Established in 1857 and originally known as the Minns' Evening Normal School, SJSU is the oldest public university in the state of California.

With a total student enrollment of about 36,000, SJSU is one of the largest universities in the United States.

[2] The longest-serving president of the university was Thomas William MacQuarrie, who held the office for twenty five years from 1927 to 1952.

The shortest-serving president of the university was Paul Yu who held the office for two weeks between July and August 2004.

The current president of San José State University is Cynthia Teniente-Matson, assuming the position on January 16, 2023.