Undergraduate Admissions

General Admission Requirements and Procedures

Admission Procedures and Policies

Requirements for admission to San Francisco State University are in accordance with Title 5, Chapter 1, Subchapter 3, of the California Code of Regulations. Complete information is available on the California State University website.

All CSU applications must be submitted online on the Cal State Apply website. An acknowledgment will be sent to the applicant when the online application has been submitted.

Importance of Filing Complete, Accurate, and Authentic Application Documents

San Francisco State University advises prospective students that they must supply complete and accurate information on the application for admission, residency questionnaire and financial aid forms. Further, applicants must, when requested, submit authentic and official transcripts of all previous academic work attempted. Failure to file complete, accurate and authentic application documents may result in denial of admission, cancellation of registration or academic credit, suspension or expulsion (Section 41301, Article 1.1, Title 5, California Code of Regulations).

Undergraduate Application Procedures

Prospective students applying for part-time or full-time undergraduate programs of study must submit a completed undergraduate application. The $70 nonrefundable application fee should be paid online at the time of application via credit card or PayPal and may not be transferred or used to apply to another term. An alternate major may be requested on the application if desired by the university. The applications of persons denied admission to an impacted university may be redirected to another university at no cost, but only if the applicant is CSU eligible.

Impacted Programs

The CSU designates programs as impacted when more applications from regularly eligible applicants are received in the initial filing period (October and November for fall terms, June for winter terms, August for spring terms, February for summer terms) than can be accommodated. Some programs are impacted at every university which they are offered; others are impacted only at a few universities.

Candidates for admission must meet all of the university's specified supplementary admission criteria if applying to an impacted program or university.

The CSU will announce during the fall filing period those CSUs or programs that are impacted. Detailed information on university and program impaction is available on the Impaction at the CSU website.

Each university will communicate supplementary admission criteria for all impacted programs to high schools and community colleges in their application service area and will disseminate this information to the public through appropriate media. This information will also be published on the San Francisco State University website at sfsu.edu.

Applicants must file applications for admission to an impacted program during the initial filing period. Applicants who wish to be considered for impacted programs at more than one CSU should file an application at each university for which they seek admission consideration.

Supplementary Admission Criteria

Each university with impacted programs or class-level admission categories uses supplementary admission criteria in screening applicants. Supplementary criteria may include rank-ordering of freshman applicants based on the combination of student's "A-G" GPA and supplemental factors or rank-ordering of transfer applicants based on verification of the Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) or Associate in Science Transfer (AS-T) degrees, the overall transfer grade point average (GPA), completion of specified prerequisite courses and a combination of campus-developed criteria. Applicants for freshman admission to impacted universities or programs may need to have a higher "a-g" GPA. In no case will standardized test scores be utilized in making freshman admission decisions.

The supplementary admission criteria used by individual CSUs to screen applicants are made available by the universities to all applicants seeking admission to an impacted program.

Undergraduate applicants who are unsure of these requirements should consult a high school or community college counselor or San Francisco State University’s Admissions Office. Students without online access should contact any California high school, community college, or Office of Admissions at any CSU campus. San Francisco State accepts applications for admission for the fall and spring semesters only.

Application Filing Periods

Application periods for SF State may change. For the most current information, see the Future Students page at www.sfsu.edu/future/. Please note that some major programs do not accept applications for spring admission.

Fall Semester

  • Applications first accepted: October 1
  • Initial filing period: October 1 to November 30

Spring Semester

  • Applications first accepted: August 1
  • Initial filing period: August 1 to 31

Filing Period Duration

Each campus accepts applications until capacities are reached. Many campuses limit undergraduate admissions in an enrollment category due to overall enrollment limits. If applying after the initial filing period, consult https://www.calstate.edu/apply for extended application filing deadlines.

Importance of Filing Complete, Accurate, and Authentic Application Documents

SF State advises prospective students that they must supply complete and accurate information on the application for admission, residency questionnaire, and financial aid forms. Further, applicants must, when requested, submit authentic and official transcripts of all previous academic work attempted. Failure to file complete, accurate, and authentic application documents may result in denial of admission, cancellation of registration or academic credit, suspension, or expulsion (Section 41301, Article 1.1, Title 5, California Code of Regulations).

Cancellation of Admission

Admission will be canceled automatically if a student is accepted by SF State for a given semester and does not register for that semester. If the student wishes to undertake work at the University at a later date, they must file a new application, pay a new application fee, and meet the requirements for admission in effect at the time of admission.

