A Brief Overview of SJSU

San José State University's location in the Silicon Valley makes it an exceptionally rewarding learning environment for students. Silicon Valley firms and agencies seek SJSU students for internships, summer work programs and for assistance with research and development projects. Silicon Valley firms employ more graduates from SJSU than from any other university in the nation.

Located on 154 acres in downtown San José, the university offers the excitement of studying at a large, metropolitan campus where many cultures meet. Yet students find personal attention from faculty members in the smaller setting of the university's eight colleges.

San José is a newly revitalized city which hosts major sports, the arts, museums and restaurants serving a wide variety of cuisines. The Santa Cruz coastline is less than an hour away; San Francisco is one hour north.

Mission

To enrich the lives of its students, to transmit knowledge to its students along with the necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and to expand the base of knowledge through research and scholarship.

Accreditation

SJSU is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Various college programs are accredited by specialized accrediting agencies. Additional information can be found on the university's WASC Accreditation site.

Affiliations

Western Athletic Conference
NCAA Division I

Men's Sports:

Baseball
Basketball
Cross country
Football (Div. 1-A)
Golf
Soccer

Women's Sports:

Basketball
Cross country
Gymnastics
Soccer
Softball
Swimming
Tennis
Volleyball
Water Polo

Faculty

Number of faculty: 1,590
Average class size: 26 students
Student to faculty ratio: 18:1

History

Founded in 1857, San José State is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West Coast. From its beginnings as a normal school to train teachers for the developing frontier, SJSU has matured into a metropolitan university offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations.

Timeline Overview

1857
George W. Minns founds California's first public institution of higher education, located in San Francisco.
1862
The Minns school becomes California State Normal School.
1871
The State Normal School moves to San José.
1881
A branch campus is established in Los Angeles. This branch later becomes UCLA.
1887
The State Normal School becomes San José State Normal School.
1910
Tower Hall (State Historic Landmark No. 417) and new facilities replacing those damaged in the Great Earthquake of 1906 are dedicated.
1921
The school is renamed San José State Teachers College.
1935
The college becomes San José State College.
1949
SJSC awards its first master's degrees.
1961
SJSC is incorporated into the California State Colleges (now the 23-campus California State University system).
1972
SJSC becomes California State University, San José marking the achievement of university status.
1974
CSU, San José, is renamed San José State University.
1990
The number of students tops 30,000.
1993
Campus reaches cultural pluralism, with no ethnic majority.
1994
San Carlos Street is closed, from 4th Street through 10th Street, unifying the campus.
1996
SJSU begins competition in the Western Athletic Conference. The city and the university celebrate the official opening of Paseo de San Carlos.

Did you know?

Public Affairs
Division of University Advancement
One Washington Square
San José, CA 95192-0005
408-924-1166