SAN DIEGO (CNS) — Monday is the first day of classes for students at San Diego State University and Cal State San Marcos.
While final enrollment numbers for the 2025-2026 academic year will be released in October, the freshman class at SDSU is expected to break last year's attendance record of almost 6,600, school officials said. Combined enrollment at the San Diego and Imperial Valley campuses was expected to be more than 40,000 students.
SDSU President Adela de la Torre called it "a year of opportunity and audacity" at a luncheon Thursday and said she was looking forward to re- accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, a process that begins in the spring and is required for universities to maintain federal funding.
"This is our moment to take everything SDSU stands for -- equity, excellence and impact -- and apply it with precision to the challenges and possibilities ahead," de la Torre said. "Each of you has a role to play this year in projects that will enable and shape our future."
Federal rollbacks in student aid, Title IX protections and DEI programs have created what de la Torre called a "challenging moment" for SDSU and all of higher education. The undocumented community, "Dreamers" and international scholars, she said, all face uncertainty from shifts in immigration policy, rollbacks in student aid and funding for DEI programs.
"As escalating national polarization around curriculum and academic freedom threatens the heart of what we do, we must continue to have the courage to pursue the truth, amplify diverse voices and challenge conventional wisdom," de la Torre said. "We not only owe this to ourselves but also we must continue to be a beacon of light for those who desperately need our voices in the community.
"We're not just weathering the storm. We're reshaping what's possible," she added.
