San Francisco State University Reviews

"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"

"San Francisco State University offers large classroom sizes in their psychology department. This means a minimum of 30 students will be in a class and in the largest there were 400 students. This impacts the learning experience in a way that I did not find suitable for my ideal learning conditions. The sheer number of questions asked in a single class could take up the entire period if the instructor did not take precedence in their presentations. If you want help from an instructor it is imperative you attend instructor's office hours. In my opinion the content is comparable to most other undergraduate psychology schools. What I mean by this is there is nothing exceptional about the SFState psychology classes in particular. What I would describe as exceptional are the elective courses. The Holistic Health courses in particular stretched my awareness of mental health in ways traditional western psychology did not. I would recommend this college to anyone who is interested in being surrounded by one of the most progressive student bodies I've known at any college. I would also like to say that the city of San Francisco itself offers a melting pot of cultures unlike anywhere else I've been in California. This is an entirely different and separate life learning experience that is worth encountering in your college years.Read Less"

"Attending San Francisco State University was on a whole a good experience. As a first-generation college student, there was a lot that I didn't understand or get. This would make any college experience difficult, but I was eventually able to navigate it. SFSU is a diverse school and it would be difficult to feel left out because representation seemed to be everywhere. This school was also not expensive for a 4-year college. I don't think I had a teacher I disliked. On average every teacher was decent or great. A majority of the staff and administrators were available and willing to help you as a student. Since I've attended there's been a new library built was much needed. A lot of the facilities was a little bit old but very much functional. There are some things I think SFSU could use in order to be a better school. For instance, they could use free transportation. I know that Berkeley provides clipper cards/bus pass for their students. This would be very beneficial as the school is on the side of a city where public transportation is highly needed. Another way SFSU would improve is by having various stores to buy school books. I don't know if this is still an issue, but the lines to get textbooks at the beginning of each semester were unbelievably. Otherwise, it was a decent and affordable school to attend.Read Less"

"The Biology degree program had wonderful, engaging faculty but was marred by the increased tuition and budget cuts that were rampant during my time here. Often, classes were cut short due to furlough days. The counseling for Biology wasn't the most beneficial, but if you are determined and can do a little research on class availability and degree requirements, there should be no issues in your ability to succeed. I was lucky to have come here to be able to experience living in San Francisco. It wasn't the most "spirited" school, and is definitely a commuter school, but the independence I gained from the environment and the wonderful Biology facility were great at teaching with what resources they had.Read Less"

"I found the writing department very helpful as an undergrad. Most of my courses required writing and my professors were very strict on grammar and presentation. I used the writing services a lot more than any other services SFSU offered. Also, I find that office hours were very effective for my biochemistry courses. These courses are highly conceptual and attending office hours helped me go through complexities at school."

"My experience of San Francisco State University was of a diverse program faculty, beautiful campus, well-organized classes and decent housing with opportunities for living provided by the school. I felt that the degree I pursued, philosophy, was of great personal value in the way that it supported my ability to think clearly and independently. I left school knowing myself with a certainty that has led me to graduate school for a career path I am excited to pursue for life."

"SF State is the most liberally progressive University in the United States. Degrees here do well at preparing you for the workforce as you must complete 2 semesters of composition before completing the graduate writing assessment requirement in the first 8 units of the major. Upper division coursework is also required in American Ethnic and Racial Minorities, Global Perspectives, Social Justice and Environmental Sustainability. SF State has the only College of Ethnic Studies in the US since the discipline was invented, funded and implemented by students in the experimental college. This legacy of student activism is the Hallmark of SF State and the engine behind the politics associated with West Coast Liberalism. All students should expect to find their world views challenged with an eye toward making a difference in society.Read Less"

"I chose SF State because it had a strong Radio TV program, with emphasis on real-world, hands-on experience. The school was known for its curriculum and had graduates working in the field locally. I got what I needed, with excellent facilities and instruction. I attended SF State for two years, and can say that it fulfilled my every expectation. It was a big school with a large enrollment...students looking for a more intimate college experience might want to look elsewhere, but in my chosen field, the overall experience was excellent.Read Less"

"San Francisco State University was all in all a great school. I was able to get the full college experience by living in the tiny dorm rooms and sharing a bathroom with 50 other people. Unfortunately, because of budget cuts, there were many issues when trying to register for classes. Many of my classes were filled, and Nursing students were given priority over Kinesiology students, which to this day, I still do not understand that logic. It took me five years to graduate (while attending summer school) because I could not get the classes I needed. Other than the registration issues, I had a good experience. My teachers were smart and well-educated on the topics and I mad a lot of life-long friends.Read Less"

"I highly recommend applying for this degree program. I have learned a great amount of skills from my classes and labs so far. You are given the opportunity to gain valuable skills in three different I/O Psychology related labs. Also, so far I have taken a Training Development course and I/O Principles foundation course which have greatly helped my understanding of the IO field."

"Affordable program with good academic delivery"

"It's a great university with multi culture and ethnic background. Since it is the Silicon Valley, job opportunities are vast. Cost of living is high but the pay is also equally good"

"The university is a good place to study because San Francisco is very diverse and historical."

"SFSU is a great school to go to, most of the professors are helpful and they are knowledgeable, feel free to ask them for help. The meals on campus are great, with affordable prices. Another good aspect about SFSU it has a great learning environment, computer lab, library, everything is updated."