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The real 4-year cost of San Diego State University in California
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at San Diego State University went from $3,754 to $9,780, an average of 3.1% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $9,780CSU basic tuition plus seven campus fees, full-time undergrad (6.1+ units), Fall 2026 rate x2 semesters. Non-resident adds $471/unit supplemental tuition x 30 units/year (standard full-time load).source
Read with care: this school's history shows a sharp one-year increase, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $3,754 | – | – |
| 2009 | $4,902 | – | – |
| 2010 | $5,206 | – | – |
| 2011 | $6,578 | – | – |
| 2012 | $6,578 | – | – |
| 2013 | $6,766 | – | – |
| 2014 | $6,866 | – | – |
| 2015 | $6,976 | – | – |
| 2016 | $7,084 | – | – |
| 2017 | $7,460 | – | – |
| 2018 | $7,488 | – | – |
| 2019 | $7,510 | – | – |
| 2020 | $7,720 | – | – |
| 2021 | $8,136 | – | – |
| 2022 | $8,174 | – | – |
| 2023 | $8,290 | – | – |
| 2026 | $9,780 | $9,780 | – |
| 2027 | – | $10,085 | $9,221–$10,950 |
| 2028 | – | $10,400 | $8,693–$12,259 |
| 2029 | – | $10,724 | $8,196–$13,725 |
| 2030 | – | $11,058 | $7,727–$15,366 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $9,780 |
| Year 2 | $10,085 |
| Year 3 | $10,400 |
| Year 4 | $10,724 |
| 4-year total | $40,989 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $1,209
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $26,793
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Latest (2023)
- $21,630/ yr
- rising 4.3% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $104,907
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at San Diego State University4-year schools with similar prices in California
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Use this data
Published figures for San Diego State University from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.