Notable alumni
Academia
- Bettina Aptheker (M.A. 1976) — author, professor, political activist [1]
- Marshall Drummond (B.S. 1964, M.B.A. 1969) — former chancellor, California Community College System [2]
- Harry Edwards (B.A. 1964) — Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of California, Berkeley; author of The Revolt of the Black Athlete [3]
- Terry Erwin (B.A. 1964, M.A. 1966) — entomologist, Smithsonian Institution [4]
- Lawrence H. Keeley (B.A. 1970) — archaeologist; professor, University of Illinois Chicago; author of War Before Civilization [5]
- Mary E. Lyons (M.A. 1976) — President, University of San Diego [6]
- Sidney Siegel (B.A. 1951) — psychologist and economist, known for the Siegel–Tukey test and considered a founding father of experimental economics [7]
- Henry Suzzallo (Dip.Ed. 1894) — former president, University of Washington [ citation needed ]
- Jennifer Wilby (M.S. 1992) — Director of the Centre for Systems Studies, University of Hull [8]
- Hamza Yusuf (B.A. 1997) — Islamic scholar [9]
Artists and musicians
- Amber Aguirre (M.A. 1990, M.L.I.S. 1996) — ceramic sculptor [10]
- Bernd Behr (attended 1995–98) — artist [11]
- Mary Blair (B.F.A. 1931) — artist and illustrator who helped create Disney's Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953) [2]
- Lindsey Buckingham (attended 1968–70) — musician best known for Fleetwood Mac [12]
- Doug Clifford — rock drummer best known for his work as a founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival [13]
- Stu Cook — bass guitarist best known for his work with Creedence Clearwater Revival (attended SJSU, but did not graduate) [13]
- Binh Danh (B.F.A. 2002) —photographer noted for chlorophyll leaf prints and dauggerotypes of National Parks [14]
- Irene Dalis (B.A. 1946) — New York Metropolitan Opera star and founder of Opera San Jose [15]
- Allan Graham (attended 1965) — visual artist [16]
- Robert Graham (attended 1961–63) — internationally acclaimed sculptor whose work includes the Olympic Gateway in Los Angeles [2]
- PJ Hirabayashi (M.U.P. 1977)— co-founder of San Jose Taiko, recipient of National Heritage Fellowship [17]
- Roy Hirabayashi — co-founder of San Jose Taiko, recipient of National Heritage Fellowship [17]
- Shinichi Ishizuka — manga artist [18]
- Tom Johnston — rock guitarist and vocalist best known for his work as a founding member of The Doobie Brothers [19]
- Paul Kantner — rock guitarist best known for his work as a founding member of Jefferson Airplane [19]
- Titus Kaphar (B.F.A. 2001) — contemporary painter and 2018 MacArthur Fellows Program Genius Award recipient
- David Kuraoka (B.A. 1970, M.A. 1971) — ceramic artist [20]
- Peter Wayne Lewis (M.A. 1979) — Jamaican-American contemporary artist known for his large-scale abstract paintings [21]
- Sal Maccarone (B.F.A. 1972) — nationally acclaimed woodworker and sculptor whose work includes "The Spirit of Tenaya" in Yosemite National Park [2]
- Bryan "Brain" Mantia (A.M. 1985) — drummer, Primus, Guns N' Roses, Tom Waits, Buckethead [22]
- Ann Millikan (B.A. 1986) — musician and composer [23]
- Stevie Nicks (attended 1968–70) — musician best known for Fleetwood Mac [24]
- Larry Norman (attended 1965) — Christian rock musician, singer and songwriter; founding member of the '60s rock band People! [25]
- Fred H. Roster (M.A. 1968) — sculptor [26]
- Na Omi Judy Shintani (B.S. 1980) — artist known for works about Japanese internment during WWII; CAAIAF 2023 [27]
- Patrick Simmons — rock guitarist and vocalist best known for his work as a founding member of The Doobie Brothers [28]
- Gordon Smedt (attended 1982–84) — pop artist and painter [29]
- Wayne Thiebaud (attended 1949–50) — painter
- Cal Tjader (attended 1946) — Grammy Award-winning jazz musician
- Michael Whelan (B.A. 1973) — artist and illustrator specializing in imaginative realism; Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductee [30]
