San Francisco State University (SFSU) Admission Requirement
What are San Francisco State University’s admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
- GPA requirements
- Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
- Application requirements
In this guide we’ll cover what you need to get into San Francisco State University and build a strong application.
School location: San Francisco, CA
This school is also known as: SFSU
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at San Francisco State University is 71.8%. For every 100 applicants, 72 are admitted.
This means the school is lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you’re almost certain to get an offer of admission. But if you don’t meet San Francisco State University’s requirements, you’ll be one of the unlucky few people who gets rejected.
San Francisco State University GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school’s average GPA for its current students.
The average GPA at San Francisco State University is 3.26.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.26, San Francisco State University accepts below-average students. It’s OK to be a B-average student, with some A’s mixed in. It’d be best to avoid C’s and D’s, since application readers might doubt whether you can handle the stress of college academics.
If you’re currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.26, you’ll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to San Francisco State University. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
San Francisco State University SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school’s average score.
The average SAT score composite at San Francisco State University is a 1057 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes San Francisco State University Competitive for SAT test scores.
San Francisco State University SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile New SAT score is 950, and the 75th percentile New SAT score is 1160. In other words, a 950 on the New SAT places you below average, while a 1160 will move you up to above average.
Here’s the breakdown of new SAT scores by section:
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
| Math | 520 | 470 | 570 |
| Reading + Writing | 537 | 480 | 590 |
| Composite | 1057 | 950 | 1160 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
San Francisco State University has the Score Choice policy of “Highest Section.”
This is also known as “superscoring.” This means that you can choose which SAT tests you want to send to the school. Of all the scores they receive, your application readers will consider your highest section scores across all SAT test dates you submit.
Click below to learn more about how superscoring critically affects your test strategy.
Therefore, if your SAT superscore is currently below a 950, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You have a very good chance of raising your score, which will significantly boost your chances of getting in.
Even better, because of the Superscore, you can focus all your energy on a single section at a time. If your Reading score is lower than your other sections, prep only for the Reading section, then take the SAT. Then focus on Math for the next test, and so on. This will give you the highest Superscore possible.
San Francisco State University ACT Requirements
Just like for the SAT, San Francisco State University likely doesn’t have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
The average ACT score at San Francisco State University is 21. This score makes San Francisco State University Moderately Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 17, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 23.
Even though San Francisco State University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 17 or below, you’ll have a harder time getting in, unless you have something else impressive in your application.
ACT Score Sending Policy
If you’re taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.
Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.
This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school’s ACT requirement of 17 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you’re happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.
ACT Superscore Policy
By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.
We weren’t able to find the school’s exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to San Francisco State University, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 17.
SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements
Both the SAT and ACT have an optional essay section.
San Francisco State University considers the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section optional and may not include it as part of their admissions consideration. You don’t need to worry too much about Writing for this school, but other schools you’re applying to may require it.
SAT Subject Test Requirements
Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.
We did not find information that San Francisco State University requires SAT subject tests, and so most likely it does not. At least 6 months before applying, you should still doublecheck just to make sure, so you have enough time to take the test.
Because this school is lightly selective, you have a great shot at getting in, as long as you don’t fall well below average. Aim for a 950 SAT or a 17 ACT or higher, and you’ll almost certainly get an offer of admission. As long as you meet the rest of the application requirements below, you’ll be a shoo-in.
But if you score below our recommended target score, you may be one of the very few unlucky people to get rejected.
Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
- 80-100%: Safety school: Strong chance of getting in
- 50-80%: More likely than not getting in
- 20-50%: Lower but still good chance of getting in
- 5-20%: Reach school: Unlikely to get in, but still have a shot
- 0-5%: Hard reach school: Very difficult to get in
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.