What is Greek Life at SDSU?
Greek Life refers to the full, diverse community of social fraternities and sororities at San Diego State University, focused on the core values of academic excellence, leadership, changemaking, belonging, and health and safety.
- Sorority refers to a Greek-lettered social organization for women, including historically Black, culturally-based (Latina, Asian-interest, and multicultural), and CPA/Panhellenic (historically and predominantly white) chapters.
- Fraternity refers to a Greek-lettered social organization for men, including historically Black, culturally-based (Latino, Asian-interest, and multicultural), and IFC (historically and predominantly white) chapters.
- Chapter refers to a campus-based group affiliated with an inter/national fraternity or sorority.
- Council refers to a group of chapters with a common purpose and shared governance. SDSU is home to four governing councils (USFC, NPHC, IFC, and CPA), each with their own chapters, programming, and joining processes.
Greek Life can also refer to the the Pierce Greek Life Center:
- a physical office space located at 5500 Hardy Ave
- a team of dedicated professional SDSU staff members who support the Greek Life community through advising and programming!
Greek Life would not be possible without the generous contributions of advisors and inter/national organization staff who give their time, energy, and resources to our affiliated community.
Advisors are alumni who volunteer (typically unpaid) to provide guidance, mentorship, and insight to undergraduate chapter leaders. Are you an SDSU faculty or staff member who is affiliated with a fraternity or sorority? We encourage you to submit our FSL Affiliated Faculty/Staff form to be connected to opportunities to volunteer with the community.
Inter/national organization staff support chapters across a specific region - sometimes locally in San Diego, sometimes across the globe! - and oversee the policies and operations of the organization at large.
Members of the Mu Iota chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. gather in the Love Library on campus. AKA is a city-wide NPHC chapter, meaning their membership can also include students from UCSD and USD.
A student is excited to accept an invitation to join and become a new member of Sigma Nu fraternity on IFC Bid Day.
Why join a fraternity or sorority?
You can have a great experience at SDSU without joining a social fraternity or sorority, but Greek Life membership can add to your student experience and life after college!
- A 2021 Gallup-Purdue Index Study showed fraternity and sorority membership is tied to strong college experiences, development of career skills, and post-graduate wellbeing.
- A 2024 study by Dr. Gary R. Pike of Indiana University revealed fraternity/sorority membership had significant, positive relationships with student engagement and learning, with the largest effects found for first-year students.
- Ongoing research into historically Black, Latino/a, Asian-interest, and multicultural fraternities and sororities continues to show the role of membership in improving students' mental health, sense of belonging, and social connectedness on campus.
Today, there are more than 40 recognized social fraternities and sororities, and over 4,500 affiliated student members. We encourage you to learn more about the full Greek Life community before participating in a joining process.
Members of Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. smile together outside of Hepner Hall. NPHC and USFC chapters often wear paraphernalia, like these line jackets, to show unity and pride in their Greek letters.
How do I join a fraternity or sorority?
All interested students start by completing the two required online pre-joining modules:
Greek 101: Registration does not sign you up for any specific joining process, but serves as an educational records disclosure, allowing the Pierce Greek Life Center advisory team to check student academic and judicial eligibility.
Greek 102 shares more detailed information about fraternity and sorority life at SDSU, including information about community values, membership expectations, university policies, health and safety, and other resources. Students must pass with a score of at least 80% in order to be considered for potential membership.
How do I learn more before joining?
After completing Greek 101 and Greek 102, students are encouraged to connect with the governing council they are most interested in joining for more information on their respective events, programs, and joining processes:
- College Panhellenic Association (CPA): @SDSUPanhellenic on IG, or email [email protected]
- Interfraternity Council (IFC): @SDSUIFC on IG, or email [email protected]
- National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC): @SDSU.NPHC on IG, or email [email protected]
- United Sorority & Fraternity Council (USFC): @USFCSDSU on IG, or email [email protected]
More information is also available on the How to Join page of our website!