San Diego State University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
San Diego State University

Former names	San Diego Normal School (1897–1923) San Diego State Teachers College (1923–1935) San Diego State College (1935–1972) California State University, San Diego (1972–1974)
Motto	"Leadership Starts Here"
Type	Public research university
Established	March 13, 1897; 128 years ago (1897-03-13)
Parent institution	California State University
Accreditation	WSCUC
Academic affiliations	Space-grant
Endowment	$456.6 million (2023-24)
Budget	$1.43 billion (2024-25)
President	Adela de la Torre
Provost	William Tong
Academic staff	2,135 (fall 2023)
Students	38,369 (fall 2024)
Undergraduates	33,839 (fall 2024)
Postgraduates	4,557 (fall 2024)
Location	San Diego, California , United States 32°46′31″N 117°04′20″W / 32.77528°N 117.07222°W / 32.77528; -117.07222
Campus	Large city, 283 acres (1.15 km2)
Newspaper	The Daily Aztec
Colors	Red and black
Nickname	Aztecs
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS – Mountain West
Mascot	Aztec warrior
San Diego State College
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Location	5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, California
Area	283 acres (114.5 ha)
Architectural style	Mission/Spanish Revival
NRHP reference No.	97000924
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 4, 1997

San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public university in San Diego, California, United States. It was started in 1897. SDSU is the third oldest university in the California State University (CSU) system. It is also the most southern university in that system.

SDSU is the oldest higher education school in San Diego. It began as a "normal school" in University Heights. A normal school was a place to train teachers. In the fall of 2024, over 38,000 students were studying at SDSU.

The university has eight main colleges. It offers more than 200 different study programs for students. SDSU is known for doing a lot of important research. It also helps students from Hispanic, Asian American, and Pacific Islander backgrounds.

SDSU's sports teams are called the San Diego State Aztecs. Students chose the "Aztecs" nickname in 1925. They play in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports. They are mostly part of the Mountain West Conference. Starting in 2026, they will join the Pac-12 Conference. SDSU has 17 different sports teams. By 2021, athletes from SDSU had won 14 medals at the Olympic Games.

History of SDSU

San Diego State University started on March 13, 1897. It was first called the San Diego Normal School. Its main goal was to train women to be elementary school teachers. The school was on a 17-acre campus in University Heights. This area is now the main office for the San Diego Unified School District.

When it first opened, there were 7 teachers and 91 students. The classes were only English, history, and math. In 1923, the school became San Diego State Teachers College. It was a four-year public school run by the California State Board of Education.

By the 1930s, the school needed more space. In 1931, it moved to its current location. This is on Montezuma Mesa, which was then the eastern edge of San Diego. In 1935, the school started offering more than just teacher training. It was renamed San Diego State College.

In 1960, San Diego State College became part of the California State Colleges system. This system is now known as California State University. In 1972, the school changed its name again to California State University, San Diego. Finally, in 1974, it became San Diego State University (SDSU).

Famous Visitors and Events

John F. Kennedy, who was the president of the United States, gave a graduation speech at San Diego State College on June 6, 1963. He received an honorary degree in law. This made SDSC the first California State College to give such an award. This event was recognized as a California Historical Landmark in 1964.

On May 29, 1964, civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the Open Air Theater. He talked about his hopes for the future. He also asked for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to be passed.

In April 2012, the 14th Dalai Lama spoke at SDSU's Viejas Arena. His visit was part of his "Compassion Without Borders" tour.

SDSU Mission Valley Project

After the San Diego Chargers football team moved to Los Angeles in 2017, SDSU wanted to take over San Diego Stadium. This stadium was then called Qualcomm Stadium. It was where the San Diego State Aztecs football team played. The university's plan, called SDSU West, was approved by voters in November 2017.

On May 29, 2020, the city council agreed to sell 135 acres of land to SDSU for $88 million. SDSU started building a new 35,000-seat stadium in August 2020. This stadium, called Snapdragon Stadium, opened in September 2022. It hosts SDSU football games, concerts, and other events. It is also home to the San Diego FC (MLS) and San Diego Wave FC (NWSL) soccer teams.

The whole project, now called SDSU Mission Valley, is a $3.5 billion plan. It includes homes, offices, shops, hotels, and 80 acres of parks. This includes a 34-acre river park. The project will be built in stages over 15 years.

University Leaders

SDSU has had ten presidents. Some buildings on campus are named after past presidents. These include Hardy Memorial Tower, Hepner Hall, and Malcolm A. Love Library.

