Paying for San Francisco State

How much does San Francisco State University tuition cost?

The 2025 tuition & fees of San Francisco State University is $7,846 for in-state and $20,446 for out-of-state students. San Francisco State's tuition & fees has risen more than 5% this year.

Its tuition & fees is lower than the average tuition for R2 Universities' tuition of $31,790 based on out-of-state tuition rate.

Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at San Francisco State is $8,292 for California residents and $21,656 for out-of-state students, a 5.9% increase compared to 2025's rate.

San Francisco State 2025 Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-StateR2 Universities' Average
2023-2024$7,424 $19,304$30,674
2024-2025$7,846$20,446$31,790
Change % 2024-20255.68%5.92%3.64%
2025-2026 Estimate$8,292$21,656$32,947
Explore San Francisco State University

How much do you actually pay at San Francisco State?

The living costs at San Francisco State is $27,000 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 23.10% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 9.73%.

The San Francisco State's 2025 COA is $35,946 for in-state and $48,546 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $37,062 for in-state and $49,662 for out-of-state students.

63% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $12,110. It could cover 59.23% of the full tuition amount.

After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $23,836 for in-state and $36,436 for out-of-state students..

San Francisco State University 2025 Cost of Attendance (COA)
On-CampusOff-Campus
In-StateOut-StateIn-StateOut-State
Tuition & Fees$7,846$20,446$7,846$20,446
Room & Board$22,266$22,230
Personal Expenses$4,734$5,886
Books & Supplies$1,100$1,100
COA$35,946$48,546$37,062$49,662
COA with Financial Aid$23,836$36,436$24,952$37,552

San Francisco State 4-Years Tuition

How Much is San Francisco State tuition for 4 years?

San Francisco State's 4-years tuition is $32,453 for in-state and $84,679 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.

San Francisco State 4 Years Tuition & Fees Estimates
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$7,952$8,058$8,167$8,277$32,453
Out-of-State$20,732$21,021$21,315$21,612$84,679
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$8,058$8,167$8,277$8,388$32,890
Out-of-State$21,021$21,315$21,612$21,914$85,862
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$8,167$8,277$8,388$8,501$33,332
Out-of-State$21,315$21,612$21,914$22,220$87,061
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$8,277$8,388$8,501$8,615$33,780
Out-of-State$21,612$21,914$22,220$22,530$88,276
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$8,388$8,501$8,615$8,731$34,234
Out-of-State$21,914$22,220$22,530$22,845$89,509

Net Price for 4 Years at San Francisco State

Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $158,132 for California residents and $210,358 for out-of-state students.

San Francisco State 4 Years COA
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$37,319$38,752$40,249$41,812$158,132
Out-of-State$50,099$51,714$53,397$55,148$210,358
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$38,752$40,249$41,812$43,445$164,259
Out-of-State$51,714$53,397$55,148$56,972$217,231
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$40,249$41,812$43,445$45,151$170,659
Out-of-State$53,397$55,148$56,972$58,871$224,388
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$41,812$43,446$45,152$46,934$177,344
Out-of-State$55,148$56,972$58,871$60,850$231,841
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$43,446$45,152$46,934$48,796$184,329
Out-of-State$56,972$58,871$60,850$62,911$239,603

Actual COA after Receiving Financial Aid

After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $109,692 for California residents and $161,918 for out-of-state students.

San Francisco State 4 Years COA after Receiving Financial Aid
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$25,209$26,642$28,139$29,702$109,692
Out-of-State$37,989$39,604$41,287$43,038$161,918
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$26,642$28,139$29,702$31,335$115,819
Out-of-State$39,604$41,287$43,038$44,862$168,791
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$28,139$29,702$31,335$33,041$122,219
Out-of-State$41,287$43,038$44,862$46,761$175,948
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$29,702$31,336$33,042$34,824$128,904
Out-of-State$43,038$44,862$46,761$48,740$183,401
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$31,336$33,042$34,824$36,686$135,889
Out-of-State$44,862$46,761$48,740$50,801$191,163

San Francisco State's Graduate Tuition

The graduate school tuition at San Francisco State University is $9,370 for in-state and $19,450 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at San Francisco State graduate program page.

San Francisco State Graduate Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
2023-2024$8,858 $18,362
2024-2025$9,370$19,450
Change % 2024-20255.78%5.93%
2025-2026$9,912$20,602

Tuition Per Credit Hour

For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at San Francisco State is $0 for California residents and $420 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $0 for California residents and $420 for out-of-state students.

Per Credit Hour Charge at San Francisco State
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
Undergraduate2023-2024-$1$396
2024-2025$0$420
2025-2026 (Estimate)-$445
Graduate2023-2024-$396
2024-2025-$420
2025-2026 (Estimate)-$445

San Francisco State Tuition Charts

The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at San Francisco State. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.

Compare Tuition with Similar Colleges

The following table compares tuition & fees between San Francisco State University and its similar schools.

Compare Details
Tuition Comparison between San Francisco State and Similar Colleges
In-StateOut-of-State
San Francisco State University$7,846$20,446
University of California-Los Angeles$14,233$46,121
University of California-Berkeley$15,377$47,265
University of California-San Diego$15,788$47,676
California State University-Fullerton$7,470$20,070
California State University-Long Beach$7,374$19,974

San Francisco State Tuition Frequently Asked Questions

For the academic year 2024-2025, the undergraduate tuition & fees at San Francisco State are $7,846 for California residents and $20,446 for out-of-state students.
The total cost of attendance (COA) at San Francisco State for the academic year 2024-2025 includes tuition & fees, books & supplies, and living expenses. For in-state students, the estimated COA is $35,946 and $48,546 for out-of-state students. Actual costs may vary depending on housing choices and personal expenses.
It has been risen by 5.68% for California residents and increased by 5.92% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year. The graduate tuition has been risen by 5.78% for California residents and increased by 5.93% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year.
63% of San Francisco State undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, with an average aid amount of $12,110 per student. Additional financial aid options are available through San Francisco State's financial aid office.

In-State (California Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $158,132, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $8,277 per year, which would total around $32,453 over four years.

Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $210,358. The tuition and fees are around $21,612 per year, totaling about $84,679 over four years.

San Francisco State charges $420 per credit hour for all undergraduates. Graduate students pay $420 per credit hour.

The in-state undergraduate tuition at San Francisco State is lower than the average for similar schools ($11,041 - public Research University (high research activity)).

The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at San Francisco State is a little bit lower than the average for similar schools ($23,595 - public Research University (high research activity)).

The in-state graduate tuition at San Francisco State is lower than the average for similar schools ($11,778 - public Research University (high research activity)).

The out-of-state graduate tuition at San Francisco State is a little bit lower than the average for similar schools ($22,098 - public Research University (high research activity)).

Ratings & Review

Share your experiences and thoughts about San Francisco State University. It will be a great help to applicants and prospective students!

Be the first reviewer
Most Searched California Colleges (last 30 days)
Related Articles and Ads