system and hosts approximately 36,000 students. It features a wide variety of undergraduate and graduate offerings, focusing on applied research, industry connections, and student employability, mainly in business, engineering, social sciences, and public health.
San Jose State University, established in 1857, is the West Coast's oldest public university and also a member of the California State University system. Based in the heart of Silicon Valley, it enrolls approximately 35,000 students and is especially famous for engineering, business, and computer science, taking advantage of close connections to the technology sector.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
San Diego State University's acceptance rate is 34% and is moderately selective based on academic performance and preparation for professional programs. San Jose State University is substantially more accessible, with a very high acceptance rate of 80%, with the goal of making higher education available to a larger segment of the student population, especially California residents and those interested in applied and technical programs.
Research Impact & Facilities
San Diego State and San Jose State have more concentration on applied research and industrial collaboration than leadership in pure academic research. SDSU has more research in public health, business, and social sciences that fosters local and regional innovation. SJSU is privileged to be in Silicon Valley and gets research opportunities and industry alliances in engineering, computer science, and business technology, though it is not well represented in world research rankings.
Cost & Financial Aid
Both universities are low-priced, particularly for California students, with comparable in-state tuition costs. San Diego State University has more expensive tuition than San Jose State, which mirrors its expanded research operations and campus amenities. Both institutions have multiple options for financing, such as merit-based scholarships and need-based aid.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
San Diego State University alumni perform well in local industries like business, public health, education, and engineering, due to its robust employer relations in Southern California. San Jose State University performs best in getting graduates jobs at Silicon Valley-based high-tech firms, especially in fields of engineering and computer science. The fact that the institution is close to Silicon Valley giant companies like Google, Apple, and Cisco provides students with valuable internship and employment opportunities in technology and innovation-related positions.