Authors
- Lorna Dee Cervantes (B.A. 1984) — poet, Pulitzer Prize nominee [2]
- William J. Craddock (1967) — novelist, author of Be Not Content and Twilight Candelabra [31]
- Carmen Giménez Smith (B.A.) — poet, American Book Award winner [32]
- James D. Houston (B.A. 1965) — co-author of Farewell to Manzanar ; author of Continental Drift, Snow Mountain Passage, and others; Lurie Distinguished Visiting professor of Creative Writing at SJSU in Spring 2006 [33]
- Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston (B.A. 1956) — co-author of Farewell to Manzanar [34]
- Jayne Ann Krentz (M.A. 1971.) — New York Times bestselling author [35]
- Ella Leffland (B.A. 1953) — novelist (Rumors of Peace) and short story writer (Last Courtesies and Other Stories) [36]
Edwin Markham (DipEd, 1872), 1st Poet Laureate of Oregon, most known for "The Man with the Hoe" - Patricia A. McKillip (B.A. 1971, M.A. 1972) — novelist [37]
- Sandra McPherson (B.A.) — poet [2]
- Robert Scoble (attended –1993) — blogger, author, and social media pioneer [38]
- Amy Tan (B.A. 1972, M.A. 1973) — novelist; author of The Joy Luck Club [2]
Aviation
- Jason Dahl (B.S. 1980) — airline pilot and United Airlines Flight 93 captain who died in the September 11 attacks [39]
Business
- Terry Alderete (B.S.) — businesswoman [40]
- Helder Antunes (B.S.) — Senior Director, Cisco Systems; chairman of the board, OpenFog Consortium
- James F. Boccardo (A.B. 1931) — trial lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist [41]
- Finis Conner (B.A. 1969) — founder, Conner Peripherals and co-founder of Seagate Technology [42]
- Ron Conway (B.A.) — billionaire angel investor and philanthropist; co-founder and former CEO of Altos Computer Systems [43]
- Robert Frankenberg — former CEO, Novell
- Omid Kordestani (B.S. 1984) — Senior Vice President, Google [2]
- Brian Krzanich (B.S. 1982) — CEO, CDK Global and former CEO, Intel Corporation [42] [44]
- Jenny Ming (B.A. 1978) — CEO, Charlotte Russe; former CEO of Old Navy [45]
- Gordon Moore (attended 1946–47) — founder of the Intel Corporation and creator of "Moore's law" [2]
- Ed Oates (B.A. 1968) — co-founder, Oracle Corporation [2]
- Daniel R. Scoggin (A.B. 1937) — founder and CEO, TGI Fridays
- Mike Sinyard (B.A. 1973) — founder and CEO, Specialized Bicycle Components [46]
- James E. Thompson (B.S. 1962) — founder and chairman, Crown Worldwide Group [47]
Film, theatre, and TV
- Coby Bell (B.A. 1997) — actor; best known for his role as NYPD officer Tyrone Davis, Jr. on the NBC drama Third Watch [48]
- Danny Lee Clark — actor, writer and producer; played Nitro on American Gladiators [49]
- Rosanna DeSoto — film actress, best for her role of Connie Valenzuela in the 1987 film La Bamba
- Yousef Erakat (B.A. 2013) —actor, comedian, vlogger [50]
- Michael Forest — actor, known for portraying Apollo, on Star Trek
- Debrah Farentino — film and television actress; model (attended SJSU; transferred to UCLA)
- Jerry Juhl (B.A. 1961) — head writer and producer for The Muppets and Fraggle Rock [2]
- Omar Benson Miller (attended 1996–2001) — actor [2]
- Stanley Anderson — actor, known for portraying Drew Carey's Father on the Drew Carey Show
- Steve Silver — founder of Beach Blanket Babylon, a popular cabaret show in San Francisco [2]
- Kurtwood Smith — actor, best known for the role of Red Forman on That '70s Show [51]
- The Smothers Brothers — comedians [2]
- Bobbi Starr — pornographic actress [52]
- Mychal Threets - librarian and media host; host of the YouTube revival of PBS series Reading Rainbow
- Luis Valdez (B.A. 1964) — Chicano playwright, screenwriter and director best known for his movie La Bamba [2]
Journalism
- Chauncey Bailey — Oakland Post editor-in-chief; murdered in 2007 [53]
- Grant Brisbee — San Francisco Giants writer for The Athletic [54]
