Aerial photo of San Diego State University buildings and campus taken in 1967. SDSU is the oldest and largest higher education institution in San Diego. It was founded in March 1897 as the San Diego Normal School, a training facility for elementary school teachers. In 1921 it became San Diego State Teachers College, and 10 years later moved from the 17-acre Park Blvd. location to its current Mission style buildings. In the early 1970s, San Diego State College became San Diego State University. SDSU has a student body of more than 35,000.