In fall 2025, SDSU admitted 53% of first-time freshman applicants to Political Science (1,307 of 2,451), compared with 37% for all majors. That is up from 47% in 2021. 86% of transfer applicants were admitted (395 of 458). Of the freshmen admitted, 13% enrolled, so only 7.1% of applicants ended up starting in the major.
Political Science admissions, 2021–2025
| Fall | Freshmen applied | Admitted | Admit rate | Enrolled | Transfers applied | Admitted | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,451 | 1,307 | 53% | 174 | 458 | 395 | 86% |
| 2024 | 2,008 | 1,056 | 53% | 156 | 415 | 332 | 80% |
| 2023 | 1,812 | 922 | 51% | 136 | 398 | 289 | 73% |
| 2022 | 1,653 | 904 | 55% | 134 | 508 | 235 | 46% |
| 2021 | 1,758 | 821 | 47% | 120 | 602 | 155 | 26% |
Area: Social Sciences. “<10” means CSU did not report a group smaller than 10.
Political Science at other CSU campuses
| Campus | Freshman applicants | Freshman admit rate | Transfer admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDSU | 2,451 | 53% | 86% |
| SJSU | 651 | 83% | 59% |
| Cal Poly SLO | 2,113 | 35% | 11% |
Political science admit rates at every UC campus →
How admission works
- Every major at SDSU is impacted: there are more eligible applicants than spaces, so meeting the CSU minimum does not guarantee admission.
- Freshmen from high schools in San Diego County south of State Route 56 and in Imperial County are local applicants and get priority. Transfer students from Cuyamaca, Grossmont, Imperial Valley, San Diego City, Mesa, Miramar and Southwestern colleges are local transfers.
- Like most CSU campuses, SDSU uses the CSU admission GPA, calculated from 10th–12th grade a-g courses with extra points for up to eight semesters of honors courses. SDSU does not publish its cutoff for each major.
Frequently asked questions
What is the SDSU Political Science acceptance rate?
In fall 2025, SDSU admitted 53% (1,307 of 2,451) of first-time freshman applicants to Political Science, compared with 37% for all majors.
What is the SDSU Political Science transfer acceptance rate?
In fall 2025, SDSU admitted 86% (395 of 458) of transfer applicants to Political Science.
Is Political Science easier to get into at SDSU or SJSU?
In fall 2025, SDSU admitted 53% of freshman Political Science applicants and SJSU admitted 83%.
More for SDSU
Source: California State University, Applications and Admissions Dashboard by Discipline, fall 2021–2025 (first-time freshmen and undergraduate transfers); SJSU impaction results from sjsu.edu. CSU counts every application submitted, including ones later withdrawn, left incomplete or not meeting minimum eligibility, so admit rates among complete applications are somewhat higher. “Non-residents” includes out-of-state and international applicants. “<10” means CSU did not report a group smaller than 10. This site is independent and not affiliated with the California State University. Admit rates describe past applicants, not any individual student’s chances.