San Diego State University

For more than a century, San Diego State University has been providing undergraduate and graduate students with a well-balanced, high quality education. With an enrollment of approximately 30,000 students, SDSU is the largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region and one of the largest in California. It has also become one of the most popular among new undergraduates, receiving more than 62,000 applications for the fall 2011 academic year.

Renowned for its academic excellence, the university is home to top-ranking programs in education, international business, social work, biology and many more. Currently, more than a dozen graduate programs are ranked in the top 50 in their categories by U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Graduate Schools." SDSU students can choose from 84 undergraduate majors, 76 master's programs and 18 doctoral degree programs in areas ranging from construction engineering to journalism and media studies.

Located just miles from the Pacific Ocean and less than an hour from the U.S.-Mexico border, SDSU students are extending their educational experiences well beyond the borders of the campus. In fact, SDSU ranks No. 1 in California and No. 2 in the nation (among universities of its type) for sending students abroad as part of their college experience. More than 1,800 SDSU students studied abroad last year, traveling to places like China, India and Japan. In addition, the university has pioneered several dual and triple degree programs which allow students to earn degrees from universities worldwide in addition to SDSU.

Increasingly recognized for innovative research, SDSU has achieved the prestigious designation of Research University with high research activity granted by the Carnegie Foundation. SDSU has been ranked as the #1 small research university in the country by Academic Analytics for four consecutive years. Since 2000, SDSU faculty and staff have attracted more than $1 billion in grants and contracts for research and program administration.

Private giving to SDSU has also risen sharply in recent years, $65 million in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Since 1999, SDSU has raised nearly $600 million in private support - 250 percent more than the total raised during the university's previous 102-year history.

SDSU faculty are committed to the teacher-scholar model, contributing unique and model research that benefits the world-at-large while giving undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to have hands-on research experience. Students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future.

SDSU, its students and alumni serve as a key engine for the San Diego regional economy, producing thousands of graduates each year, 60 percent of whom stay in San Diego to pursue their careers.

A strong community partner, SDSU is committed to serving the richly diverse San Diego region. The university leads programs focused on advancing urban education, improving local water quality and enriching cross-border relationships with Mexico.

SDSU's beautiful and historic campus serves to enrich the student experience, providing leading-edge laboratories and high-tech classrooms within its Spanish-style architecture. Thousands of students live on campus and many more participate in campus life through the hundreds of academic, athletic and Greek organizations. The Division I Athletics program at SDSU is among the strongest in Southern California. SDSU had one of its most successful years in 2010-11 when the SDSU men's basketball team went to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament and the SDSU football team beat Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl. In addition, SDSU's student section called 'The Show' has been called one of the best in college basketball.