You are considered a transfer applicant if you attempted college coursework after the summer following high school graduation, but have not completed a Bachelor's degree.
If you are an international applicant who will enter the university in F-1 student visa status, or if you attended a college/university outside of the U.S., please see the International Transfer page.
If you already have a Bachelor's degree, please visit the Graduate Studies page.
Admission Eligibility & Application Process
Learn how to apply and what it takes to become an SF State student based on the following types of transfer student:
Lower Division Transfer - applicant with less than 60 semester (90 quarter) transferable units
Upper Division Transfer - applicant with 60 or more semester (90 or more quarter) transferable units
To promote timely transfer and degree completion, San Francisco State University is accepting admission applications from lower division transfer students. Lower division transfers students have attended a college or university after graduating from high school but will not have earned 60 transferable units prior to transferring.
Lower Division Transfer applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Have graduated from high school (diploma or GED)
- Earned the specified GPA in A-G courses based on your residence or high school
- 2.50 or greater for California residents or graduates of a California high school
- 3.00 or greater for Non-California residents or graduates of a high school outside of California
- Completion of the A-G college preparatory courses either in high school or with additional college coursework
- Note: Any missing A-G course requirements can be made up by completing a transferable college course with a grade of C- or better
- Note: Any missing A-G course requirements can be made up by completing a transferable college course with a grade of C- or better
- Have achieved an overall college GPA of at least 2.00 in all transferable courses (impacted majors may require a higher GPA)
- Be in good standing at the last college or university attended
- Have completed, with a grade of C- or better, a course in Written Communication (GE Area A2) and a course in mathematics or quantitative reasoning (GE Area B4)
Fall term applicants must complete requirements no later than the end of the Spring term before you enter SF State.
Spring term applicants must complete requirements no later than the end of the Fall term before you enter SF State.
To be eligible for admission to SF State as an Upper Division Transfer, you must meet the following minimum requirements:
1. Complete 60 or more transferable semester units
Upper Division Transfer students must have completed at least 60 transferable semester (90 quarter) units.
2. Complete the General Education requirements
Complete at least 30 semester (45 quarter) units of CSU General Education (GE) courses.
Within the CSU GE, there are four basic skills course (Golden 4) that must be completed with a grade of C- or better to qualify for admission:
- Oral Communication (Area A1): a course in public speaking
- Written Communication (Area A2): a freshman English composition course
- Critical Thinking (Area A3): a course in logic or critical thinking (Engineering majors are exempt from the critical thinking requirement)
- Quantitative Reasoning (Area B4): a math course
Fall term applicants must complete units and Golden Four course requirements no later than the end of the Spring term before you enter SF State.
Spring term applicants must complete units and Golden Four course requirements no later than the end of the Fall term before you enter SF State.
General Education Resources:
- Transfer applicants from California Community Colleges may consult the ASSIST website for a complete listing of approved General Education courses.
- Transfer applicants from other US institutions may refer to the Articulation website.
- Other transfer applicants may use the list of approved General Education courses in the SF State Bulletin as a guide to determine if a course is appropriate.
3. Meet the GPA Requirement
Earn an overall college GPA of at least 2.00 in all transferable courses (impacted majors may require a higher GPA).
4. Be in good standing at the last college or university attended
Be in good standing or eligible to re-enroll at your last college or university attended.
Some majors at SF State are impacted, where the number of fully eligible applicants exceed the number of spaces available in that major. These majors may have additional supplemental admission criteria and may hold applicants to a higher GPA standard. Applicants to an impacted program must specify an alternative major in the event they are not admitted to the major. Check impaction page and the impacted major’s department websites for details.
Nursing
Students must complete all prerequisite courses below with a minimum grade of C by the time of application:
- Human Anatomy with lab
- Human Physiology with lab
- Survey of Chemistry with lab
- Microbiology with lab
- Statistics
A Supplemental Application is also required for this impacted major program. Please visit: School of Nursing page.
An Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) is different from a traditional Associate Degree. ADTs were designed to streamline the pathway from a California community college to a four-year college. There are two types of ADTs: Associate in Arts for Transfer (AA-T) and Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T).