In March 2017, President Hirshman announced he would leave. Sally Roush was the temporary president until January 31, 2018. Then, Adela de la Torre became the permanent President. She is the first woman to hold this role permanently.

The following people have served as president of San Diego State University:

No.	Image	President	Start	End	Notes
1		Samuel T. Black	October 1, 1898	September 8, 1910
2		Edward L. Hardy	September 9, 1910	August 31, 1935
3		Walter R. Hepner	September 1, 1935	August 31, 1952
4		Malcolm Love	September 1, 1952	September 1971
acting		Donald E. Walker	September 1971	June 30, 1972
5		Brage Golding	July 1, 1972	August 31, 1977
acting		Trevor Colbourn	September 1, 1977	July 1, 1978
6		Thomas B. Day	July 5, 1978	July 4, 1996
7		Stephen L. Weber	July 5, 1996	July 4, 2011
8		Elliot Hirshman	July 5, 2011	June 30, 2017
acting		Sally Roush	July 1, 2017	June 27, 2018
9		Adela de la Torre	June 28, 2018	present

Campus Buildings and Features

Several buildings at SDSU are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are important historical sites.

• Scripps Cottage was built in 1931. It was funded by a donation from Ellen Browning Scripps. It was first used for women students' activities. In 1993, it became a center for international students.
• Next to Scripps Cottage is a famous turtle pond. The university actually meant for it to be a Koi Pond. The turtles are guests left by previous owners.
• Aztec Bowl was a stadium built in 1936. It cost $500,000. It was planned to be much bigger, but only expanded once in 1948.
• Viejas Arena was built over part of Aztec Bowl. It opened in 1997.
• The CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre (also called The Greek Bowl) was built with help from the Works Progress Administration. It opened in 1941.
• Hepner Hall was renamed in 1976 to honor Walter R. Hepner.
• Peterson Gymnasium was finished in 1961.
• Hardy Memorial Tower looks like a Spanish bell tower. It is one of the most famous buildings on campus. It used to hold the university's first library.

Other important buildings on campus include:

• Malcolm A. Love Library is the main library. It opened in 1971 and was named after President Malcolm A. Love. It was designed to hold one million books.
• The Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union opened in 2014. It is the first student union in the U.S. to get a special "LEED Platinum" award for being very eco-friendly.
• The Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center opened in 2009. It is home to the SDSU Alumni Association.
• Storm and Nasatir Halls were rebuilt and opened in 2014. They house many academic departments.

Student Housing

In 1937, Quetzal Hall was the first dormitory for students. Today, SDSU has housing for over 7,600 students. There are 22 dorm buildings on campus.

About 70% of new freshmen live on campus. SDSU offers special living communities. These include "pathways for transfers" and "explore San Diego."

Off-Campus Locations

Mount Laguna Observatory

Since 1968, SDSU's Astronomy Department has owned Mount Laguna Observatory. It is located in the Cleveland National Forest.

Biological Field Stations

SDSU also has several outdoor research stations:

• Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve
• Sky Oaks Field Station
• Fortuna Mountain Research Reserve
• Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve

Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL)

The Coastal and Marine Institute Laboratory (CMIL) is a lab for studying the ocean. It is located near the coast in San Diego.

Branch Campuses

SDSU Imperial Valley

SDSU has a branch campus called Imperial Valley Campus. It is in Calexico, California. It also has a smaller campus in Brawley, California. This campus now offers degrees in criminal justice, liberal studies, and psychology.

SDSU Georgia

SDSU Georgia is a branch campus in Tbilisi, Georgia. It works with three Georgian universities. This campus offers science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees.

Academics and Student Life

New Freshman Profile

	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015	2014
Applicants	90,112	82,691	76,821	67,602	64,700	69,713	68,897	60,554	60,545	58,898	56,759
Admits	32,249	28,344	30,231	25,610	23,711	23,685	23,676	21,311	20,858	20,204	19,524
% Admitted	35.8	34.3	39.4	37.9	36.6	34.0	34.4	35.2	34.5	34.3	34.4
Enrolled	6,538	6,095	6,514	5,236	4,798	5,210	5,680	5,301	5,011	5,142	4,978
Avg GPA	3.84	3.86	3.87	3.82	3.81	3.78	3.73	3.71	3.68	3.69	3.69
ACT	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	25.2	25.2	25.2	25.4	25.2	25.0	24.5
SAT*	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	1198	1212	1208	1195	1117	1118	1115
*(out of 1600)

The university offers 190 bachelor's degrees, 91 master's degrees, and 30 doctoral degrees. SDSU offers more doctoral degrees than any other campus in the California State University system. It also has the most doctoral students.

