BY THE NUMBERS
San José State’s Economic Impact
In addition to graduating thousands of Spartans every year, San José State contributes to the economic health of Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. Last fall, the California State University (CSU) system released “Moving California Forward: The Economic Power of the CSU,” an economic impact report that highlights the lasting return on investment for the people of California at every level.
The Economic Impact Report highlights the significant role CSU and San José State University play in driving regional economic vitality, strengthening California’s key industries, ensuring alumni earn strong salaries, and preparing a skilled workforce essential to California’s economy.
“San José State and the CSU continue to be among the state’s most powerful engines of economic mobility, opportunity and innovation, with influence that extends across industries, communities and generations, especially here in Silicon Valley. This report shines a light on SJSU’s impact at the epicenter of the future and the powerful role the CSU system plays to keep California’s economy strong and thriving in every corner of the state.”
— SJSU President Cynthia Teniente-Matson
How SJSU stacks up
- Economic Return For every dollar in state funding to the CSU, $7.69 was generated in statewide industry activity, increasing to $35.53 when including the impact of alumni earnings and spending across California. San José State’s activity in the Bay Area yields $6.96 in economy-wide private sector business spending from every $1 in public funding.
- Statewide Impact The CSU supported a total of 210,800 jobs across California with an overall statewide impact of $31.6 billion. San José State University’s activity spurred the creation of 10,600 jobs across California, which translates to $930.7 million in earned wages statewide.
By the numbers
- San José State is a top 10 CSU campus for private sector job creation induced by campus-related activity and alumni impact in California.
- San José State alumni also earn high median incomes both regionally and statewide relative to those without a college degree, making it the No. 4 CSU campus for the total additional income its alumni earn as a result of their degrees. This represents a change in status in national rankings for universities. SJSU is now considered a “national” university.
- It elevates in the eyes of funders — both public and private sectors.
- It increases SJSU’s appeal to international students.
Regional reach
- Five California State University campuses in the Bay Area helped generate a substantial economic impact, totaling 31,000 jobs and $4.8 billion in economy-wide business output across all sectors in the Bay Area. San José State’s integral role in the region’s economic vitality led to the creation of 9,900 jobs in the region — nearly 32% of the CSU’s local impact — and $1.8 billion in private sector business spending generated across all sectors of the economy from SJSU’s activity.
- From regular campus operations to events, research, community activity, San José State is the driver of job creation across all five CSU campuses in the Bay Area and the No. 2 leading CSU in all of Northern California.
Workforce power
Nearly half of all bachelor’s degrees in California are awarded by the CSU in disciplines directly tied to California’s evolving workforce needs. Forty-six percent of all degrees awarded in health and medicine and 49% of degrees in media, culture and design in California come from CSU.
This includes graduates from San José State’s Valley Foundation School of Nursing and the College of Humanities and the Arts contributing to these two growing sectors, respectively. In 2025, San José State added its ninth college, the College of Information, Data and Society, to house a variety of programs in evolving fields defining Silicon Valley.
Research impact
San José State University students are trained for in-demand jobs both in Silicon Valley and across the state, supporting local economies wherever they go after graduation. CSU research initiatives tackle some of California’s most urgent challenges from wildfire science to artificial intelligence, while delivering globally cited science.
- In 2024 alone, SJSU had $83.4 million in research expenditures —12% of the total annual CSU research expenditures. In 2025, San José State University was recognized as an R2 national research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
California jobs created as a result of SJSU activity
in wages earned as a result of SJSU economic activity
in research expenditures at SJSU in 2024 alone
CSU campus for the total additional income its alumni earn as a result of their degrees
Top image: Pourya Nadimi.
