The May issue of Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education ranks SFSU 38th in the country in the number of Latinos who graduate with bachelor's degrees. The ranking is based on data from the 1999-2000 academic year. SFSU also ranked 54th in the country in the number of master's degrees awarded to Latino graduates.

For the 2001-2002 academic year, Latinos make up 15 percent of SFSU's student population.

The University is known as a welcoming place for Latino students. The Raza Studies Department, part of SFSU's unique College of Ethnic Studies, offers more than 25 classes each semester, ranging in topic from the pre-Hispanic art of Mexico to comparative music and folklore. Many courses also have service learning components where students work with community groups that serve the Latino population of the Bay Area. There are also several active Latino student groups including the La Raza Student Association and Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA).

SFSU is also home to the Cesar E. Chavez Institute for Public Policy. The Institute conducts academic research on critical issues facing Raza communities in California, with an emphasis on the San Francisco Bay Area. The Institute assists students, faculty, and community organizations by providing funds for research for social, economic, political, cultural and educational projects that have direct bearing on Latinos.