- Earl Dotter — photojournalist documenting America's most dangerous jobs
- Kim Komenich — photojournalist, filmmaker and teacher; Pulitzer Prize winner (1987) [55]
- John Kouns — photojournalist during the Civil Rights Movement
- Tony Kovaleski — broadcast journalist (KNTV-TV); multiple Emmy awards; winner of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award (2010) [56]
- Hassina Leelarathna — Sri Lankan-American journalist [57]
- Steve Lopez — newspaper columnist, Los Angeles Times ; novelist [58]
- Dave Meltzer —editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter [59]
- Anacleto Rapping — photojournalist and teacher; three-time Pulitzer Prize winner
- Marcio Sanchez — photojournalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (2021) [60]
- Steve Starr — photojournalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (1970) [61]
- David Willman — reporter; Pulitzer Prize winner (2001) [2]
Miscellaneous
- Christopher Darden (B.S. 1977) — prosecutor in the O. J. Simpson murder case [62]
- Dirk Dirksen — godfather of San Francisco punk; tour manager for The Doors, Iron Butterfly, The Supremes and Ray Charles; owner of the Mabuhay Gardens punk club in San Francisco (attended SJSU, but did not graduate)
- Rob Janoff — graphic designer best known for his creation of the Apple logo [63]
- Harry W. Jenkins — major general, U.S. Marine Corps [64]
- Jessica McClintock — fashion designer [2]
- Anthony Poshepny, aka Tony Poe — legendary CIA paramilitary officer [65]
- Edward Soriano — Lieutenant General, United States Army; [66] as of April 2009 [update] , highest ranking Filipino American in the United States military [67]
Politics and government
- Richard C. Baldwin — Associate Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court [68]
- James T. Beall Jr. — California Assemblyman, 24th district, and former Santa Clara County Supervisor [2]
- Lee P. Brown — former Mayor of Houston; former Police Commissioner of New York City; former Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy [2]
- Ben Nighthorse Campbell (B.A. 1957) — former U.S. Senator from Colorado [2]
- Albert E. Carter — former U.S. Congressman [2]
- David C. Casas — former mayor of Los Altos and Los Altos city council member [69]
- Cindy Chavez — former member of San Jose City Council and former vice mayor of San Jose [2]
- Judy Chirco — San José City councilmember, District 9 [2]
- William Clark, Jr. — former U.S. Ambassador to India
- Michael Deaver — Deputy White House Chief of Staff for President Ronald Reagan [2]
- Robert Doerr — former Mayor of San Jose, California (1956–1958) [70]
- Paul Fong — California Assemblyman, 22nd district [71]
- Robert "Bob" Foster — Mayor of Long Beach, California; former president, Southern California Edison; former CSU Trustee [2]
- Mike Honda — U.S. Representative from California [2]
- Lou Henry Hoover (Dip.Ed. 1893) — former First Lady of the United States [2]
Lou Henry Hoover (DipEd, 1893), philanthropist and former First Lady of the United States - Johnny Khamis — councilmember on the San Jose City Council [72]
- William Langdon — former Associate Justice of the California Supreme Court [73]
- Linda J. LeZotte — San Jose City councilmember, District 1 [2]
- Webster Lincoln (B.S. 2010) — data scientist, biotech entrepreneur, and East Palo Alto City Council member [74] [75]
- Evan Low — California State Assemblyman; member of California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus [76]
- Gus Morrison — Mayor of Fremont, California (1985–1989; 1994–2004; 2012–2013) [77]
- Gaylord Nelson — former U.S. Senator; Governor of Wisconsin; founder of Earth Day [2]
- Lyn Nofziger — White House advisor to presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan [2]
- Robert Rivas — 71st Speaker of the California State Assembly [78]
