MLIS Fees

There are two types of fee structures for MLIS students at the San José State University School of Information: Regular Session and Special Session.

For a comparison of the two fee structures, view this fee comparison chart.

Regular Session students live near the San José State University campus, and their tuition is established by the California State University system. Students who live in zip codes 939xx-958xx are Regular Session students. Regular Session students pay a flat rate based on the number of units they enroll in each semester, rather than paying by unit. The California State University system sets this fee structure. Further details about Regular Session tuition can be found here.

Special Session students live anywhere in the world, except the San José, California catchment area. California residents who don’t live in the San José catchment area (zip codes 939xx-958xx), students who live outside California, and international students are Special Session students. Special Session tuition for AY 2025 - 2026 through Summer 2026 are $568 per unit. Fees for AY 2026 – 2027 starting in Fall 2026 will be $596 per unit. Fees are subject to review and change. 

Students are advised to budget for textbook expenses, as well as obtaining the necessary equipment to prepare their home computing environment, including monthly Internet service, so that they may begin their first semester with all materials in place.

Important Note: In order for financial aid to be available in your first semester, you must complete your financial aid application 3 to 4 months before the semester begins. Applicants can try to get a financial aid application on file while applying for admission to the program.

The Financial Aid Office will not make any financial awards or disbursements until an applicant has been admitted to the iSchool and enrolled for classes. The amount awarded depends on the number of units a student takes each semester. Students need to enroll in at least 4 units (200 level courses) each semester in order to maintain eligibility for financial aid.

“I found the San José State program to be the most affordable of all the MLIS programs, which was very important to me coming almost directly out of undergraduate university.” — Beth Atlas