MUSE - A Spartan Scholar from the Start: SJSU Facts
SJSU Facts
- The “metropolitan university” of Silicon Valley.
- The home of the Spartans!
- The oldest institution of public higher education west of the
Mississippi River.
- A place of learning for more than 22,000 undergraduates and more
than 5,000 graduate students.
- A busy campus, where you can join one or more of 200 students
clubs.
- A gathering place of scholars, with 1,600 professors dedicated
to helping SJSU students succeed and
become lifelong learners.
- A crossroads of cultures, where students and faculty from numerous
ethnicities, races, lifestyles and backgrounds live, work and learn
together.
- Home of the “gold, blue and white” (SJSU colors since
1961).
- A Western Athletic Conference (WAC) member with 16 sport teams.
- A crucial provider of an educated workforce, information and
innovation for Silicon Valley.
- The Student Body was organized in 1898. In 1923, it was renamed
Associated Students.
- There has been a school paper at SJSU since 1867 when the Acorn
began. In 1934, the State College Times was replaced by the Spartan
Daily which continues as the campus paper. You can find the archives
in the campus library.
- SJSU has had a football team since 1892.
- San José State College became CSU, San José in 1972,
marking the achievement of university status. In 1974, it was renamed
San José State University.
- The campus celebrated its centennial in 1957 with the theme: “Pioneers
for 100 Years.”
SJSU now consists of 8 colleges
- Applied Sciences & Arts,
- Business,
- Education,
- Engineering,
- Humanities and The Arts,
- Science,
- Social Sciences, and
- Social Work, as well as a Division of Extended Studies and International
Programs
SJSU – A Part of California History
As a San José State University student, you are part of a
rich and fascinating history that ties to the history of California,
the City of San José, teacher training, and higher education.
SJSU is the oldest public institution of higher education on the West
Coast. San José State began as Minns’ Evening Normal
School in San Francisco in 1857 – during the California Gold
Rush. This city school became a state school—the California
Normal School, created by the California legislature in 1862.
In subsequent years, several cities attempted to get the school to
relocate and San José was selected by the California legislature
in 1870. The cornerstone of the new school building at the Washington
Square site donated by the City of San José was laid on October
20, 1870.
1857 versus today: Things have indeed changed. In 1857, the Normal
School’s purpose was solely to train teachers. Today, training
of K-12 teachers remains a significant part of the university’s
activities, but, in addition, San José State offers more than
130 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. In 1870, the population
of the City of San José was about 9,000. Today, the city has
a population exceeding 900,000 and San José State University
itself has over 27,000 students.
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