SJSU Promise Programs Are Expanding Access for Prospective Spartans

San José State University's SJSU Promise programs initiative with three South Bay school districts is expanding college access and ensuring that local students have a supported and attainable pathway to a four-year university education.

Beginning with the fall 2026 admission cycle, SJSU's partnership with Gilroy Unified and Morgan Hill school districts , announced in fall 2025, guarantees admission to San José State for graduating seniors who meet CSU minimum eligibility requirements as first-time, first-year students.

"These vital relationships reflect the shared belief of SJSU and our partner districts that every eligible student deserves the opportunity to pursue an affordable, high-quality education close to home," said Andrew Wright, senior associate vice president of enrollment management. "Students will find a community committed to supporting them academically, socially, and financially. We will provide advising, tutoring, scholarships, mentoring, career connections and a wide range of campus resources that help students stay on track and thrive."

Early results are already encouraging, with increasing numbers of students choosing SJSU even before the program officially began.

Applications from Gilroy increased from 200 in fall 2025 to 238 in fall 2026 - a 19% increase. The admit rate rose from 92.5% to 95.8%, while yield (the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll) increased from 22.1% to 25%. These gains suggest that the partnership is already strengthening the pathway from college consideration to admission and enrollment.

Morgan Hill experienced similarly positive momentum. Applications increased 6.4% from 188 to 200, while the admit rate climbed from 90.9% to 96%. Yield also improved from 23.9% to 25%. Together, these increases indicate growing student interest in SJSU and stronger conversion of local students from applicants to enrolled Spartans.

East Side Union remains SJSU's largest guaranteed pathway pipeline by a significant margin, generating 1,739 applications in fall 2026 alone. While applications and yield softened modestly year over year, the district's 95.3% admission rate, an increase over fall 2025, demonstrates that access to SJSU remains exceptionally strong. Given the size of the East Side pipeline, even incremental improvements in yield could generate meaningful enrollment gains, making conversion and continued student engagement an important next phase of the partnership.

Overall, the year-over-year results reinforce the positive role of SJSU Promise programs in reducing barriers, creating greater certainty in the college-going process, and strengthening pathways between local K-12 schools and SJSU.

The growth in Morgan Hill and Gilroy, combined with East Side Union's scale and consistently high admission rate, provides a strong foundation for expanding access and helping more local students see SJSU as an attainable destination for a four-year degree.

Learn more about SJSU Promise programs.