The campus has approximately 30,000 students. It is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation, with large Asian (particularly Filipino and Vietnamese) and Latino enrollments. The majority of students are commuters who live outside the immediate area of the campus. As a result, student participation in campus and university activities is quite low for a university of its size. For example, voter turnout for Associated Student elections is generally less than 2,000 [11] . Additionally, sporting events are poorly attended, even though students receive free tickets. The football program is in danger of losing NCAA Division I-A standing because of the attendance requirement. In 2004, the average crowd at home football games numbered about 6,000, significantly lower than the NCAA required average attendance of 15,000. The football team lost more than $500,000 on a single day in the disastrous Read-2-Lead Classic in September 2004.

The engineering, science and business schools claim to have more graduates in Silicon Valley than any other school in the U.S.

The school newspaper, the Spartan Daily, was founded in 1934, and is published five days a week when classes are in session. KSJS, 90.5 FM, is the university's radio station. Broadcasting with 1500 watts 24 hours a day, KSJS is a student-training ground that features five different types of music (electronic, urban, jazz, subversive rock and rock en espanol), as well as a variety of public affairs programming.