San Francisco State University Reviews

"The classes that i took within my major were competitive and on the level of other UC and private colleges. There are many opportunities to network and find jobs. Even the classes that were outside my major had many students that were kind and dedicated to their classes. I recommend this school for anyone that takes their academic serious and applies themselves."

"I think I had very high hopes about going to San Francisco State. I'm the youngest in my family, but the only one to attend University, so I thought it would be like the movies... Unfortunately, it was not. I didn't know prior to attending that SFSU was considered a commuter school, so there wasn't much life to the campus. It felt harder to make friends because everyone just comes for class, doesn't talk to anyone, then leaves. I also felt that the campus it self wasn't that nice during my time. They have just renovated the gym, so that was probably the only nice thing about the campus. Other than that, I remember walking down the halls thinking to myself, this is no better than my high school.Read Less"

"This school is really what you make it. Since it's a commuter school, there isn't much social life unless you find it. Although it's small, the network that you will meet will probably help you in the long run. The teachers do care about you and will try to help you. They are a mixed bag, each having its flaws, but you learn a lot from them. It's a good school if you are looking for something less expensive."

"Overall, I felt that I had a relatively positive experience with my school. I was in the Technical and Profressional Writing (TPW) program at SFSU, and while the program was small, I felt that the director of the program was great at being proactive with helping students figure out where to go after graduation. I was confused as to which direction my degree would take me, and I felt that my professors were great at advising me on different types of careers. I also greatly enjoyed the campus of SFSU, and loved the area that it was in. The only negative part was when I was told that I was a credit away from graduating; I was told I would have to take another semester at school to fully graduate, which was frustrating to me at first. But eventually, months down the road I was granted permission to graduate since the requirement was waived for me.Read Less"

"Overall great school and good professors. I wish there was more of a social scene that some schools have but it did the job to get my education. There was also a lot of support along the way from my department which is something I appreciated. I’m glad I went to this school."

"I have mixed opinions going here. I was a commuter student so my opinion should take that into account. Student life was very dull. There are very few clubs, not many gatherings, and it's hard to make friends. Education really depended on your major. Overall I felt most professors cared about your journey and were encouraging."

"I had a really great experience at San Francisco State University, especially in the Kinesiology department. From the start, it felt like the professors actually cared about us as individuals, not just names on a roster. They made an effort to get to know us, understand our goals, and be approachable whenever we had questions. That kind of environment made it a lot easier to stay engaged and motivated throughout the program.One of the standout parts for me was definitely the labs. They were hands-on, interactive, and honestly just fun. Instead of feeling like extra work, they helped bring everything we were learning in lectures to life. You could really see how the concepts applied in real-world situations, which made the material stick way better. It never felt repetitive or boring—there was always something new to learn or try.Another thing I appreciated was how manageable the workload was. The homework was meaningful and helped reinforce what we were learning, but it never felt overwhelming or like busy work. It was totally possible to keep up without feeling constantly stressed, which made a big difference in actually enjoying the experience.Overall, the Kinesiology program felt really well-balanced. It challenged me in a good way while still being supportive and flexible. I walked away feeling confident in what I learned and prepared for what’s next. I’d easily recommend it to anyone considering the program.Read Less"

"I absolutely love San Francisco State University. The professors that I have taken are all nice and lectures are engaging. There are lots of clubs and activities for you to join on campus. I make lots of friends during my time in SFSU. I love everything in here."

"The cinema program and other programs have received extensive budget cuts recently that make these programs not as great as they once were. Equipment needs to be replaced and all of the lecturers have been cut. If you truly want to go here, the education is not bad. However, specifically for cinema, I would recommend looking at colleges near LA."

"SF State has a fairly large campus where there are interspersed trees and buildings. The view is fairly nice, and the campus is large. Parking is quite bad though because the parking structure costs $10 per day unless you manage to get a parking pass. In terms of quality of classes, computer science is only held up by junior and senior professors. Bierman and Jose Costa were the only teachers who seemed to integrate real world integration into their studies. Others tended to have the bare minimum necessities to teach and relied on pre done work loads through online services (read as lazy and unhelpful).Read Less"

"SFSU was a great environment, I loved going here, I love that it's close to home, and even feels like home. I only took online classes for the time I was here, but from my experiences, I loved every single part of it. My professors were great, attentive, and are absolutely passionate about their teaching and students. There are lots of clubs, events, and communities to be part of. Make sure to explore SF, and of course check out the Stonestown Mall right next."

