San Jose State University facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
San José State University

Former name	Minns' Evening Normal School (1857–1862) California State Normal School (1862–1921) San Jose State Teachers College (1921–1935) San Jose State College (1935–1972) California State University, San Jose (1972–1974)
Motto	"Powering Silicon Valley"
Type	Public university
Established	1857; 168 years ago (1857)
Founder	George W. Minns
Parent institution	California State University
Accreditation	WSCUC
Academic affiliations	USU Space-grant
Endowment	$250.8 million (2023–24)
Budget	$448.4 million (2023–24)
President	Cynthia Teniente-Matson
Provost	Vincent Del Casino
Academic staff	2,179 (Fall 2023)
Administrative staff	1,424 (Fall 2022)
Students	36,062 (Fall 2023)
Undergraduates	27,111 (Fall 2023)
Postgraduates	8,595 (Fall 2023)
Location	San Jose , California , United States 37°20′07″N 121°52′53″W / 37.3353°N 121.8813°W / 37.3353; -121.8813
Campus	Large city, 154 acres (62 ha) on main campus and 62 acres (25 ha) on south campus
Newspaper	The Spartan Daily
Colors	Blue and gold
Nickname	Spartans
Sporting affiliations	NCAA Division I FBS - Mountain West WAC MPSPS WCC Southland
Mascot	Sammy Spartan
California Historical Landmark
Official name: First Normal School in California (San Jose State College)
Designated	1/6/1949
Reference no.	417

San José State University (also known as San Jose State or SJSU) is a large public university located in San Jose, California. It was started in 1857, making it the oldest public university on the West Coast. SJSU is also the very first campus of the California State University (CSU) system. It began as a "normal school," which was a special type of school that trained teachers.

The main campus of SJSU is in downtown San Jose. It covers about 154 acres, which is like 19 city blocks. As of spring 2023, SJSU offers many different programs. Students can choose from 150 bachelor's degrees, 95 master's degrees, and five doctoral degrees. The university is officially recognized by the WASC Senior College and University Commission.

In fall 2023, over 36,000 students attended SJSU. This includes almost 8,600 students studying for graduate degrees. SJSU is known for having a very diverse student body. In fact, in fall 2022, it had the most graduate, Asian, and international students of any CSU campus.

SJSU is a top choice for students who want to work in Silicon Valley technology companies. Many graduates from SJSU go on to work in these firms. The university also receives a lot of donations, which helps support its programs.

The sports teams at SJSU are called the Spartans. They compete in NCAA Division I sports, including FBS football, as part of the Mountain West Conference.

History of San José State University

How SJSU Started

San José State University began in 1857 as the Minns Evening Normal School. It was founded in San Francisco by George W. Minns. This school was created to train future teachers.

In 1862, the California government officially recognized it. The school was renamed the California State Normal School. That year, 54 women graduated from its three-year program.

The school moved to San Jose in 1871. It was given land at Washington Square Park, where the campus is still located today.

In 1881, a large bell was made for the school. It was inscribed with "California State Normal School, A.D. 1881." The bell would ring on special days. It still stands on the SJSU campus and is part of student traditions.

A branch of the California State Normal School opened in Los Angeles in 1882. This branch later became the famous University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). The San Jose campus managed the Los Angeles branch until 1887.

The school's name changed several times over the years. In 1921, it became the State Teachers College at San Jose.

In 1935, it was renamed San Jose State College. This was part of a change for all state teachers colleges.

In 1972, the college earned university status. Its name changed to California State University, San Jose.

Finally, in 1974, the California government voted to change the name to San José State University.

Important Moments in SJSU History

In 1922, the school adopted the "Spartans" as its official mascot. Before that, they had mascots like the Daniels and the Teachers.

The Justice Studies Department started in 1930. It offered the first two-year police science degree in the United States. A monument on campus marks this important achievement.

During World War II, in 1942, the old gym was used for a sad purpose. Japanese Americans were registered there before being sent to internment camps. SJSU judo coach Yosh Uchida's family was among those sent to these camps. The gym is now named Yoshihiro Uchida Hall.

In 1963, students and alumni saved Tower Hall from being torn down. They held protests and gathered signatures. Their efforts led to the tower being repaired and reopened in 1966. Tower Hall is a key landmark on campus.

The 1960s and early 1970s saw many student protests at San Jose State. Students spoke out against the Vietnam War. One big protest happened in 1967 when Dow Chemical Company, which made napalm, came to recruit students. Thousands of students protested, and many lay down in front of the recruiters.

