Describing the University
When writing about San Francisco State University, emphasize the three ideas at the center of the University’s current brand: student success and career preparation, SFSU’s location in San Francisco and the Bay Area, and affordability.
Together, these qualities show what makes SFSU distinctive: a public university that gives students access to a high-quality education, prepares them for meaningful careers and connects them to one of the world’s most dynamic regions. SFSU’s commitment to inclusion, opportunity and community strengthens each of these pillars.
The sample language below can be used in letters, brochures and website copy when a description of the University, its mission and its role in the Bay Area is needed. The SFSU Facts page includes additional data and historical background to help describe the University’s present and past.
Elevator Pitch
Sometimes, there’s not a lot of time or space to sum up what the University does. In those instances, a few sentences might do the trick.
San Francisco State University gives students the knowledge, experience and connections to build successful futures. With career preparation woven into the student experience, SFSU helps students apply what they learn through internships, research, community engagement and other hands-on opportunities. Our location in San Francisco and the Bay Area places students near leading employers, cultural institutions and communities shaping the future. As an affordable public university where 80% of students receive some form of financial aid, SFSU makes opportunity more accessible — helping students invest in themselves, their families and the communities they will serve.
Just the Facts
Other times, more facts and figures are appropriate. But even then it’s possible to work in important messages.
Part of the 23-campus California State University system, San Francisco State University is a public university serving students from the San Francisco Bay Area, across California and around the world. Our more than 20,000 students pursue degrees in a broad range of disciplines, with opportunities to connect classroom learning to careers through internships, research, community partnerships and other forms of applied learning. More than 300,000 SFSU graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic life of San Francisco, the Bay Area and beyond. Through them — and our more than 1,300 faculty members — SFSU continues its longstanding tradition of academic excellence, community engagement and opportunity.
Messaging Overview
Then there are those times when there’s room to work in everything, including background information, facts and figures, and messages designed to reinforce a specific aspect of the University (such as its important role in workforce development).
Since 1899, San Francisco State University has helped students turn their ambitions into meaningful futures. As an affordable public university, SFSU expands access to a high-quality education and provides the support students need to succeed. Our location in San Francisco and the Bay Area connects students to leading employers, cultural institutions, public agencies and communities at the forefront of innovation and social change.
Career preparation is central to the SFSU experience. Students develop knowledge and practical skills through internships, research, community partnerships, service learning and other hands-on opportunities. They learn from faculty with deep expertise in their fields and benefit from the connections of a powerful alumni network that extends across the Bay Area and around the world.
A third of SFSU students are the first in their families to attend college, and the University’s commitment to affordability, opportunity and success helps students from a wide range of backgrounds pursue their goals and build lives of purpose.
SFSU graduates strengthen the region in every sector — from technology, health care and business to education, the arts, public service and nonprofit leadership. They reflect the University’s enduring role as a launchpad for opportunity and a vital part of the Bay Area’s future.