Some examples of how ADTs are displayed on transcripts:
- AA-T English
- Associate of Arts for Transfer-English
- English-Associate Degree for Transfer
- English-Transfer
Students who earn an ADT are guaranteed to receive admission to a CSU campus with junior status. Additionally, students who pursue a B.A. or a B.S. in a program deemed “similar” to their transfer degree will be able to complete the degree by taking no more than 60 units at the CSU.
If you will be earning an ADT in a program that is deemed “similar”, you might also be eligible to participate in the CA Promise Program.
If you have been awarded or are pursuing an AA-T or AS-T degree from your California Community College and wish to transfer to SF State, be sure to indicate that you are transferring with an Associate Degree for Transfer awarded by a California Community College when you apply. We will verify completion of your ADT when we review your official transcripts.
Visit the Articulation Office’s website for information about ADT guidelines and roadmaps to graduation.
1. Explore and Choose a Major
With more than 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, you can discover your unique path in life at SF State. Whatever you choose to study, you will learn from faculty experts who are dedicated to helping you develop your potential.
2. Apply Online
Apply online at www.calstate.edu/apply/transfer during the filing period (see Dates & Deadlines).
A $70 (non-refundable) application fee is due at the time of submission and can be paid by credit card or PayPal. Some students may qualify for an automatic application fee waiver based on the information provided in the application.
Use this Transfer Application Checklist to gather the information you will need to complete your online application.
SF State uses your self-reported information from the application to make an admission decision, so it is extremely important that you answer all questions on the application completely and accurately.
NOTE: San Francisco State University requires ALL colleges/universities attended to be listed on your application for admission.
3. Submit any requested documents
Once we review your application we will notify you by email with instructions and deadlines should we need any additional documents.
4. Check your application status
San Francisco State communicates with students via e-mail. Make sure to read all e-mail messages and pay careful attention to deadlines.
Check your application status in your Student Center to ensure all supporting materials have been received.
Already Applied?
So what should you do once you've applied to San Francisco State? First and foremost, you should concentrate on your studies: get those good grades and stay on top of important deadlines.
Check out the information below while we review your application.
You can check your application status online. After you submit your online application, you will receive an email from the University with your San Francisco State University Identification Number.
Check your application status on the SF State Gateway. Use your SF State Login and password to access the Gateway and navigate to the Student Center to see the most up-to-date information.
The To Do List will show the required documents needed for your admission application. Click “more” and then the individual To Do Items to see additional details about each item.
You can also check the status of your application by clicking on the link to “Check Admission Status” in the “New Students” box of your Student Center.
After you submit your admission application, your Student Center will have a To Do List of required documents. Requested documents must be received by the specified deadline.
Official transcripts must be sent in a sealed transcript envelope to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions & Recruitment
San Francisco State University
1600 Holloway Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94132
See our guide on submitting transcripts for more information.
Prospective students can check their financial aid application status, view and accept their financial aid award offer through the SF State Gateway.
- Login to your Student Center on the SF State Gateway:
- In the center of the next page in the "Finances" section, choose on "View Financial Aid"
- Check your "To Do" List for any required documents.
Housing applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applying for housing on campus is a separate process from the University admission process. Because obtaining housing on campus is not guaranteed, it’s important to apply early.
Find information about how California residency is determined, how to file an appeal if you're classified as a nonresident, exceptions and exemptions, and more. Visit the California Residency page.
Basis for Appeals
Applicants may appeal denial decisions if they believe the evaluation of application information was incorrect and that they are eligible for admission.
Appeal Procedure
Contact the Admissions Office to discuss your appeal.
Freshmen Applicants: (415) 338-6486
Transfer Applicants: (415) 338-6486
All International Applicants: (415) 338-2382
After contacting the Admissions Office to discuss your appeal, you may be advised to submit an appeal in writing. If advised to submit an appeal in writing, send the written appeal to the Admissions Committee either via the Admissions Appeal Form or via letter to Undergraduate Admissions Committee, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco, CA 94132.
Appeals must be made within 15 days of the denial decision. There is a limit of one appeal per academic term. Estimated time to issue appeal responses is 2-3 weeks after all appeal documents are received.
Admitted Students
Congratulations on your acceptance to San Francisco State University! Review the Admitted Students page to start your SF State journey!