by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for San Diego State University, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
Use the section links below to navigate this overview:
Cost of attendance at San Diego State University fell between $27,357.00 and $39,957.00 across residency tiers.
Residency made the difference: in-state students paid the lower rate and out-of-state students the higher rate: close to $27,357.00 in-state compared with $39,957.00 for out-of-state students.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $8,728.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,629.00 |
| Total cost | $27,357.00 |
| That is 42% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $27,357.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,416.00 |
| Net price | $14,941.00 |
| That is 22% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $27,357.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$17,870.00 |
| Net price | $9,487.00 |
| That is 51% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $21,328.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $18,629.00 |
| Total cost | $39,957.00 |
| That is 108% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $39,957.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$12,416.00 |
| Net price | $27,541.00 |
| That is 43% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $39,957.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$17,870.00 |
| Net price | $22,087.00 |
| That is 15% above the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on tuition and fees and room and board. |
Cost of attendance here has been rising by roughly 2.2% per year, so the four-year total runs well above today’s cost. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Freshman year | $9,693.00 | $15,265.00 | $27,951.00 |
| Senior year | $10,338.00 | $16,281.00 | $29,810.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $40,052.00 | $63,077.00 | $115,494.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $15,258.00 | $24,030.00 | $43,999.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $461.00 | $726.00 | $1,329.00 |
| Total amount paid | $55,310.00 | $87,107.00 | $159,493.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Freshman year | $9,693.00 | $15,265.00 | $27,951.00 |
| Senior year | $9,903.00 | $15,596.00 | $28,557.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $19,596.00 | $30,862.00 | $56,508.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $7,465.00 | $11,757.00 | $21,527.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $226.00 | $355.00 | $650.00 |
| Total amount paid | $27,061.00 | $42,619.00 | $78,035.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Freshman year | $22,566.00 | $28,139.00 | $40,824.00 |
| Senior year | $24,067.00 | $30,010.00 | $43,540.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $93,246.00 | $116,271.00 | $168,688.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $35,523.00 | $44,295.00 | $64,264.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,073.00 | $1,338.00 | $1,941.00 |
| Total amount paid | $128,769.00 | $160,566.00 | $232,952.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% |
| Freshman year | $22,566.00 | $28,139.00 | $40,824.00 |
| Senior year | $23,056.00 | $28,749.00 | $41,710.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $45,622.00 | $56,888.00 | $82,534.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $17,380.00 | $21,672.00 | $31,442.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $525.00 | $655.00 | $950.00 |
| Total amount paid | $63,003.00 | $78,560.00 | $113,976.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net-price section.
The net price figure shows the cost after grants and scholarships are deducted. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $15,364.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $16,174.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. The table below shows the average net price by family-income bracket:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,655.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $10,241.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,205.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,176.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $24,913.00 |
For a personalized estimate, try the San Diego State University Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
Want to know how that aid is awarded? See the financial aid page.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of San Diego State University amounts to $12,847.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) debt-burden category.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,749.00 |
| 25th | $6,130.00 |
| Median (50th) | $12,847.00 |
| 75th | $23,531.00 |
| 90th | $30,591.00 |
The gap between 10th and 90th percentile borrowers gives a sense of how uneven debt outcomes are.
Explore borrowing, repayment, and default in detail on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. Below the data splits borrowers across three income groups:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $12,441.00 |
| Middle income | $12,500.00 |
| High income | $14,996.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $12,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $14,000.00 |
The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant for undergraduates from low-income families. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of San Diego State University works out to $-1,500.00.
The default-rate category at San Diego State University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.2% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at San Diego State University reach $1,447,319,745.00 over 74,448 student borrowers.
Veteran and active-military students often access dedicated federal aid programs like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 906 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $6,490.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 23 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,360.00 |
For the full rundown of veteran and military benefits, see the veterans benefits detail.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through San Diego State University, a few questions are worth asking:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.