Real costs by school · San Diego, CA · Public
At San Diego State University, families earning $75,000–$110,000 paid an average of $15,891 per year — the published cost of attendance is $27,780. (Federal College Scorecard data, July 2026 refresh.)
| Household income | Avg net price / yr | ≈ four years* |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $9,910 / yr | $41,771 |
| $30–48k | $10,017 / yr | $42,222 |
| $48–75k | $12,697 / yr | $53,518 |
| $75–110k | $15,891 / yr | $66,981 |
| Over $110k | $23,821 / yr | $100,406 |
*Four-year figures grow each year's price by 3.5% — the same method College Compass uses in a family's plan. "Net price" is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education — not a calculator's estimate. Federal reporting groups every income above $110k into one band; families well above it often pay closer to the full cost.
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| Admit rate | 31% in-state · 91% out-of-state — the school's own Common Data Set |
|---|---|
| Merit | 11% of no-need freshmen · avg $2,390 — the school's own Common Data Set |
| Paperwork | no extra essays — school-verified Aug 2026 |
Nine questions, then San Diego State University's odds for your student with the math shown — plus your income band's price and its deadlines. First three schools free.
Run San Diego State University for your student →At $75,000–$110,000 of household income, the distance between San Diego State University's published sticker price and what families in that band actually paid is $11,889 a year — a 43% discount off the number on the brochure. That ranks it 18th lowest of the 24 California schools on this site at that income. Graduates report a median $64,909 10 years out — roughly 97% of the four-year cost at this income band.
Earnings and completion from federal reporting — not the school's own placement survey.
These are averages. Your family isn't average.
Run San Diego State University against your student's real GPA, your income band, and your actual high school — odds with the math shown, the paperwork it requires, and its deadlines on one plan. First three schools free.
University of California-San Diego · California State University-Long Beach · University of California-Los Angeles