In 1982, the English department started the yearly Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. This contest challenges people to write the worst opening sentence for a novel.

The CADRE Laboratory for New Media was created in 1985. It is one of the oldest media labs of its kind in the U.S.

In 1999, San Jose State and the City of San Jose decided to combine their libraries. They created a joint city-university library on campus. This was the first partnership of its kind in the United States.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library opened in 2003. It cost $177 million and has won several awards. It is eight stories tall and holds about 1.3 million books.

In 2012, NASA Ames Research Center gave SJSU $73.3 million. This was for developing systems to make air and space travel safer. This was the largest federal award in SJSU's history.

Leaders of San Jose State University

Since it began, 32 people have led San Jose State. These leaders include principals, presidents, and interim presidents.

Principals			Presidents
#	Name	Years Served	#	Name	Years Served	#	Name	Years Served	#	Name	Years Served
1	George W. Minns	1857–1862	9	James McNaughton	1899–1900	19	Hobert W. BurnsA	1969–1970	26	Don W. KassingT	2010–2011
2	Ahira Holmes	1862–1865	10	Morris Elmer Dailey	1900–1918	20	John H. Bunzel	1970–1978	28	Mohammad Qayoumi	2011–2015
1	George W. Minns	1865–1866	11	Lewis Ben WilsonA	1919–1920	21	Gail Fullerton	1978–1991	29	Susan W. MartinT	2015–2016
3	Henry P. Carlton	1866–1867	12	William Webb Kemp	1920–1923	22	J. Handel EvansA	1991–1994	30	Mary A. Papazian	2016–2021
4	George E. Tait	1867–1868	13	Alexander Richard HeronA	1923–1923	23	Robert L. Caret	1995–2003	31	Stephen PerezT	2022–2023
3	Henry P. Carlton	1868–1868	14	Edwin Reagan Snyder	1923–1925	24	Joseph N. CrowleyT	2003–2004	32	Cynthia Teniente-Matson	2023–Present
5	William T. Lucky	1868–1873	15	Herman F. MinssenA	1923–1927	25	Paul Yu	2004–2004
6	Charles H. Allen	1873–1889	16	Thomas William MacQuarrie	1927–1952	26	Don W. KassingT	2004–2005
7	Charles W. Childs	1889–1896	17	John T. Wahlquist	1952–1964	26	Don W. Kassing	2005–2008
8	Ambrose Randall	1896–1899	18	Robert D. Clark	1964–1969	27	Jon Whitmore	2008–2010
A = Acting President T = Interim President

Exploring the SJSU Campus

The main campus of SJSU has about 55 buildings. It covers 154 acres in downtown San Jose. The campus is surrounded by San Fernando Street, San Salvador Street, South 4th Street, and South 10th Street. There is also a south campus, which is about 1.5 miles away. This area has many of the school's sports facilities.

When the California State Normal School moved to San Jose in 1871, it got its first permanent home. The original campus buildings were made of wood. They were destroyed by a fire in 1880. New stone buildings were built in their place in 1881.

These new buildings were thought to be unsafe after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. However, during demolition, a strong aftershock hit, and the buildings stood strong. So, demolition stopped. Parts of these buildings became four halls: Tower Hall, Morris Dailey Auditorium, Washington Square Hall, and Dwight Bentel Hall. These are the oldest buildings on campus and are still used today.

In 1994, some streets on campus were closed to cars. San Carlos Street, 7th Street, and 9th Street became walkways and green areas. This project was finished in 1996.

The Business Classroom Project was completed in 1999. It was a $16 million renovation of the James F. Boccardo Business Education Center.

Also in 1999, the Heritage Gateway project was finished. This project added eight large gateways around the main campus.

In 2000, the SJSU Police Department opened a new building on 7th Street. It is part of the larger California State University Police Department.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library opened in 2003. It cost $177 million and won the Library of the Year award in 2004. It is the first library of its kind, combining a university and a city library. The library is eight stories high and has 475,000 square feet of space. It holds about 1.3 million books.

In 2007, Tower Hall was renovated for $2 million. It is one of the most famous buildings on campus. It became a California Historical Landmark in 1949.

The SJSU student union is a four-story building. It has a food court, the Spartan Bookstore, study areas, ballrooms, a bowling alley, and a game room. A $90 million expansion and renovation started in 2010. It added 100,000 square feet, including new ballrooms and a theater. The project was completed in 2015.