- Ed Rollins — National Campaign Director for Reagan – Bush (1984) and Mike Huckabee (2007); regular guest political analyst on CNN (attended SJSU; graduated from CSU Chico) [2]
- Jim Silva — California State Assemblyman; former mayor of Huntington Beach [79]
- Laurie Smith — Sheriff, Santa Clara County; first female county sheriff in the history of the state of California [2]
- Fernando Torres-Gil — first assistant secretary for aging at the Department of Health and Human Services in the Clinton Administration; associate dean of the School of Public Affairs at UCLA [2]
- Joe Trippi — presidential campaign manager for Howard Dean (2004) [80]
- Aisha Wahab — California State Senator, 10th district
- Carole Ward Allen — former BART board director, District 4; former Oakland port commissioner [2]
- Kent Wiedemann — former U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia
- Ken Yeager — politician, member of Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
International Politicians
- Yao Ching-ling — Taiwanese politician, Magistrate of Taitung
- Amy Khor — Singaporean politician, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment [81]
- Morteza Mohammadkhan — Iranian politician, Minister of Finance [82]
- Mahmoud Vaezi — Chief of Staff of the President of Iran [83]
- Sim Tze Tzin — Member of the Malaysian Parliament [84]
Science and technology
- Barbara Bekins — hydrologist and National Academy of Engineering fellow [85]
- Daniel W. Bradley — co-discoverer of Hepatitis C [86]
- Sarah Clatterbuck — computer engineer [87]
- Ray Dolby — engineer, founder of Dolby Laboratories (studied two years at SJSU; graduated from Stanford University) [2]
- Dian Fossey — ethologist and gorilla expert [2]
- Charles Ginsburg — engineer, inventor of the videocassette recorder; National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee [88]
- Jan Koum — billionaire entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of WhatsApp; managing director at Facebook, Inc. (attended SJSU, but did not graduate) [89]
- Gordon Moore — scientist, author of Moore's Law [2]
- Roger Wakimoto — atmospheric scientist, tornado expert, director of NCAR and NSF [90]
- James Lewis Wayman — 2013 Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Sports
Baseball
- Jeff Ball — former Major League Baseball player, San Francisco Giants [91]
- Aaron Bates — Major League Baseball player, Boston Red Sox [91]
- Mike Brown — former Major League Baseball player, California Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates [91]
- Ken Caminiti — former Major League Baseball player, Houston Astros et al. [91]
- Anthony Chavez — former Major League Baseball player, California Angels [91]
- Chris Codiroli — former Major League Baseball player, Oakland Athletics [91]
- Kevin Frandsen — Major League Baseball player, Philadelphia Phillies [91]
- Gary Hughes — former Major League Baseball assistant coach, Chicago Cubs [91]
- Pat Hughes — play-by-play radio broadcaster for Chicago Cubs [91]
- Jason Jimenez — former Major League Baseball player, Detroit Tigers and Tampa Bay Devil Rays [91]
- Randy Johnson — former Major League Baseball player, Atlanta Braves [91]
- Brad Kilby — Major League Baseball player, Oakland Athletics [91]
- Hal Kolstad — former Major League Baseball player, Boston Red Sox [91]
- Mark Langston — former Major League Baseball player, Seattle Mariners, California Angels, et al. [91]
- Larry Lintz — former Major League Baseball player, Montreal Expos et al. [91]
- John Oldham — former Major League Baseball player, Cincinnati Reds [91]
- Jason Simontacchi — former Major League Baseball player, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals [91]
- Anthony Telford — former Major League Baseball player, Baltimore Orioles, Montreal Expos, et al. [91]
- Carlos Torres — Major League Baseball player, Chicago White Sox [91]
Basketball