San Diego State University is one of the most popular universities to apply to in the United States. For the fall 2024 semester, it received over 90,000 applications. It accepted about 35.8% of applicants.

In Fall 2022, SDSU had a record high of nearly 37,000 students. It has over 400,000 alumni (former students) around the world.

University Rankings

U.S. university rankings
ARWU World	601-700
THES World	1001-1200
USNWR National University	109
Washington Monthly National University	99
Forbes	77

2024-2025 USNWR Best Regional Colleges West Rankings

Top Performers on Social Mobility	92
Top Public Schools	52
Best College for Veterans	70
Best Value School	162
Nursing	96
Economics	114
Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs	98 (At schools whose highest degree is a doctorate)

2025 USNWR Graduate School Rankings
Program	Ranking
Rehabilitation Counseling	7
Speech–Language Pathology	11
Audiology	23
Clinical Psychology	27
Public health	27
Education	45
Physical Therapy	50
Social Work	51
Part-time MBA	52
Public Affairs	72
Psychology	81
Fine Arts	89
Earth Sciences	98
Chemistry	108
Biological Sciences	119
Mathematics	133
Engineering	173

San Diego State University is often ranked among the best universities. Money magazine ranked SDSU 79th in the country in 2020 for "Best Colleges for Your Money." This ranking looks at how much value students get for their tuition.

U.S. News & World Report ranked SDSU tied for 143rd among national universities in 2021. It was also tied for 65th among "Top Public Schools." The College of Engineering's undergraduate program ranked tied for 102nd.

SDSU is also a top producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars. These are students who get scholarships to study abroad. The university ranks high for helping veterans. It is also known for its diverse student body. Nearly 45% of SDSU graduates are the first in their family to earn a college degree.

Internationally, SDSU offers many study abroad programs. Thirty-four SDSU programs require students to have an international experience to graduate. SDSU ranks first in California for students studying abroad. Its international business program ranks eleventh in the nation.

SDSU was the first university in the country to offer a women's studies program in 1970.

University Structure

Colleges and Schools

SDSU has three liberal arts colleges:

• College of Arts & Letters
• College of Sciences
• College of Professional Studies & Fine Arts

It also has five career-focused colleges:

• Global Campus
• Fowler College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Health & Human Services

SDSU also has the Weber Honors College.

Two schools at SDSU are named after people who gave large donations:

• L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Charles W. Lamden School of Accountancy

Additionally, SDSU has 11 specialized schools, such as the School of Communication, School of Music and Dance, and School of Nursing.

University Funding

The money that SDSU has saved, called its financial endowment, was worth over $495 million in 2021. The Campanile Foundation helps raise money for the university. The San Diego State University Research Foundation manages all the donations and grants for the university.

In the 2004–2005 school year, SDSU received over $157 million in grants for research. It also received an extra $57 million in donations.

Sports at SDSU

Men's Sports	Women's Sports
Baseball	Basketball
Football	Cross country
Basketball	Golf
Golf	Lacrosse
Soccer	Soccer
Tennis	Softball
	Swimming & Diving
	Tennis
	Track & Field†
	Volleyball
	Water Polo
† – Track and field includes both indoor and outdoor.

SDSU's sports teams are called the "Aztecs." The university has six men's and eleven women's sports teams.

Early sports on campus included rowing, tennis, basketball, golf, and baseball. The football team even had faculty members play because there weren't enough students. In 1923, the football team was so good that it started selling season tickets.

In 1955, the Aztec Club was started to help raise money for sports. This helped increase scholarships for athletes and hire better coaches. The cross-country team was very successful in the 1950s, winning many titles.

Don Coryell became the football coach in 1961. He led the team to win three championships from 1966–68. His record was 104 wins, 19 losses, and 2 ties. Famous coaches like John Madden and Joe Gibbs helped him. Attendance at games grew from 8,000 to over 26,000. In 1969, San Diego State College moved to NCAA Division I.

The men's volleyball team won the NCAA national championship in 1973. This was SDSU's first national title in Division I.

SDSU competes in Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Its main conference is the Mountain West Conference. The women's rowing team is in the American Athletic Conference. The women's water polo team is in the Golden Coast Conference. The men's soccer team is in the Pac-12 Conference. The university colors are red and black. The mascot is the Aztec Warrior.