A new health center opened in March 2015. This three-story building houses the Student Health Center and Counseling Services. It cost over $36 million.

In August 2015, the Spartan Complex was renovated for $55 million. This complex has gyms, an indoor pool, weight rooms, and dance studios. The goal was to expand and update the buildings.

Student Housing at SJSU

SJSU has seven residence halls where students can live. They can house a total of 4,458 students.

• Campus Village (CV1) – CV1 opened in 2005. It has three buildings, from seven to 15 stories tall. It can house up to 2,600 students. It offers housing for first-year students, older students, graduate students, and staff. It also has an underground parking garage.

• Campus Village (CV2) – CV2 opened in 2016. It is a 10-story building with 850 beds. It is for first-year students. The building cost about $126 million.

• Joe West Hall – This is a 12-story residence hall for first-year students. It houses about 650 students.

• Washburn Hall – This is a red brick residence hall for first-year students. It offers a smaller living space for 288 residents.

• International House (I-House) – Located near Campus Village, I-House provides housing for 70 U.S. and international students.

• Campus Village (CV3) – CV3 is the planned third phase of the Campus Village. Phase I will replace Washburn Hall with a new building. It will be 133 feet tall and have 850 student beds. Construction is planned to start in 2024. Phase II will replace the Dining Commons and Joe West Hall. The new dining facility will seat 900 people. The new housing will have 558 beds. Once CV3 is finished, SJSU will be able to house 4,928 students. The total cost for CV3 is estimated at $334 million.

• Alquist building – In 2023, a plan was approved to turn the former Alfred E. Alquist state office building into new housing. This site is one block west of the main campus. It will have about 1,000 new rental units. Up to half of these will be for graduate students. The project will cost about $750 million and is expected to be finished in 2027.

Other Facilities on Campus

SJSU has a Nuclear Science Facility. It is 10,000 square feet and is the only one of its kind in the California State University system.

The Provident Credit Union Event Center is on the main campus. It can hold about 5,000 people for sports and over 6,500 for concerts.

A new student recreation and aquatic center opened in April 2019. It cost $132 million. This facility has gyms, basketball courts, weight rooms, and pools. It also has a rock climbing wall and an indoor track.

Construction of a new science building began in April 2019. This $181 million facility will have teaching labs, research labs, and faculty offices. It was completed in 2023.

South Campus Facilities

SJSU's South Campus is in the Spartan Keyes neighborhood. It is south of Downtown San Jose. Many of SJSU's sports facilities are here. These include CEFCU Stadium and the Spartan Golf Complex. The south campus is 62 acres and is about 1.5 miles from the main campus. Shuttle buses run between the two campuses.

In 2014, a $76 million plan was announced to renovate the South Campus. The cost later increased to $150 million. The plan included new baseball and softball stadiums. It also added new soccer and tennis facilities. New golf facilities opened in 2017. The softball facility opened in 2018.

In August 2023, the first part of the football stadium project was finished. This $70 million Spartan Athletics Center has new locker rooms, offices, and training rooms for the football team. It also has spaces for soccer teams and events.

Off-Campus Facilities

The SJSU Simpkins International House provides housing for students. It offers cultural exchanges for U.S. and international students.

The SJSU Department of Aviation and Technology has a 6,000 square-foot facility. It is located at the Reid-Hillview Airport.

SJSU also manages the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML). This is a research facility in Moss Landing, California, on Monterey Bay. A new aquaculture laboratory was completed there in 2014.

Other off-campus facilities include:

• Art and Metal Foundry
• Associated Students Child Development Center
• SJSU International and Extended Studies facility
• University Club (now occupied by a sorority)
• North Fourth Street facility, which houses several institutes and the SJSU Research Foundation.

How SJSU is Organized

San Jose State is part of the California State University System. This means it follows the rules of the California State University Board of Trustees.

The main leader of San José State University is the university president. In January 2023, Cynthia Teniente-Matson became the new president.

