For the application year 2024, San Diego State University has an overall acceptance rate of 35.9%, with 90,509 applicants and 32,561 admitted. The Regular Decision (RD) acceptance rate mirrors the overall rate at 35.9%. Transfer students have a notably higher acceptance rate of 53.4%, with 16,284 applicants and 8,707 accepted. The waitlist acceptance rate is 17.1%, with 10,520 offered a spot and 1,804 ultimately admitted. Historical data shows a steady acceptance rate around 34% to 39% in recent years, indicating a competitive but relatively stable admissions environment.

San Diego State University’s overall acceptance rate for the application year 2024 is 35.9%, with 90,509 applicants and 32,561 admissions. This marks a slight increase from the previous year’s rate of 34.1% for 2023, where 83,190 students applied and 28,433 were accepted. Historically, acceptance rates have fluctuated, peaking at 39.2% in 2022 and dipping to a low of 34% in 2019. Consistently, the rates have remained relatively stable over the past five years, indicating a competitive but manageable applicant pool.
San Diego State University's wait list acceptance rate for the application year 2024 is 17.1%, with 1,804 out of 10,520 applicants being accepted. This marks a significant increase from the previous year (2023), where the acceptance rate was only 10% with 869 admissions from 8,646 offers. Additionally, the historical trend shows substantial fluctuations: in 2022, no applicants were admitted from the wait list, while the acceptance rate was 4.7% for 2021 and 15.9% for 2020. Overall, these stats indicate a notable rebound in 2024 compared to recent years.
San Diego State University's transfer acceptance rate for the application year 2024 stands at 53.4%, with 8,707 out of 16,284 applicants accepted. This marks a decline from the previous year's acceptance rate of 58.7%, where 9,647 applicants were admitted out of 16,410. Historically, the transfer acceptance rates have seen significant fluctuations; in 2022, the rate was only 37% from a much larger pool of 23,594 applicants, while in 2021, it was 29.7% with 7,631 accepted from 25,677 applicants. The average GPA of admitted transfer students is strong at 3.84, indicating a competitive applicant pool.
| Race | Applicants |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 32.7% |
| White | 37.5% |
| Asian American | 13.2% |
| Black/African American | 2.6% |
| American Indian/Alaskan Native | 0.07% |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1% |