Reservation

The University reserves the right to select its students and deny admission to the University or any of its programs as the University, in its sole discretion, determines appropriate based on an applicant's suitability and the best interests of the University.

 

Freshman Requirements

Generally, applicants will qualify for consideration for first-time freshman admission if they meet the following requirements:

  1. Have graduated from high school, have earned a Certificate of General Education Development (GED), or have passed the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE);
  2. Complete the 15-unit comprehensive "a-g" pattern of college preparatory courses;
  3. Have completed, with grades of C- or better, each of the courses in the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory subject requirements also known as the "a-g" pattern (see "Subject Requirements"); and
  4. Earn a qualifying "a-g" grade point average (GPA) as described below.
    • California residents and graduates of California high schools will be eligible for admission by earning a 2.50 or greater "a-g" GPA.
    • Any California high school graduate or resident of California earning a GPA between 2.00 and 2.49 may be evaluated for admission based upon supplemental factors such as number of courses exceeding minimum "a-g" requirements, household income, extracurricular involvement, and other available information that would inform the university admission decision.
    • Non-California residents may be eligible for admission to the CSU by earning a 3.00 or greater "a-g" GPA along with other supplemental factors utilized by the individual university, including those outlined by impacted universities and programs.
    • Any non-California resident earning a GPA between 2.47 and 2.99 may be evaluated for admission based upon supplemental factors such as number of courses exceeding minimum "a-g" requirements, household income, extracurricular involvement, and other available information that would inform the university admission decision.
  5. Each CSU will determine the supplemental factors used with GPA to determine eligibility in these cases and communicate these criteria publicly for prospective students.

The California State University (CSU) has permanently discontinued the use of ACT/SAT examinations in determining admission eligibility Submitted test scores by admitted students would be considered only for purposes of student placement in Math or English courses.

Provisional Admission

San Francisco State University may provisionally admit first-time freshman applicants based on their academic preparation through the junior year of high school and planned coursework for the senior year. The university will monitor the final terms of study to ensure that admitted students complete their secondary school studies satisfactorily, including the required college preparatory subjects, and graduate from high school. Students are required to submit an official transcript after graduation to certify that all coursework has been satisfactorily completed. Official high school transcripts must be received prior to the deadline set by the university. In no case may documentation of high school graduation be received any later than the census date for a student's first term of CSU enrollment. A CSU may rescind admission decisions, cancel financial aid awards, withdraw housing contracts and cancel any university registration for students who are found to be ineligible after the final transcript has been evaluated.

Applicants will qualify for regular (non-provisional) admission when the university verifies that they have graduated and received a high school diploma, have completed the comprehensive pattern of college preparatory "a-g" subjects and, if applying to an impacted program or university, have met all supplementary criteria.

Subject Requirements

The CSU requires that first-time freshman applicants complete, with grades of C- or better, a comprehensive pattern of college preparatory study totaling 15 units. A "unit" is one year of study in high school.

  • 2 years of social science, including 1 year of U.S. history, or U.S. history and government
  • 4 years of English
  • 3 years of math (algebra, geometry, and intermediate algebra; four years recommended)
  • 2 years of laboratory science (1 biological & 1 physical, both must have laboratory instruction)
  • 2 years in the same foreign language (subject to waiver for applicants demonstrating equivalent competence)
  • 1 year of visual and performing arts: art, dance, drama/theater, or music
  • 1 year of electives: selected from English, advanced mathematics, social science, history, laboratory science, foreign language, visual and performing arts or other courses approved and included on the UC/CSU "a-g" list

Finish in Four, Through in Two Program (formerly California Promise)

The Finish in Four, Through in Two Program enables a specific number of CSUs to establish pledge programs for entering first-time students who are both interested and able to complete baccalaureate degrees in 4-years. All CSUs have established programs for students with Associate Degrees for Transfer from any California Community College to complete their baccalaureate degrees in 2-years. The program is limited to students who are residents of California.

Students who commit to enter either the 4-year or 2-year pledge will be given a priority registration appointment for each state-supported enrollment period and will be provided with routine and thorough academic advisement. In order to remain in the program, students must meet with their advisors as prescribed, develop an enrollment plan and complete 30 semester units or the quarter equivalent within each academic year, including summer. Participating CSUs may stipulate other requirements as well. Interested students entering the CSU should contact university offices or visit the Finish in Four, Through in Two website.

High School Students

High school students may be considered for enrollment in certain special programs if recommended by the principal and the appropriate university department chair and if preparation is equivalent to that required of eligible California high school graduates. Such admission is only for a given specific program and does not constitute a right to continued enrollment.