The university is divided into nine colleges:

• Lucas College and Graduate School of Business
• Connie L. Lurie College of Education
• Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering
• College of Graduate Studies
• College of Health and Human Sciences
• College of Humanities and the Arts
• College of Professional and Global Education
• College of Science
• College of Social Sciences

SJSU also has seven specialized schools:

• School of Art and Design
• Lucas College and Graduate School of Business
• School of Information
• School of Journalism and Mass Communications
• School of Music and Dance
• The Valley Foundation School of Nursing
• School of Social Work

What Students Learn at SJSU

As of spring 2023, San José State University offers many different study programs. Students can earn 150 bachelor's degrees, 95 master's degrees, and five doctoral degrees. SJSU is officially recognized by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

SJSU offers special doctoral degrees. These include a Ph.D. in library and information science. They also offer a doctor of audiology (Au.D.), a doctor of education (Ed.D.), a doctor of nursing practice (DNP), and an occupational therapy doctorate (OTD).

In fall 2022, some of the most popular subjects were engineering, business, and computer science. Psychology and kinesiology were also very popular.

SJSU offers unique study areas too. These include artificial intelligence, aviation, climate science, and packaging. They also have programs in software engineering and transportation management.

The Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering is the largest college at SJSU. It had over 7,100 students in fall 2022. The Lucas College and Graduate School of Business was the second largest. It had over 6,300 students. The College of Social Sciences was the third largest.

SJSU's Rankings

U.S. university rankings
THES World	1001–1200
Forbes	87

2023-2024 USNWR Best Colleges Rankings
Most Innovative Schools	3
Top Public Schools	3
Best Colleges for Veterans	3
Top Performers on Social Mobility	7
Best Value Schools	14
Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs	12 (At schools where doctorate not offered)
Computer Engineering	12
Electrical Engineering / Electronic / Communications	8
Mechanical Engineering	12
Nursing	183
Economics	201

2023 USNWR Best Graduate School Rankings
Library and Information Studies	23
Occupational Therapy	41
Social Work	77
Speech-Language Pathology	91
Fine Arts	110
Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice	120-158
Public Affairs	124
Public Health	132
Nursing Master's	135
Part-time MBA	143
Education	162

SJSU is highly ranked by many publications. U.S. News & World Report ranked San Jose State No. 4 among public regional universities in the western U.S. for 2022-2023. It was also ranked No. 16 among all regional universities in the western U.S.

The undergraduate engineering program at SJSU is ranked No. 15 nationally. This ranking is among colleges that do not offer doctoral degrees in engineering.

Forbes magazine ranked SJSU No. 108 out of about 500 U.S. colleges in 2022. It was also ranked No. 43 among top public universities.

Money magazine ranked San Jose State No. 31 nationally in 2022. It was also ranked No. 1 nationally on its 2020 list of "Most Transformative Colleges."

The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings 2022 placed SJSU at No. 291. This ranking looks at student experiences and performance.

Washington Monthly ranked SJSU No. 53 nationally among master's universities in 2022. They rank colleges based on their contribution to the public good.

How to Get Admitted to SJSU

To get into SJSU, your high school grades and test scores are important. These are used to figure out your California State University (CSU) eligibility index. This index combines your high school grade point average (GPA) and your SAT or ACT score.

In fall 2022, SJSU received over 34,000 applications from first-year students. About 75% of applicants were accepted.

For students who started in fall 2021, the middle 50% of SAT scores were between 1030 and 1310. The middle 50% of ACT scores were between 20 and 31. The average high school GPA for new freshmen was 3.54.

In recent years, it has become harder to get into SJSU. This means the university cannot accept all students who meet the minimum requirements. Even students from local high schools are not guaranteed admission.

Graduation and Student Retention

For students who started at SJSU in fall 2017, 30% graduated within four years. 68% of those who started in fall 2015 graduated within six years.

For new transfer students who started in fall 2017, 33% graduated within two years. 69% graduated within three years.

Most students who start at SJSU continue their studies. In fall 2020, 86% of full-time freshmen from fall 2019 returned. 90% of new transfer students and 92% of first-time graduate students also returned.

Faculty and Research at SJSU

In fall 2022, San José State University had 2,243 faculty members. About 61% of them worked full-time.

In 2022, SJSU spent $71.7 million on research and development. This placed it second among all 23 California State University campuses. It was also ranked No. 182 out of over 900 colleges nationwide.

SJSU has special research collections. These include the Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies. There is also the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies.

SJSU works with other organizations on research. These partners include the SJSU Metropolitan Technology Center at NASA Ames Research Center. They also work with the Cisco Networking Laboratory. SJSU is also home to the Mineta Transportation Institute.

The university also runs the Survey and Policy Research Institute (SPRI). This institute conducts important surveys, like the California Consumer Confidence Survey.

SJSU is part of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program.

