The average acceptance rate at San Diego State over the past 10 years is 35.78%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 36.19%.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 22.58%, and the 2025 yield is 20.36%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 20.88% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of San Diego State applicants increased by 8.66% (7,172 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 52.36% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 36.19%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that San Diego State maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 20.36%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at San Diego State. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, San Diego State received approximately 89,972 applications, admitted 32,561 students, and enrolled 6,629 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that San Diego State is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
San Diego State 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at San Diego State over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 35.78%, while the most recent rate stands at 36.19%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 36.19%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 34.21% and for women is 36.88%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at San Diego State have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 34.41% | 33.67% | 34.97% |
| 2016-17 | 34.64% 0.23% |
34.05% 0.38% |
35.07% 0.10% |
| 2017-18 | 35.42% 0.78% |
34.87% 0.82% |
35.82% 0.75% |
| 2018-19 | 34.58% -0.84% |
33.40% -1.47% |
35.45% -0.37% |
| 2019-20 | 34.13% -0.45% |
32.98% -0.42% |
34.94% -0.51% |
| 2020-21 | 36.70% 2.58% |
36.21% 3.23% |
37.04% 2.10% |
| 2021-22 | 38.00% 1.30% |
35.00% -1.21% |
40.00% 2.96% |
| 2022-23 | 39.26% 1.26% |
36.26% 1.26% |
41.34% 1.34% |
| 2023-24 | 34.44% -4.82% |
31.53% -4.72% |
36.55% -4.79% |
| 2024-25 | 36.19% 1.75% |
34.16% 2.62% |
37.64% 1.09% |
| Average | 35.78% | 34.21% | 36.88% |
San Diego State has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 25.73% in 2015 to 20.36% in 2025, representing a 20.88% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 22.58%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at San Diego State from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 20.88% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 25.73% | 27.52% | 24.44% |
| 2016-17 | 24.09% -1.64% |
25.91% -1.61% |
22.79% -1.65% |
| 2017-18 | 24.87% 0.78% |
26.45% 0.53% |
23.75% 0.96% |
| 2018-19 | 23.96% -0.91% |
24.72% -1.73% |
23.44% -0.32% |
| 2019-20 | 22.07% -1.89% |
22.43% -2.29% |
21.82% -1.61% |
| 2020-21 | 20.41% -1.66% |
20.48% -1.95% |
20.35% -1.47% |
| 2021-22 | 21.00% 0.59% |
22.00% 1.52% |
20.00% -0.35% |
| 2022-23 | 21.67% 0.67% |
22.40% 0.39% |
21.23% 1.23% |
| 2023-24 | 21.61% -0.06% |
22.78% 0.39% |
20.87% -0.36% |
| 2024-25 | 20.36% -1.25% |
20.49% -2.29% |
20.27% -0.60% |
| Average | 22.58% | 23.52% | 21.90% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 70,271, the average number of admitted is 25,177, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 5,631.
The number of San Diego State applicants increased by 8.66% (7,172 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 52.36% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at San Diego State University from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 59,051 | 20,321 | 5,229 |
| 2016-17 | 60,834 3.02% |
21,072 3.70% |
5,077 -2.91% |
| 2017-18 | 60,910 0.12% |
21,574 2.38% |
5,366 5.69% |
| 2018-19 | 69,399 13.94% |
23,998 11.24% |
5,750 7.16% |
| 2019-20 | 70,048 0.94% |
23,905 -0.39% |
5,275 -8.26% |
| 2020-21 | 64,784 -7.51% |
23,778 -0.53% |
4,852 -8.02% |
| 2021-22 | 67,660 4.44% |
25,711 8.13% |
5,399 11.27% |
| 2022-23 | 77,250 14.17% |
30,331 17.97% |
6,573 21.74% |
| 2023-24 | 82,800 7.18% |
28,517 -5.98% |
6,162 -6.25% |
| 2024-25 | 89,972 8.66% |
32,561 14.18% |
6,629 7.58% |
| Average | 70,271 | 25,177 | 5,631 |
The following table compares San Diego State University' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego State University | 34.44% | 36.19% | 5.08% |
| University of Nevada-Reno | 73.71% | 85.31% | -13.60% |
| San Jose State University | 84.61% | 80.23% | 5.46% |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus | 95.18% | 95.45% | -0.28% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins | 88.54% | 89.59% | -1.17% |
| United States Air Force Academy | - | - | - |
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