- Tariq Abdul-Wahad (Olivier Saint-Jean) — former NBA player (Sacramento Kings) [2]
- Jack Avina — former men's basketball coach for the Portland Pilots
- Ricky Berry — former NBA player (Sacramento Kings) [92]
- Wil Carter — former basketball player who played professionally in the Netherlands, Cyprus, France, and Japan
- Marquin Chandler — former professional basketball player
- Brandon Clarke — NBA player (Memphis Grizzlies) [93]
- Rick Darnell — former ABA player
- Coby Dietrick — former NBA player (San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors) [92]
- Tony Farmer — former NBA player
- Justin Graham — former professional basketball player
- Dick Groves — former NBA player (San Diego Rockets) [92]
- Darnell "Dr. Dunk" Hillman — former NBA player (Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets et al.) [92]
- Ed Hughes — former BAA player (Washington Capitols) [92]
- Stu Inman — former NBA player and coach (Chicago Stags, Portland Trail Blazers, et al.) [92]
- James Kinney — professional basketball player
- Steve McKean — former basketball coach for the New Zealand men's national basketball team
- Chris McNealy — former NBA player for the New York Knicks
- Walt McPherson — former San Jose Spartans head coach
- Omari Moore — current NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks
- Adrian Oliver — former professional basketball player
- Wally Rank — former NBA player (San Diego Clippers) [92]
- C. J. Webster — former professional basketball player
- Sid Williams — former NBA player (Portland Trail Blazers) [92]
Football
- Courtney Anderson — former NFL tight end, Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders [94]
- Marcus Arroyo — head football coach, UNLV
- Stacey Bailey — former NFL wide receiver, Atlanta Falcons [95]
- Keith Birlem — former SJSU quarterback, NFL player, member of San Jose State Hall of Fame
- Kim Bokamper — former NFL linebacker, Miami Dolphins [95]
- John Broussard — NFL wide receiver, Jacksonville Jaguars [95]
- Gill Byrd — former NFL defensive back, San Diego Chargers; two NFL Pro Bowl appearances [95]
- Jim Cadile — former NFL guard, Chicago Bears [95]
- Sheldon Canley — former NFL running back, San Francisco 49ers and New York Jets [96]
- Matt Castelo — former NFL linebacker, Seattle Seahawks; former CFL linebacker, Hamilton Tiger-cats [97]
- Steve Clarkson — nationally renowned quarterbacks coach; founder of Steve Clarkson Dreammaker quarterback camp [98]
- Sherman Cocroft — former NFL defensive back, Kansas City Chiefs [95]
- Clarence Cunningham — former AFL wide receiver, defensive back, running back, and kick returner; former AF2 starter, Stockton Lightning; IFL free safety, Catania Elephants [99]
- Neal Dahlen — former SJSU quarterback, NFL manager and scout; holds the record for the most earned Super Bowl rings at seven [100]
- Rashied Davis — NFL wide receiver, Chicago Bears [101]
- Yonus Davis — CFL running back, BC Lions [102]
- Steve DeBerg — former NFL quarterback, Dallas Cowboys [95]
- David Diaz-Infante — former NFL and CFL offensive guard, San Diego Chargers, Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and Sacramento Gold Miners [94]
- Oscar Donahue — former NFL wide receiver, Minnesota Vikings [94]
- Terry Donahue — UCLA head football coach; College Football Hall of Fame inductee (attended SJSU for one year)
- Leon Donohue — former NFL offensive lineman, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys [95]
- Carl Ekern — former NFL linebacker, Los Angeles Rams; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance [95]
- David Fales — NFL quarterback, New York Jets [95]
- Mervyn Fernandez —former NFL wide receiver, Los Angeles Raiders [95]
- Coye Francies — NFL defensive back, Cleveland Browns [94]
Jeff Garcia (B.S. 1994) NFL quarterback, four NFL Pro Bowl appearances - Trestin George — CFL defensive back, BC Lions [103]
