<Tr> <Th> Added to NRHP </Th> <Td> September 4, 1997 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Designated CHISL </Th> <Td> 1964 </Td> </Tr> <P> San Diego State University (SDSU, San Diego State) is a public research university in San Diego, California, and is the largest and oldest higher education institution in San Diego County . Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third - oldest university in the 23 - member California State University (CSU). SDSU has a Fall 2016 student body of 34,688 and an alumni base of more than 280,000 . </P> <P> The Carnegie Foundation has designated San Diego State University a "Doctoral University" with "Higher Research Activity". In the 2015--16 fiscal year, the university obtained $130 million in public and private funding--a total of 707 awards--up from $120.6 million the previous fiscal year . </P>

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