San Francisco State University was founded in 1899 as a normal school and is now a public research university. It is the oldest member of the 23-campus California State University (CSU) system. The 852-acre (3.4 km2) campus sits on the western edge of San Francisco, bordered by Lake Merced and the Pacific Ocean. The main campus consists of five schools and colleges: Liberal & Creative Arts, Business, Education, Ethnic Studies, and Science & Engineering. In addition to undergraduate programs, SF State is home to 26 master’s degree programs and four doctoral programs spread across these five academic units. It also offers two joint doctoral degree programs with UCSF: a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and a Doctor of Physical Therapy.
As of Fall 2019, there were 30,943 students enrolled at SF State, with minorities comprising 56% of total enrollment. African Americans make up 15.8% of undergraduates, Native Americans 3%, Asians 20%, Filipinos 10%, Hispanics 18%, White non-Hispanics 7%, multiracial 2% and unknown 1%. The university has one of the highest percentages of Asian American students out of all public universities in California. The large majority (~80%) are first-generation college students or from low-income families. Just over half (54%) receive some form of financial aid.