San Jose State University: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.

San Jose State University is a public university with an acceptance rate of 55%. Located on 154 acres in downtown San Jose, SJSU offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in 134 fields. Business administration is the most popular major among undergraduates, but communications studies, engineering, and art are also strong. At the master's level, the library science major is well respected. The school's Silicon Valley location provides many opportunities for students in technical and professional fields. In athletics, the SJSU Spartans compete in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference.

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

Acceptance Rate

During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, San Jose State University had an acceptance rate of 55%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 55 students were admitted, making SJSU's admissions process competitive.

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

Admissions Chances

San Jose State, which accepts just over half of applicants, has a selective admissions process. 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 are based primarily on an eligibility index that combines GPA and test scores. Minimum high school course requirements include two years of history and social science, four years of college prep English, three years of math, two years of laboratory science, one year of visual or performing arts, and one year of a college preparatory elective. 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 Jose State University is designated as impacted because it receives more applications than can be accommodated. Due to impaction, the university holds all applicants to a higher standard. In addition, majors in the College of Engineering 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 18 or higher.