Baseball

The baseball team plays at Tony Gwynn Stadium. It opened in 1997. It is named after Tony Gwynn, a famous baseball player and coach who played for SDSU.

Football

The football team plays in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). The team started playing at the new Snapdragon Stadium in 2022. There is a rivalry between the SDSU Aztecs and the Fresno State Bulldogs. The winner gets the "Old Oil Can" trophy.

Basketball

The men's and women's basketball teams play at Viejas Arena on campus. The court is named Steve Fisher Court, after a long-time coach. Both teams practice at the Jeff Jacobs JAM Center. The men's team has been to fifteen NCAA Division I tournaments. Their best finish was in the 2023 tournament.

Soccer

The men's and women's soccer teams play at the SDSU Sports Deck. This facility opened in 2000. The women's team plays in the Mountain West Conference. The men's team plays in the Pac-12 Conference. In 1987, the men's team reached the NCAA Division I Men's Championship final.

Volleyball

The women's volleyball team plays at Peterson Gymnasium. The former men's volleyball team won the 1973 NCAA men's volleyball tournament. This was SDSU's first national championship in any sport in Division I.

Other Sports

• The SDSU Sports Deck is home to both men's and women's soccer teams and the women's track & field team.
• The softball team plays at the SDSU Softball Stadium, which opened in 2005.
• The women's swimming and diving and water polo teams use the Aztec Aquaplex. This facility opened in 2007 and has an Olympic-size swimming pool.
• Both men's and women's tennis teams play at the Aztec Tennis Center. This 12-court facility opened in 2005.
• Aztecs rugby is a club sport that started in 1958. The men's team won the US National Collegiate Rugby Championship in 1987.
• Other water sports are based at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center (MBAC). This center offers many outdoor activities for SDSU students.

Student Life and Traditions

Campus Media

Students started publishing The White and Gold in 1902. This was a literary magazine and newspaper. The school newspaper, The Aztec, became The Daily Aztec in 1959. It is now the largest daily college newspaper in California.

Other SDSU media and publications include:

• San Diego State University Press
• KCR (SDSU) College Radio
• KPBS Public Broadcasting TV/FM
• 360 Magazine
• Montezuma Publishing

Clubs and Activities

Some of the first clubs on campus were the Debating Club and the Associated Student Body. The oldest club was the Rowing Association.

Formula SAE

Aztec Racing is SDSU's Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) student group. Each year, engineering students design and build a race car. They then compete against other universities in the Formula SAE competition.

Greek Life

Fraternities and sororities have been part of SDSU for over 100 years. SDSU has many recognized Greek-letter groups.

LGBT-Friendly Campus

San Diego State University was recognized in 2016 as one of the best universities for supporting LGBT students. The Campus Pride Index listed SDSU on its "Best of the Best" Top 30 list. SDSU was the first university in California to offer a major in LGBT studies. In 2014, SDSU opened a Pride Center to help LGBT students.

S Mountain

On February 27, 1931, students painted rocks to form a 400-foot white "S" on Cowles Mountain. This "S" was lit up at night for football games. It was once the largest college symbol in the world. During World War II, the "S" was covered up so it wouldn't be a target for enemy planes. Students repainted it after a brush fire in 1988.

School Colors and Aztec Mascot History

The first school colors were white and gold. Later, they became blue, gold, and white. Then, they changed to gold and purple. On January 28, 1928, the colors became scarlet (red) and black.

The school's earlier nicknames included "Normalites" and "Wampus Cats." In 1925, students voted to use the "Aztec" name. This decision came as the school planned to move to a new campus. The school newspaper was also renamed 'The Aztec'.

In 1937, artist Donal Hord created a sculpture called "Aztec." It was made from a 2.5-ton block of black stone. This sculpture was an artistic representation of the Aztec mascot.

In 1941, a student first dressed up as an Aztec for a football game skit. This character became known as Monty Montezuma.

Mascot Discussions

Like other mascots based on historical groups, the Aztec mascot has been discussed. In 2005, the NCAA said it was not "hostile and abusive." SDSU explained that Aztecs were not a Native American tribe in the U.S., but were important to Mexican culture.

However, the Aztec Warrior has received some criticism. Some worry that the mascot might make people think Aztecs were a local tribe, even though they lived far away in Mexico.

The SDSU Native American Student Alliance (NASA) has asked for the mascot to be removed. In May 2021, the university senate voted to look into replacing the human depiction of the Aztec Warrior. They plan to work with local tribes to choose new animal symbols from the Kumeyaay heritage.

See also In Spanish: Universidad Estatal de San Diego para niños