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Welcome

to the SDSU Community

Office of Admissions

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San Diego

No. 15 Best Big Cities to Live

-U.S. News and World Report

360 days of sun, 70ºF is the average daily temperature

No. 5 Safest Large Cities in America

-Forbes

Trolley and bus transit stop on campus

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At a Glance

200+

Academic Degree Choices (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs)

40,110

Students Enrolled

(35,238 undergrad +

4,827 grad students)

R1

Among the top 5% of universities recognized by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 institution.

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Learning Beyond the Classroom

Study Abroad

Career Services

College Success Centers

Internships

Undergraduate Research

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Important Dates

August 1–November 30

Apply online at calstate.edu/apply

October 1–March 2

Apply for financial aid by filing the FAFSA at fafsa .gov or the CA Dream Act Application at csac .ca .gov for students eligible for AB 540

January

Transfer applicants update colleges attended and college coursework by completing and submitting the mandatory Academic History Update on the Cal State Apply website

Spring

Admissions decisions are emailed to students and the Housing License Agreement is available

April

Explore SDSU Admitted Student Day, sdsu.edu/exploresdsu

May 1

Deadline to submit the Intent to Enroll deposit,

official transcripts, test scores, and the Housing License Agreement (if applicable)

June 30

Transfer deadline to submit final official transcripts, including spring grades

July 15

First-year deadline to submit final official transcripts, including spring grades

Summer

New Student and Parent Orientation

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First-Year Admission

Review based on self-reported information
On track to complete A-G courses
10th–12th grade GPA weighted up to 8 points
Preparation towards indicated area of study
Maintain your overall grade point average through your senior year with no D/F grades
SAT or ACT exam scores not required or considered for admission. Scores may be requested post-admission to assist with course placement.

A–G Courses

Social Science—2 years

Must include 1 year U.S. history and government.

English—4 years

Acceptable courses must include substantial reading of classic/modern literature and writing of structured papers.

Mathematics—3 years

Four years recommended. Acceptable courses include algebra I, geometry, and algebra II.

Laboratory Science—2 years

Must include biological and physical science.

Foreign Language—2 years

Demonstrated equivalent competence can be substituted. Both years must be in the same language.

Visual and Performing Arts—1 year

Must be a year-long course in visual art, dance, drama/theatre, or music.

Electives—1 year

English, advanced mathematics, social studies, history, laboratory science, agriculture, or foreign language.

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Paying for Your Education

Financial Aid Apply at fafsa.gov

Scholarships sdsu.edu/scholarships

CSU Net Price & Cost Calculator Estimate financial aid eligibility sdsu.edu/costcalculator

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The California State University System

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Students are from the top 1/3 of the state’s high school graduates
Graduate career ready with real-world experience

Academic Excellence

MASTER PLAN FOR HIGHER EDUCATION The CSU was created in 1960 under the California Master Plan for Higher Education. The university system draws its students from the top third of the state’s high school graduates and is California’s primary undergraduate teaching institution. In continuing to expand its educational scope and help meet the state’s workforce demands for skilled professionals, the CSU offers independent doctorates in audiology, education, nursing practice, occupational therapy, physical therapy and public health.

We are the largest and most diverse public university system in the U.S., welcoming and serving students of all racial, ethnic, financial and academic backgrounds.�
We produce nearly half of California’s bachelor’s degrees – one out of every 10 California employees holds a CSU degree

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Commitment to California

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What Can I Study at a CSU?

Animation/Illustration

Architecture

Aviation

Business

Cinema Television Arts/Film

Cybersecurity

Dairy Science

Education

Engineering (Various)�Fire Protection Administration

Forensic Science

Global Intelligence and National Security

Hotel Restaurant Management

Interior Design

Kinesiology/Sports Management

Music Industry & Tech.

Nursing

Radio/Television Film

And thousands of others….

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Find Your Program and Major

https://www.calstate.edu/degrees

Search for your program by using keywords

Once you find the right program, click on the “Get Started” link to begin your application

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Fall 2026 Freshmen Eligibility

Test FREE admissions
High school graduate or equivalent
Complete the 15-unit “a-g” college preparatory courses
Earn qualifying “a-g” grade point average (GPA)

CA Residents: 2.5 or greater
Between 2.0 and 2.49 may be evaluated based on supplemental factors

Area	Subject	Years
a.	History and Social Science	2
b.	English	4
c.	Mathematics	3
d.	Laboratory Science	2
e.	Language Other Than English	2
f.	Visual and Performing Arts	1
g.	College Preparatory Elective or an additional course from a-f	1
Total Required Courses		15

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Supplemental Factors

Primary Factors
GPA in all completed a-g courses (courses after 9^th grade – 11^th grade)
GPA and courses taken in subjects relevant to selected major
Number of academic courses beyond the minimum a-g requirements

Secondary Supplemental Factors

Location of high school and educational opportunities available (free & reduced lunch, CCPI, Other)
Student attributes: Foster youth, Military service
Activities/Engagement outside of school: Extracurricular activities, Work/Volunteer experience, Leadership roles

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What Is Impaction?

When a campus receives more applications than spaces it can provide.

More popular programs may ask for more than minimum requirements to gain admission.

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Impacted

Impacted at Freshmen Level & Major Level: All undergraduate programs, pre-programs, and undeclared/undecided programs are impacted

*Impacted at Freshmen Level only: local admission area taken into account

Cal State Fullerton

Cal State Long Beach

San Diego State

San Jose State�Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly Pomona*

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Non-Impacted Campuses

CSU Bakersfield

CSU Chico�CSU Channel Islands�CSU Dominguez Hills�CSU East Bay

Fresno State�Cal Poly Humboldt

CSU Los Angeles

Maritime Academy�Monterey Bay

Northridge

Sacramento

San Bernardino�San Francisco State

San Marcos �Sonoma State

CSU Stanislaus

Campuses accept all eligible applicants who meet minimum CSU admission requirements. Please note some campuses may have impacted programs.

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Application Period: August 1 – November 30

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Keep in Touch

Office of Admissions admissions @sdsu .edu

Virtual Front Desk admissions.sdsu.edu/contact

Request Information and Stay Connected sdsu.edu/stayconnected

@SDSUAdmissions

@SanDiegoStateUniversity