Since 1979, the SJSU Department of Kinesiology has run the Timpany Center. This center helps people with disabilities or age-related concerns stay healthy.

In 2012, SJSU launched its first small satellite, TechEdSat. This was a partnership with the NASA Ames Research Center.

Since 2014, SJSU has operated the Silicon Valley Big Data and Cybersecurity Center (BDCC). This center works with Silicon Valley tech companies on cybersecurity research.

Air Force ROTC Program

SJSU has an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC) program. It is called Detachment 045. It is one of only two AFROTC detachments in the San Francisco Bay Area. Students from other Bay Area schools can also join this program. These schools include Santa Clara University and Stanford University. Students in the AFROTC program learn leadership skills. They also prepare to become officers in the U.S. military.

Student Life at SJSU

Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023

Race and ethnicity	Total
Asian	36.0%	36
Hispanic/Latino	28.9%	28.9
White	13.7%	13.7
Other	9.0%	9
Foreign national	8.6%	8.6
Black or African American	3.2%	3.2
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	.4%	0.4
American Indian or Alaskan Native	.1%	0.1
Economic diversity
Low-income	40%	40
Affluent	60%	60

Student Body Origin (Returning students)	Fall 2022
California: Santa Clara County	44.4%
California: Bay Area (Outside Santa Clara County)	33.6%
California: Non-local	13.1%
International	7.8%
Other U.S.	1.0%

SJSU attracts students from all over California, the U.S., and 100 countries. In fall 2022, 35,751 students were enrolled. This included over 26,000 undergraduate students. About 51% of students were male and 49% were female.

The average age of undergraduate students in fall 2022 was 22.2 years old. Graduate students were, on average, 29 years old.

About 4,500 students (12.5%) live in campus housing. Many more students live close enough to walk or bike to campus. About 45% of all first-year students live in campus residence halls.

As of 2022, SJSU had over 475 recognized student organizations. These include academic clubs, cultural groups, and sports clubs. There are also fraternities and sororities.

Fraternities and Sororities

Fraternities and sororities have been at SJSU since 1896. SJSU has 43 social fraternity and sorority chapters. These groups are managed by Student Involvement. Greek life at SJSU includes both social and cultural organizations. Many of these groups have houses near campus. About 6% of male students join fraternities, and 6% of female students join sororities.

Spartan Marching Band

The Spartan marching band has students from every major. They perform a new halftime show at each home football game. They also do a pre-game show and a post-game concert. The band is unofficially known as "The Pride of the Spartans." They often perform with a color guard and dance team. The band plays at all home football games and travels to some away games.

Spartan Squad

The Spartan Squad started in 2005. It is the official student fan club at San Jose State. All SJSU students can join. Its goal is to get more students to attend sporting events. It also aims to build school pride. Members wear special gold T-shirts.

Student News and Media

The school newspaper is called The Spartan Daily. It started in 1934 and is published three days a week. It has a print version and an online version. Journalism and advertising students produce the newspaper. The journalism school is in Dwight Bentel Hall.

Update News is a weekly TV newscast produced by students. It airs every weekend on KICU, Channel 36 in San Jose. Students also produce a daily live webcast.

Equal Time is a news magazine show. It explores different issues in depth. It airs on KQED+ in the Bay Area.

KSJS, 90.5 FM, is the university's student-run radio station. It started in 1963. KSJS broadcasts live sports, various types of music, and talk shows.

Notable Student Groups

W6YL is a student-run amateur radio station. It has been operating since 1927. The SJSU Amateur Radio Club W6YL is one of the oldest student organizations on campus. It operates under a federal license.

SJSU Athletics

San José State University has had sports teams since 1890. The teams are called the Spartans. They compete in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) in NCAA Division I.

SJSU sports teams have won many national titles. They have won NCAA national championships in track and field, golf, boxing, fencing, and tennis. As of December 2022, SJSU has won 10 NCAA national team championships. They have also had 50 individual national champions. SJSU is also famous for its judo program. It has won many National Collegiate Judo Association (NCJA) team titles.

SJSU alumni have won 20 Olympic medals. This includes seven gold medals. Alumni have won medals in swimming, judo, water polo, and boxing.

The track team, coached by "Bud" Winter, gave San Jose State the nickname "Speed City." This team produced Olympic medalists and social activists Lee Evans, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos. Smith and Carlos are famous for their raised fist salute at the 1968 Summer Olympics. In 2005, a monument of this protest was built on campus. The track and field program was stopped in 1988 but brought back in 2016.

