Diversity & Expression
One of the top 15 universities for campus diversity according to U.S. News and World Report 2009 rankings, SF State's faculty and students represent a range of backgrounds, interests and points of view.
SF State draws students from around the globe to study on campus. The University typically enrolls more international students than any other master's degree-granting institution in the United States, according to the Institute of International Education. Overall, SF State enrolls 1,600 international students representing 94 countries; 499 are graduate students. Asian countries account for nearly 74 percent of the University's international student body, topped by Japan with 425 students, followed by Taiwan (169 students), South Korea (134), China (117) and Mexico (82).
The University's Web site won a California Digital Inclusion Award in 2008 in recognition of the site's ease of use and accessibility for all users. The California Digital Inclusion Awards are jointly awarded by the Center for Accessible Technology and the California Emerging Technology Fund and the University Web site was recognized specifically for its home page design which features an expandable menu of links making it easier for visitors using assistive technology such as screen readers to navigate the site.
In 2009, SF State's College of Business was ranked No. 8 in the country by the Princeton Review for providing opportunities to minority students.
SF State ranks 12th nationwide in awarding undergraduate degrees to minorities according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, with 50 percent of its 2007-2008 baccalaureate degrees earned by members of underrepresented minority groups.
Continuously ranked among the nation's top institutions in attracting and supporting Hispanic students, SF State was a Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education "Publisher's Pick" for 2002 and 2003, cited for offering excellent educational opportunities for Hispanic students.
According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, SF State ranks ninth nationwide for awarding undergraduate degrees to Asian Americans in all disciplines and 31st for awarding undergraduate degrees to Hispanic graduates.
SF State consistently ranks among the highest of the 23 campuses in the California State University system for students studying overseas. In the 2003-2004 academic year, a total of 190 students are exploring different cultures and teaching the world about the United States through overseas experiences.
San Francisco State ranks 16th in the nation among all U.S. colleges and universities producing Peace Corps volunteers. In 2008, SF State received an award from Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen recognizing the University’s long-time commitment to the Peace Corps. More than 1, 200 SF State alumni have gone on to serve as volunteers in the program.
Minority students flourish at SF State in part because faculty reflect the diversity of California. Non-white faculty members comprise 39 percent of the University's tenure/tenure-track faculty. In addition, the number of female tenured/tenure-track faculty has increased steadily since 1988, with women now comprising 47 percent of the tenure/tenure-track faculty.
The College of Ethnic Studies is the first and only such academic program in the United States offering undergraduate degrees in black (now Africana) studies, Asian American studies and La Raza studies. The college's graduates go to top doctoral programs, including those at Yale, Stanford and the University of California.
One of the first U.S. universities to offer a master's degree in Asian American Studies, SF State founded the only Vietnamese American Studies Center in the country in 1996.
