History
Founded in 1857, San Jose State's history began before the Civil War, as the first State Normal School, which trained teachers who educated the people of a young California. Now, SJSU is a dynamic comprehensive university that anchors the 10th largest city in the United States, and Spartans are found around the globe.
Education
San Jose State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study.
Research
- College of Graduate Studies
- SJSU Research Foundation
- Division of Research and Innovation
Career
Through our dynamic campus community and international network of more than 270,000 alumni, opportunities abound for sharing a broad range of perspectives.
Student services
Student Assistants (SAs) will represent the student voice within the department of Student Involvement (SI).
Housing services
- The Bricks "Classics"
- Joe West Hall "Classics"
- Campus Village
Library services
San José State University (SJSU) King Library
Medical services
The role of the SJSU Student Health Center is to serve all registered students by providing treatment and care in support of the student community’s well-being. You can receive attention for acute conditions, injuries, and illnesses from licensed physicians.
Campus life
San Jose State's location in the Silicon Valley makes it an exceptionally rewarding learning environment for students.
With additional campus locations, the SJSU main campus is home to more than 50 major buildings (23 academic buildings, seven residence halls) on 19 city blocks in downtown San Jose.
Making the decision to live on-campus is one of the best choices you can make in college! Students who live in the residence halls find themselves in the heart of our Spartan culture, with athletic events, lectures, classes, dining, and tons of activities happening literally just outside your front door!
Sports facilities
- CEFCU Stadium
- Spartan Gym
- Excite Ballpark
- Spartan Golf Complex
- Spartan Soccer Complex
- Athletic Training Rooms
- Football Locker Rooms
- Football Practice Field
- Koret Athletic
- Training Center
- Simpkins Stadium
- Spartan Recreationand Aquatic Center
Student clubs
- Alpha Phi Sigma National Criminal Justice Honor Society
- Chi Pi Sigma Fraternity
- Forensic Science Students - Forensic Science Club (FSS)
- Justice Studies Task Force
Accreditation
Our colleges and departments are accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Various programs are accredited by specialized accrediting agencies.
San José State University Overview
San José State University Rankings
Study Portals Meta Ranking
Top 25.9% United States
Top 17.7% Worldwide
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
Best Global Universities Rankings
1677
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 53 places compared to 2025
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
3 year trend Best Global Universities Rankings
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1452 | 1624 | 1677 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
San José State University Campus Locations
#1 Main Campus
United States Country
San Jose City
San José State University Student Reviews & Awards
4.4
Based on 38 reviews
- 5 Star 18 Reviews
- 4 Star 16 Reviews
- 3 Star 4 Reviews
- 2 Star 0 Reviews
- 1 Star 0 Reviews
How Students Rated This University
- Overall Satisfaction 4.4
- Student Teacher Interaction 4.4
- Student Diversity 4.2
- Quality of Student Life 4.2
- Career Development 4.5
Inviting San José State Campus
I love San Jose State and everything about it! My experience has been nothing short of amazing! Aside from a parking shortage due to mass amounts of commuting students and some specific professors, SJSU is great!
Downtown SF Convenience
The school is in downtown sf area so there are some sketchy people sometimes but there is also plenty of interesting places to eat and shop nearby. Great school to attend there is usually parking in at least one of the many parking structures that also have charter buses to get you to campus if your not nearby.
Diverse SJSU community
San Jose State University has been a great place for my undergraduate and postgraduate studies. I feel comfortable and part of the community. The staff, faculty and advisors are responsive and hold your best interest at heart.. The student body is a great representation of the diversity of the area, and class discussions are often insightful to the different cultures and people that make up the San Jose State University community.
Studied here? Share your experience
Global Student Satisfaction Awards 2025
The Global Student Satisfaction Awards empower students across the globe to determine the best universities of 2025. Universities with a score above 4.0 (out of 5) in any of the 7 award categories, receive Badges of Excellence. Congratulations!
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Overall SatisfactionHow would you rate your overall study experience?
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Student Teacher InteractionHow helpful were your teachers?
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Student DiversityHow diverse was the atmosphere at your university?
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Quality of Student LifeHow was your everyday life?
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Career DevelopmentDid the university provide support for your career development?