In 2012, the SJSU football team had a great season. They finished 11-2 and were ranked nationally for the first time since 1990.

The Spartan football team had another strong season in 2020. They won their first conference championship since 1991. They finished the season 7-1 and were ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll.

Club Sports at SJSU

Besides NCAA sports, San José State University has many club sports. There are about 25 sports and 50 teams. Many of these teams are run by students. Some have paid coaches and support from alumni.

Club sports at SJSU include:

• Men's and women's archery
• Men's and women's badminton
• Baseball
• Men's and women's basketball
• Men's and women's bowling
• Men's and women's boxing
• Men's and women's cycling
• Dancesport
• Men's and women's dragon boat racing
• Esports
• Men's and women's fencing
• Men's and women's figure skating
• Men's and women's gymnastics
• Men's and women's ice hockey
• Men's and women's judo
• Men's and women's lacrosse
• Mountain biking
• Men's and women's powerlifting
• Men's and women's quidditch
• Men's roller hockey
• Men's and women's rugby
• Salsa
• Men's and women's soccer
• Softball
• Men's and women's swimming
• Track and field
• Triathlon
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Men's and women's volleyball
• Men's and women's water polo
• Men's and women's wrestling

SJSU Traditions

The old campus bell was bought in 1881. It used to chime every morning. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake stopped it from ringing. When Tower Hall was built, it was designed to hold the bell. The bell still sits on campus near Tower Hall.

In 1922, the school adopted the "Spartans" as its mascot. Before that, they had names like the Daniels and the Teachers.

In 1925, students decided to keep the school colors as gold and white. Later, blue was added as an official school color.

"Spardi Gras" was a fun event held from 1929 to 1960. It was a day of games and fun for all students.

"Spartan Revelries" was another long-standing event. It was a musical show created and performed by students. It might have started as the grand finale to Spardi Gras.

Sparta Camp was an annual retreat from 1953 to 1965. Students interested in student government attended workshops on leadership. A similar event, Freshman Camp, helped new students get used to campus life.

The chimes heard on campus every 15 minutes are Westminster chimes. They were a gift from the class of 1947. They sound like the famous Big Ben chimes in England.

Students and alumni show their Spartan pride by wearing blue and gold every Thursday. During homecoming week, SJSU hosts many events. These lead up to the homecoming football game.

Alma Mater and Fight Song

"Hail! Spartans, Hail!" is the university's official alma mater. Gerald Erwin, a 1933 graduate, wrote the lyrics. The song was officially adopted in 1929. When it is played, students stand and sing along.

The university also has a fight song. It is usually played at the end of football games and other sports events.

Famous Alumni of SJSU

About 60% of San Jose State's 275,000 living alumni live in the San Francisco Bay Area. The rest live all over the world.

SJSU is known for sending many graduates to Silicon Valley tech companies. In 2015, SJSU was the top school for employees at Apple Inc.. Over 1,000 SJSU graduates worked there. SJSU also ranked 9th for employees at Facebook.

Some famous SJSU alumni in science and engineering include:

• Ray Dolby, who founded Dolby sound systems.
• Dian Fossey, a primatologist who studied gorillas.
• Gordon Moore, who founded Intel Corporation and created "Moore's law."
• Ed Oates, who co-founded Oracle.

Nearly 200 former SJSU students have founded or led major companies. These include former Intel Corporation CEO, Brian Krzanich.

Famous companies founded by SJSU alumni include:

• Dolby Laboratories (1965)
• Intel Corporation (1968)
• Specialized Bicycle Components (1974)
• Oracle Corporation (1977)
• Seagate Technology (1979)
• WhatsApp (2008)

Many famous musicians attended San Jose State. These include Doug Clifford and Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival. Also, Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons from the Doobie Brothers. Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac also attended.

Other notable alumni include former first Lady of the United States, Lou Henry Hoover. Novelists Amy Tan and Jayne Ann Krentz also attended. Fashion designer Jessica McClintock is also an alumna.

SJSU alumni Dick Vermeil and Bill Walsh won a combined four Super Bowl victories as NFL head coaches.

San Jose State alumnus Ken Venturi won the 1964 U.S. Open in golf. He was named Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year." He was later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

See Also

In Spanish: Universidad Estatal de San José para niños

• California Master Plan for Higher Education
• Education in California
• List of American state universities