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San Jose State University is a public, coeducational research institution located in San Jose, California. One of the 200 top research universities in the nation, San Jose State University (abbreviated SJSU) has been ranked among the top 15 master’s-level public universities in the West by U.S. News & World Report and was the first in the nation to open a joint city-and-university library. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public institution of higher education located on the West Coast; the institution was originally founded as a normal school for the purpose of preparing to teachers to teach on the developing frontier. Today a metropolitan university, SJSU operates off of a 154 acre campus in the downtown area of San Jose midway between San Francisco and Monterey/Carmel area on the southern end of the San Francisco Bay.
Academic Programs
San Jose State University’s mission is to “enrich the lives of its students, to transmit knowledge to its students along with the necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and to expand the base of knowledge through research and scholarship.” The University is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and has been so since 1949.San Jose State University is comprised of several colleges, including the College of Sciences and Arts, the College of Humanities and the Arts, the College of International and Extended Studies, the College of Science, the College of Social Sciences, the Connie L. Laurie College of Education, the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, and the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business. More than 145 areas of study are offered as well as more than 100 additional areas of concentration. Students have opportunity to intern with Silicon Valley firms, participate in summer work programs, and assist with research and development projects among other opportunities.
Student Life
San Jose State University is known as a national leader in graduating minority students and has a total enrollment figure of nearly 33,000, including approximately 27,000 undergraduate students. SJSU requires all freshmen students from outside a 30-mile radius of the University to live on campus during their first year. Student housing options include a variety of residence halls and apartments as well as living and learning communities and SJSU’s International House which is located within a five-minute walk from campus and serves as a residence for 70 U.S. and international students.Located in the heart of San Jose, the 10th largest city in the nation, San Jose State University’s students enjoy access to a wide range of cultural, recreational, dining, and shopping opportunities. The University’s campus offers students the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities, events, clubs and organizations and is home to a number of Greek fraternities and sororities. An NCAA Division I-A school, SJSU fields a number of varsity teams which compete in the Mountain West Conference.