San Diego State University (SDSU) vs CSU-FC

San Diego State University (SDSU) and Colorado State University-Fort Collins (CSU) are two distinct universities with unique offerings. SDSU, located in the vibrant city of San Diego, California, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs. CSU, situated in the picturesque town of Fort Collins, Colorado, is known for its strong research focus and beautiful campus. While both universities share similarities, there are key differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Colorado State University-Fort Collins logo

Colorado State University-Fort Collins

San Diego State University logo

San Diego State University

Overview

Location Fort Collins, Colorado San Diego, California
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 86.0% 90.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 89.6% 37.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
SAT range 1080 - 1290 N/A
ACT range 23 - 29 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 38.0%
Students submitting ACT score 17.0%
Total number of applicants 31,586 67,660
Total number of admissions given out 28,314 25,646
Admitted students who chose to enroll 5,197 5,269
Yield rate 18.4% 20.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $27,174

Out of state: $46,456
In state: $28,256

Out of state: $40,136
Average net price $18,320 $6,867
Tuition
In state: $9,709

Out of state: $28,991
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,186

Meal plan: $6,830
Room/dormitory: $12,824

Meal plan: $6,344
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

70.0%
Average amount $10,034
47.0%
Average amount $9,026
Students receiving federal student loan 36.0%
Average amount $5,018
18.0%
Average amount $5,015
Students taking out private loans 7.0%
Average amount $19,976
2.0%
Average amount $21,638

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 24,954
Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
31,321
Men 43.1% Women 56.9%
Graduate students 7,632
Men 43.7% Women 56.3%
5,163
Men 35.9% Women 64.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 34.3% 24.2%
International students 4.8% 5.5%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Large
Dormitory capacity 8,300 6,514
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Colorado California Texas Illinois Washington California Washington Colorado Texas New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Agriculture
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Business
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 26:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 69.1% 76.2%
Dropout rate 18.5% 20.5%
Transferred out 10.4% 1.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $94,915
  • Year 3: $106,015
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,613
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $95,296
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,379
  • Year 2: $75,706
  • Year 3: $93,827
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,747
  • Year 2: $80,301
  • Year 3: $92,215
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,256
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $89,957
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,253
  • Year 2: $73,070
  • Year 3: $88,889
Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,603
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $88,546
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,387
  • Year 2: $83,546
  • Year 3: $86,814
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,629
  • Year 2: $71,778
  • Year 3: $83,089
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $55,849
  • Year 2: $67,101
  • Year 3: $80,723
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,200
  • Year 2: $68,499
  • Year 3: $87,104
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,225
  • Year 2: $87,377
  • Year 3: $85,451
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,870
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $80,004
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,965
  • Year 2: $65,089
  • Year 3: $79,350
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,385
  • Year 2: $69,757
  • Year 3: $78,880
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,997
  • Year 2: $66,318
  • Year 3: $76,755
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,008
  • Year 2: $71,575
  • Year 3: $75,680
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,000
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $75,014
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,495
  • Year 2: $62,317
  • Year 3: $73,021
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,099
  • Year 2: $67,995
  • Year 3: $72,884

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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