SDSU named a top value in Money’s 2025 Best Colleges guide

San Diego State University earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in Money’s 2025 “Best Colleges in America” ratings, recognized for its strong graduation rates and return on investment. The digital financial-advice outlet highlighted SDSU’s graduation rate as 11% higher than expected, based on the demographics of its student body.

Money’s latest list, released June 25, evaluates 732 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges based on affordability, financial aid, graduation outcomes and alumni earnings.

As part of its push to improve access and affordability, SDSU reported last year that it had distributed nearly all available scholarship funds to students, a first in its 128-year history. That momentum continued in 2024–25, with a record 99.96% scholarship utilization rate under Director of Scholarships Kari Hooker and her team.

The university also reports that during the 2024-25 academic year, 54% of full time undergraduate students received need-based grant aid, and 71% of graduating undergraduates did not borrow loans, said Chip Pierce, director of  the SDSU Financial Aid Office.

“Almost all students receive some form of grant or scholarship to bring down the sticker price,” Money noted.

SDSU’s four-year graduation rate reached a record high for the fall 2020 cohort, nearly 61% in San Diego and just over 61% at SDSU Imperial Valley. For the fall 2018 cohort, the six-year graduation rate was 76.4% in San Diego.

“The tremendous scale at which we are graduating and serving students across the CSU is truly impactful, and indeed unmatched among four-year higher education systems," said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “Our students are juggling work, family responsibilities and their studies — demonstrating extraordinary determination and resolve.”

All 22 campuses across the California State University system made the list earning four stars or better, with 15 campuses ranked in the top 10% nationwide. 

In a separate feature about the CSU’s dominance in the ratings, Money noted the system’s national reach: one in every 20 Americans with a college degree is a CSU graduate.

“We are committed not only to expanding access to quality higher education, but also to ensuring career outcomes that empower and enrich our graduates long after they leave campus,” said García. “This ranking further establishes the CSU's standing as a national model for delivering an accessible, high-quality education that uplifts individuals, families and entire communities.”

Money transitioned from traditional rankings to a star-based rating system in 2022 to help families focus less on prestige and more on real value. The newer model emphasizes educational quality, affordability and student outcomes, showing that a wide range of schools, not just the most elite, offer a strong return on investment.