San Francisco County’s 15 universities admitted an estimated 10.4% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 13.4% enrolled.
Of the 15 institutions in the county, two provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Minerva University and California College of the Arts.
At least 23,803 people applied to San Francisco County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 30,192 students enrolled in the universities, including 23,440 in undergraduate and 6,752 in graduate programs. In total 6.2% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of Asian (25.7%) and Hispanic (23.8%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, City College of San Francisco stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 16,134 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for seven institutions in San Francisco County, including Presidio Graduate School, University of San Francisco and San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minerva University | 20,816 | 208 | 660 |
| Golden Gate University | — | — | 2,661 |
| Academy of Art University | — | — | 6,786 |
| Cinta Aveda Institute | — | — | 94 |
| California College of the Arts | 2,987 | 2,270 | 1,501 |
| Bay Area Medical Academy | — | — | 211 |
| California Institute of Integral Studies | — | — | 2,145 |
| City College of San Francisco | — | — | 16,134 |
| Presidio Graduate School | — | — | — |
| San Francisco Film School | — | — | — |
| University of San Francisco | — | — | — |
| San Francisco Conservatory of Music | — | — | — |
| San Francisco State University | — | — | — |
| San Francisco Institute of Esthetics & Cosmetology Inc | — | — | — |
| University of California-San Francisco | — | — | — |