- Jarron Gilbert — NFL defensive tackle, Chicago Bears [95]
- Charley Harraway — former NFL running back, Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns [95]
- Paul Held — former NFL quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers [95]
- Willie Heston (attended 1898–1900) — former SJSU halfback; College Football Hall of Fame inductee [104]
- James Hodgins — former NFL fullback, St. Louis Rams et al. [95]
- Duke Ihenacho — NFL safety, Denver Broncos [95]
- Johnny Johnson — former NFL running back, New York Jets; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance; consensus choice for Rookie of the Year (1990) [95]
- Cody Jones — NFL defensive tackle, Los Angeles Rams; one NFL Pro Bowl appearance [95]
- James Jones — NFL wide receiver, Oakland Raiders [95]
- Rick Kane — former NFL running back, Detroit Lions [95]
- Bob Ladouceur — among winningest high school football coaches in U.S. history; coached De La Salle High Spartans to 151 consecutive wins 1992–2003 [105]
- Bill Leavy — NFL referee; officiated Super Bowl XL
- Dwight Lowery — NFL defensive back, New York Jets and two-time All-American at SJSU [95]
- Joe Nedney — NFL kicker, San Francisco 49ers [101]
- William Yaw Obeng — Arena Football League lineman, San Jose Sabercats
- Chris Owens — NFL defensive back, Atlanta Falcons [94]
- Tom Petitthome — former AFL player, San Jose Sabercats
- Art Powell — NFL wide receiver, Oakland Raiders; Raiders' 7th all-time leading receiver [95]
- Waylon Prather — former NFL punter, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals [106]
- Jim Psaltis — former NFL defensive back
- David Richmond — NFL wide receiver, Cincinnati Bengals
- Scott Rislov — AFL quarterback, San Jose Sabercats
- Al Saunders — former NFL head coach for the San Diego Chargers [107]
- Rufus Skillern — CFL and NFL wide receiver, BC Lions and Baltimore Ravens
- Gerald Small — former NFL defensive back, Miami Dolphins [95]
- Carl Sullivan — former NFL defensive end, Green Bay Packers [95]
- Adam Tafralis — CFL quarterback, Hamilton Tiger-Cats [108]
- Tyson Thompson — NFL kick returner, Dallas Cowboys [95]
- Bob Titchenal — former NFL linebacker, Washington Redskins and Los Angeles Dons; one Pro Bowl appearance; former head football coach, University of New Mexico and SJSU [95]
- Paul Varelans — retired professional MMA fighter formerly with the UFC [109]
- Dick Vermeil — NFL head coach; winning coach, Super Bowl XXXIV [2] [110]
- Bill Walsh (B.A. 1955) — NFL head coach; winning coach, Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XIX, and Super Bowl XXIII; Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee [2] [111]
- Gerald Willhite — former NFL running back, Denver Broncos [95]
- Billy Wilson — former NFL receiver, San Francisco 49ers; six NFL Pro Bowl appearances [95]
- Louis Wright — former NFL defensive back, Denver Broncos; 1st round NFL draft pick; five NFL Pro Bowl appearances [95]
- Roy Zimmerman — former NFL quarterback, Washington Redskins; one Pro Bowl appearance [95]
Golf
- Ron Cerrudo — PGA golfer and tour winner [91]
- Bob Eastwood — PGA golfer and tour winner [91]
- Pat Hurst — LPGA golfer and tour winner; #16 on the all-time LPGA money list [2]
- Juli Inkster — LPGA golfer; two-time U.S. Women's Open winner (1999 and 2002); #4 on the all-time LPGA money list [2]
- Mark Lye — PGA golfer and tour winner [91]
- Roger Maltbie — PGA golfer and tour winner [91]
- Janice Moodie — LPGA golfer and tour winner [112]
- Arron Oberholser — PGA golfer; AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am winner (2006) [113]
- Patty Sheehan — LPGA golfer; two-time U.S. Women's Open winner (1992 and 1994) [2]
- Ken Venturi — PGA golfer; 1964 U.S. Open winner and Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" [2]
- Mark Wiebe — PGA golfer and tour winner [91]
