San Jose State University is a research university institution in San Jose, established in 1857. San José State University is a public research institution established in 1857 as California's first normal school and the oldest public university in the western United States. Located in downtown San Jose with 37,661 students, SJSU offers over 250 degree programs across nine colleges and conducts $60 million in annual research, making it a top-200 research university nationally.