Electrical Engineering at San José State University sits inside the Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering, SJSU's largest and most internationally sought-after college, and shares the same defining advantage as every engineering program on this campus: location. SJSU's downtown San Jose campus is a short commute from NVIDIA, Cisco, Apple, and dozens of other hardware and semiconductor employers whose businesses depend directly on electrical and computer engineers — this isn't a generic "near tech companies" pitch, it's literal proximity to the chip design and hardware engineering core of Silicon Valley. For international applicants targeting hardware, semiconductors, or embedded systems careers specifically (as opposed to pure software), SJSU's Electrical Engineering program is one of the more practically positioned degrees available at a real, achievable admissions bar.
This guide covers what it takes to get into SJSU's Electrical Engineering program — acceptance rate, real costs, requirements, English-test rules, and what the Silicon Valley location means for your career.
Acceptance Rate
SJSU does not publish an Electrical Engineering-specific acceptance rate. Here's what's actually known, and the necessary caveat:
- SJSU's university-wide undergraduate acceptance rate was approximately 85% for Fall 2024 applicants, per federal IPEDS data.
- Engineering is an officially designated "impacted" area at SJSU, alongside Computer Science and Business — impacted majors receive far more qualified applicants than available seats and apply additional, more competitive review criteria beyond the university-wide baseline. SJSU does not publish an impacted-area admit rate specifically for Electrical Engineering, but applicants should not assume the 85% headline figure applies.
- The MS in Electrical Engineering is managed at the department level with no published graduate-wide or program-specific acceptance rate; SJSU's engineering graduate programs generally draw large applicant pools given the direct Silicon Valley employer pipeline.
Bottom line: treat SJSU's 85% figure as a poor proxy for Electrical Engineering specifically. Since this is an impacted engineering major, a strong math/physics academic record and an English score comfortably above SJSU's published floor both matter more in practice than the university-wide admissions posture suggests.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
SJSU bills all international students at the same CSU non-residency tuition rate regardless of major:
| Cost Item | Undergraduate (USD/year) | Graduate — MS EE (USD/year) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $20,538 | $19,422 |
| Living expenses + medical insurance | $28,740 | $28,740 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $49,278 | $48,162 |
Note: SJSU's published graduate tuition figure applies university-wide rather than being broken out specifically for the MS in Electrical Engineering, so treat the graduate figure above as the best available proxy rather than a program-specific published rate — confirm current per-credit costs directly with the College of Engineering for your exact course load.
A four-year BS in Electrical Engineering runs roughly $197,000 total before funding; a two-year MS in Electrical Engineering runs approximately $96,000 total. SJSU expects annual increases of 5-8%, so budget with some buffer. The application fee is $70 via Cal State Apply at either level.
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate:
- Completed Cal State Apply application
- Official secondary school transcripts, grades 9-12, in English or with certified translation
- English proficiency test scores unless exempt (see below)
- Declaration of Finance with supporting financial documents for I-20 issuance
- Copy of current passport matching application details
- $70 application fee
SJSU's baseline GPA expectation is the equivalent of a US 3.0 GPA (a "B" average), per CSU system eligibility rules — but as with SJSU's other impacted engineering programs, competitive Electrical Engineering applicants typically present stronger academic records than this floor in practice, particularly in math and physics coursework.
Graduate (MS in Electrical Engineering):
- Completed Cal State Apply application
- Evaluated transcripts covering at least 7 semesters of coursework from institutions outside the US/Canada
- English proficiency scores unless exempt
- GRE/GMAT scores only if the specific track requires them — SJSU has no blanket graduate testing mandate
- Statement of purpose and letters of recommendation (program-dependent)
- Financial documents for I-20 issuance, plus passport copy
- $70 application fee
How to Get Into SJSU's Electrical Engineering Program
-
Lead with your math and physics record, not a general GPA. Electrical Engineering admission committees weigh quantitative and physics coursework heavily; a strong overall GPA propped up by unrelated subjects is a weaker signal than a solid, focused STEM transcript.
-
Don't anchor to SJSU's 85% headline acceptance rate. As an impacted engineering area, Electrical Engineering draws considerably more competition than the university-wide figure implies — prepare your application accordingly.
-
Target a Speaking- and technical-communication-ready English score. SJSU's own prep notes flag Speaking and Listening as commonly under-practiced by engineering-track applicants, even though impacted majors like EE expect immediate participation in group project work and technical interviews.