"The teachers were smart and tried to always put the students first. I enjoyed the environment as the school was in an amazing city full of culture and life. I think the school was up to date with the times and tried to be in tune with students' needs."

"I loved my college experience at San Francisco State University! The campus is beautiful and diverse. My professors were very helpful and there were always resources available if I needed them. While Kinesiology was my major, I also had the opportunity to obtain a minor in Asian American Studies. SFSU is home to the first ethnic studies program. Learning about the history of the establishment of ethnic studies inspired me to take those classes. I do not regret attending this school as it shaped how I view the world today!Read Less"

"San Francisco State University's graduate program is very competitive and not diverse at all. The chair of the department is very incompetent at her job, she does not respond to emails or questions effectively and when I emailed the counseling department, whoever emailed me back could not spell the word application. Most of the staff have a very nasty attitude and are unwilling to help students with questions. If you apply for the graduate program, good luck. Don't waste your time or money."

"The public health program cares very little about the well being of its students they have professor Lisa Moore who constant harasses her students and pushes her own political views on them. She really does not care about her students and when brought up to the director nothing was done."

"San Francisco State University is a commuter school. There are many students that come from all around the Bay Area, and many that come from Southern California. It is known to be a commuter school because students tend to just go to class and go home. There are extracurricular activities on campus but it is not fully submerged in the school spirit type of way. SFSU is an amazing school that will get you the education you need and provide you with the training needed for your career."

"I hope that the classes have changed since I was a student here. For me, the program was unsupportive (truth: they were completely absent) when there were egregious problems with faculty. I was physically and emotionally bullied by two program faculty members, and told the program directors about both. Nothing changed, and I was given no support. I was basically brushed off (both still teaches there as far as I can tell). Teachers for most classes were terrible. I suffered through and earned the degree, but that was in spite of the program. Honestly: look elsewhere.Read Less"

"San Francisco State University is a heavily impacted commuter school. It is hard to enroll in classes and the Psychology department is impacted, meaning students do not get into their major until their junior year. During the first two years, the focus is on general education, which was uninteresting to me. However, after being accepted into the Psychology department, professors and lecturers were extremely supportive and welcoming."

"As a San Francisco native, I commuted to San Francisco State University (SFSU) so I did not immediately feel connected to the campus when I started. I would very much consider this school to be a commuter school but in contrast, there are a lot of great clubs and organizations to be a part of. I was fortunate enough to get involved in the Metro Academy program that provided support to first-generation college students as well as the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Both of these services combined gave me the support I needed to succeed in college. Also in my second year at SFSU, I stumbled upon the Holistic Health department and center, which provided me the community I needed. If you are interested in eastern medicine, meditation, and stress reduction, I would highly recommend you look into this department! I met so many wonderful people that I am still friends with today. I would highly recommend anyone commuting to this school or new to the city, to seek out a community on campus. This helped me feel so much more connected to my studies and my environment on campus. In addition to this, SFSU is a beautiful campus located in a great area of the city. This campus stands on the foundation of many great grassroots movements and is a highly respected institution with great professors. If you are seeking to live in San Francisco, the education you will get at SFSU is wonderful and one of the least expensive universities in the city.Read Less"

"San Francisco State University offers a variety of different majors. My major was psychology and I believe it is a well rounded program that teaches a lot about what is to be expected from the outside world. I came in as a transfer student and I believe the process to get into the psychology department is easier when you transfer in. The professor's there are well educated and eager to help any student. The psychology program here also offers a lot of different volunteer sites which gives you an opportunity to see what field of psychology you may want to pursue. The school itself is very diverse in it's students and culture overall. You meet people from all parts of the world and the beautiful landscape of the school just keeps you in awe. I would not have wanted to get my bachelor's anywhere else and I am more then grateful that I had the opportunity to attend San Francisco State University.Read Less"