San Francisco State University

What San Francisco State University does

San Francisco State University is a public, four-year research university and a constituent campus of the California State University (CSU) system, founded in 1899 and headquartered in San Francisco, California. It enrolls approximately 21,000 students annually and serves a degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate population across multiple colleges, with particular strengths in design (alumni contributing to FIFA World Cup 26 creative work), nursing (Accelerated BSN program scaled ~25% with a new pediatric simulation room via Sutter Health CPMC), and disability studies. Its academic offerings are delivered through traditional on-campus programs, NCAA Division II athletics, and ancillary study abroad/continuing education opportunities.

SFSU's revenue model is that of a public university: a combination of state appropriations through the CSU system, tuition and fees from ~21,000 enrolled students, auxiliary services, sponsored research, and philanthropic gifts. The institution is WSCUC-accredited and reports ~300,000 alumni, providing a durable brand and donor pipeline. Recent financial signals include a $3.65 million Heising-Simons Foundation grant for Pacific Coastal Fog research (in collaboration with UC Santa Cruz, Notre Dame, and Indiana University) and a $2 million Mellon Foundation grant to expand disability studies, indicating active fundraising in research and programmatic expansion.

The institution's strategic posture emphasizes social mobility, applied research, and employer-linked healthcare programming rather than frontier technology commercialization. Disclosed technology footprint is limited to a single BrainTwin-AI research collaboration, with no proprietary AI products or platforms identified in the input data. The 125th commencement ceremony hosted at Salesforce Tower in 2026 signals brand-building and reputational positioning within the Bay Area market.

Name

San Francisco State University

Legal name

San Francisco State University

Website

https://sfsu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

San Francisco State University is a public California State University campus founded in 1899, enrolling approximately 21,000 students across multiple colleges and serving a diverse, social-mobility-focused undergraduate and graduate population in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Public university
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Academic research

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. State Funding: San Francisco State University receives millions in state funding per year as part of the California State University system
2. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate programs including online and continuing education
3. Private Donations and Grants: Philanthropic contributions and private grants including major foundation funding such as the $2 million Mellon Foundation grant
4. Healthcare Partnerships: Healthcare industry partnerships providing investment and collaboration in nursing and health sciences education

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

San Francisco State University is a public university delivering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple colleges (Liberal & Creative Arts, Business, Ethnic Studies, Cinema, Health Sciences, etc.), along with online and continuing education through CPAGE. The university also offers NCAA Division II athletics, research programs, student services, and an alumni publication (SF State Magazine), funded through state appropriations, tuition, grants, and donations.

Product overview

San Francisco State University is a public university offering undergraduate and graduate academic programs across multiple colleges including Liberal & Creative Arts, Business, Ethnic Studies, and Cinema. The university's offerings include academic degree programs, athletics (NCAA Division II Gators), alumni publications (SF State Magazine), research facilities (Pediatric Simulation Room), and student services (virtual tours, advising). It is part of the California State University system and is accredited by WSCUC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs across multiple colleges (Liberal & Creative Arts, Business, Ethnic Studies, Cinema, Health Sciences, etc.) for first-year and transfer students seeking undergraduate education.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's and doctoral degree programs in various academic disciplines for students pursuing advanced research, professional development, and specialized training.
• Online and Continuing Education Flexible online learning options and continuing education certificates (including Paralegal Studies) for non-traditional students seeking career upskilling and remote learning access.
• SFSU Athletics (Gators) NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics program sponsoring 10 sports teams including men's and women's basketball, cross country, soccer, softball, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling.
• SF State Magazine Official award-winning alumni publication of SFSU, published semiannually and distributed to tens of thousands of alumni worldwide; features stories on alumni achievements, campus news, and university history.
• Virtual Campus Tour Interactive virtual tour experience allowing prospective students to explore SFSU campus facilities, learn about campus life, and discover the university environment remotely.

Quantifiable outcome

• 32% of students are first in their family to attend college
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salesforce Tower Top Art ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Collaboration led by Jim Campbell and Emma Strebel for world's highest public art installation. SFSU Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts students created artwork displayed at top of Salesforce Tower at 1,070 feet celebrating Class of 2026.
• Sutter Health CPMCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026Partnership between Sutter Health's CPMC and SFSU for pediatric nursing education. Includes $200,000 investment to open a pediatric simulation room on campus that began pilot use in March 2026, supporting approximately 120 pre-licensure nursing students annually and addressing pediatric workforce shortages in California.
• UC Santa CruzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Research collaboration on Pacific Coastal Fog Research (PCFR) project, a $3.65 million five-year initiative studying coastal fog chemistry, ecosystem impacts, and climate change effects along the California coast with 15 fog collectors deployed.
• Notre DamecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Research collaboration on Pacific Coastal Fog Research project alongside UC Santa Cruz, SFSU, and Indiana University Bloomington studying fog's importance for ecosystems including redwood forests and Salinas Valley agricultural region.
• Indiana University BloomingtoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026Research collaboration on Pacific Coastal Fog Research project studying coastal fog along California's coast with deployment of fog collectors at 15 field sites.
• The Arc San FranciscocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 October 2025Partnership with The Arc SF to deepen collaboration with Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability, which transitioned from SFSU to The Arc SF in 2025 while maintaining its mission to amplify disability community voices.
• Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing grassroots partnership between SFSU and MCCLA established in 1977, promoting similar progressive values and community engagement. MCCLA provides opportunities for SF State students as interns and features faculty creative work.
• Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Nature Conservancy for Design students to create solutions protecting coastal bull kelp habitat, addressing climate-change related ecological challenges.
• Pocket OperaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with San Francisco Pocket Opera on animated film 'A Pocket Magic Flute' featuring SFSU Cinema students and alumni, which became a finalist for Digital Excellence in Opera Award.
• UC Law San FranciscominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to move some Lam Family College of Business programs to UC Law SF's Academic Village as part of university collaboration trend.
• City College of San FranciscominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership helping paraprofessionals earn teaching credentials, supporting transitional kindergarten education pathway.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• University of San Francisco: Bay Area private university competing for the same urban applicant pool as SFSU but with a tuition-dependent model, religious affiliation, and different funding structure.

Direct peers

• California State University, Northridge: Comprehensive urban CSU campus with an access-and-diversity mission similar to SFSU and overlapping applied professional programs.
• California State University, Fullerton: Large CSU campus comparable in scale and mission, with a strong transfer and first-generation focus that mirrors SFSU's access-and-mobility positioning.
• San Jose State University: Sister CSU campus serving the Bay Area with similar comprehensive program offerings, comparable urban setting, and overlapping applicant demographics. SFSU's closest peer in geographic and structural terms.
• California State University, Long Beach: One of the largest CSU campuses with a similarly diverse student body and comparable undergraduate and graduate program offerings.
• California State University, Los Angeles: Urban CSU campus serving diverse, first-generation-heavy populations with comparable applied undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Cal Poly Pomona: CSU peer balancing polytechnic-style professional programs with broad access, similar in scale and demographics to SFSU.
• California State University, Sacramento: Comprehensive CSU campus comparable in scale and mission, focused on access, diversity, and applied graduate programs that mirror SFSU's positioning.
• California State University, East Bay: CSU peer campus serving the East Bay with similar diverse, transfer-heavy student demographics and a comparable applied program mix. Direct competitor for the same regional applicant pool.

Broad incumbents

• University of California, Berkeley: Broader California public university that competes with SFSU for top Bay Area talent but operates as a research-intensive institution with much larger resources and prestige.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SFSU
• Facebookfacebook.com/sanfranciscostate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-state-university-17909
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanfranciscostate

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco State University