-
Check CBSE, IB, and O-Level exemptions before booking a test you might not need. SJSU exempts applicants who scored 81% or higher in CBSE Class XII exams from the English-proficiency requirement, alongside IB and O-Level exemptions — confirm with SJSU admissions first.
-
For the MS in Electrical Engineering, connect your application to SJSU's hardware-adjacent Silicon Valley employer base. Since SJSU has no blanket GRE requirement for most EE tracks, a statement of purpose that specifically ties your background to hardware, chip design, or embedded systems work carries real weight.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
SJSU's Electrical Engineering program follows SJSU's standard English-proficiency policy:
- Undergraduate (CSU system-wide floor): IELTS 6.0 overall (recommended 6.5), TOEFL iBT 61 (recommended 80), PTE Academic 43, Duolingo 95
- Graduate (MS in Electrical Engineering): IELTS 6.5 overall (recommended 7.0), TOEFL iBT 80 (recommended 96; roughly 4.0 on ETS's redesigned composite scale from January 2026), PTE Academic 53, Duolingo 120
- Exemptions: applicants who scored 81%+ in CBSE Class XII exams, completed an IB diploma with 4 years of English, or passed 5 O-Level subjects (including Math and English) in one sitting can skip the English test entirely for undergraduate admission
- No formal conditional-admission pathway: SJSU does not run an INTO/Navitas-style bridge program — applicants below the requirement should contact SJSU Global Student Services directly
Because Electrical Engineering coursework and labs at SJSU move quickly into group project work and technical presentations, applicants should target IELTS 6.5-7.0 or TOEFL 80+ regardless of level, rather than treating the published CSU-floor minimums as a safe target. For general SJSU admissions context, see the San José State University guide.
Career Outcomes
SJSU does not publish an Electrical Engineering-specific employment rate or starting salary, but the program's location gives a strong practical signal:
- Graduation rate: 69% (university-wide undergraduate figure)
- Top recruiters (undergraduate and graduate, university-wide): Google, Apple, Cisco, NVIDIA, Adobe, Meta, Intel, and Lockheed Martin — with NVIDIA, Cisco, and Intel in particular drawing heavily on electrical and hardware engineering talent
- STEM-OPT eligibility: SJSU's MS in Electrical Engineering is STEM-designated, extending standard 12-month Optional Practical Training by an additional 24 months, for up to 36 months of total US work authorization after graduation
- Direct employer proximity: SJSU maintains formal research partnerships including the SJSU Metropolitan Technology Center at NASA Ames Research Center and an on-campus Cisco Networking Laboratory, both directly relevant to electrical and systems engineering students
Between STEM-OPT eligibility and a campus embedded in the hardware and semiconductor core of Silicon Valley, SJSU's Electrical Engineering graduates have a genuinely strong, geographically-driven launchpad into hardware and embedded-systems careers that few universities can replicate without relocating graduates after the fact.
FAQ
Does SJSU publish an Electrical Engineering-specific acceptance rate? No. SJSU only publishes a university-wide undergraduate acceptance rate of approximately 85%, but Engineering is an officially impacted area, meaning it's considerably more competitive in practice than that figure suggests.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for SJSU Electrical Engineering? The published minimums are IELTS 6.0/TOEFL 61 (undergraduate, CSU floor) and IELTS 6.5/TOEFL 80 (graduate), but given the program's impacted status, competitive applicants should target IELTS 6.5-7.0 or TOEFL 80+ regardless of level.
How much does SJSU's Electrical Engineering program cost? Undergraduate total cost of attendance is about $49,278/year (roughly $197,000 for the four-year BS); the MS in Electrical Engineering runs about $48,162/year (roughly $96,000 for the two-year program) based on SJSU's general graduate tuition rate, before any funding.
Is the GRE required for SJSU's MS in Electrical Engineering? No blanket requirement — SJSU has no university-wide graduate testing mandate, and GRE/GMAT are only required if the specific track calls for them. Confirm directly with the College of Engineering for the current cycle.
Can Indian students skip the English test for SJSU Electrical Engineering? Potentially, at the undergraduate level — SJSU exempts applicants who scored 81% or higher in CBSE Class XII exams. This exemption doesn't extend to graduate admission.
Why choose SJSU for Electrical Engineering specifically? Proximity to hardware and semiconductor employers. SJSU's campus is a short commute from NVIDIA, Cisco, Intel, and Apple's hardware teams, and the MS in Electrical Engineering is STEM-OPT eligible, extending post-graduation US work authorization to up to 36 months.