San Diego State University (SDSU, San Diego State) is a public research university in San Diego, California, and is the largest and oldest higher education institution in San Diego County. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university in the 23-member California State University (CSU). SDSU has a Fall 2016 student body of 34,688 and an alumni base of more than 280,000. The U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges for 2018 National Universities rankings awarded SDSU a spot in the top 150 national universities (tied for #139) in the United States, classifying it as a “Top Tier” university, with particular regards to its business program.