Undergraduate Admissions

General Admission Requirements and Procedures

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

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

Electronic California State University undergraduate applications are available at https://www.calstate.edu/apply. The Cal State Apply system allows students to browse through general information about CSU’s 23 campuses, view multimedia campus presentations, send and receive electronic responses to specific questions, and apply for admission and financial aid.

Applying online via https://www.calstate.edu/apply is expected unless electronic submission is impossible. An acknowledgment will be sent when online applications have been submitted.

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.