Olympic Games
- Charles Adkins — 1952 Olympian (boxing); gold medalist [114]
- Kevin Asano — 1988 Olympian (judo); silver medalist; USA Judo Hall of Fame inductee [114]
- Bob Berland — 1984 Olympian (judo); silver medalist [114]
- Felix Böhni — 1980 and 1984 Olympian (pole vault)
- Vinnie Bradford — 1984 Olympian (fencing) [114]
- Suzannah Brookshire-Gonzales — 2020 Olympian (softball) [115]
- Colton Brown — 2016 and 2020 Olympian (judo) [116]
- Ed Burke — 1964 and 1968 Olympian (track and field), [114] U.S.A. Flagbearer at the 1984 Opening Ceremonies in Los Angeles
- Russ Camilleri — 1960 and 1964 Olympian (freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling)
- Robin Campbell — 1984 Olympian (track and field – 800 metres) [117]
- John Carlos (attended 1968–1969) — 1968 Olympian (track and field – 200 meters); bronze medalist; best known for giving raised fist salute from the medalists' podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City [114]
- Dedy Cooper — 1980 Olympian (track and field – 110 meter hurdles) [118]
- Michelle Cox — 2020 Olympian (softball) [115]
- Jim Doehring — 1992 Olympian (track and field – shot put); silver medalist [114]
- Emma Entzminger — 2020 Olympian (softball) [115]
- Clara Espar Llaquet — 2020 Olympian (water polo); silver medalist [119]
- Lee Evans — 1968 Olympian (track and field – 4x400 meters and 400 meters); two-time gold medalist and world record holder [114]
- Jeff Fishback — 1964 Olympian (track and field) [114]
- George Haines — swim coach for seven U.S. Olympic teams; head swim coach at UCLA and Stanford University [2]
- Steve Hamann — 1980 Olympian (water polo) [114]
- Mike Hernandez — 1972 Olympian (soccer) [114]
- Mitch Ivey — 1968 and 1972 Olympian (swimming); silver and bronze medalist [114]
- Margaret Jenkins — 1928 Olympian (track and field) [114]
- Stacey Johnson — 1980 Olympian (fencing) [114]
- Russ Lockwood — 1976 Olympian (Greco Roman wrestling)
- Marti Malloy — 2012 Olympian (judo); bronze medalist [114]
- Keith Nakasone — 1980 Olympian (judo) [114]
- Ben Nighthorse Campbell — 1964 Olympian (judo) [114]
- Ray Norton — 1960 Olympian (track and field) [114]
- Christos Papanikolaou — 1968 Olympian (track and field – pole vault); world record holder (first man over 18 feet) [120]
- John Powell — 1976 and 1984 Olympian (track and field – discus); two-time bronze medalist [114]
- Raju Rai — 2008 Olympian (men's singles badminton)
- Ronnie Ray Smith — 1968 Olympian (track and field athlete – 4 × 100 meters); gold medalist and world record holder [114]
- Tommie Smith (B.A. 1969) — 1968 Olympian (track and field athlete – 200 meters); gold medalist; best known for giving raised fist salute from the medalists' podium during the 1968 Summer Olympic Games [114]
- Willie Steele —1948 Olympian (track and field – long jump); gold medalist [114]
- Robyn Stevens — 2020 Olympian (20k race walking) [115]
- Jill Sudduth — 1996 Olympian (synchronized swimming): gold medalist [114]
- Mike Swain — 1988 Olympian (judo); bronze medalist; first American male to win the World Judo Championships [114]
- Lynn Vidali — 1968 and 1972 Olympian (swimming); silver and bronze medalist [114]
- Jim Zylker — 1972 Olympian (soccer) [114]
Other
- Joey Chestnut — competitive eater; world record holder [121]
- Shane Golobic — dirt track racing driver [122]
- Krazy George Henderson — professional cheerleader and self-proclaimed inventor of the audience wave [123]
- Ryan Suarez — former MLS soccer player (Los Angeles Galaxy and Dallas Burn) [124]
- Yoshihiro Uchida — head coach, SJSU judo team; team coach, 1964 U.S. Olympic judo team; instrumental in developing organized intercollegiate judo competition in the U.S. [2]
- Peter Ueberroth (B.A. 1959) — Major League Baseball Commissioner (1984–1989); U.S. Olympic Committee chair; Time magazine's "Man of the Year" [2]
- Robert Wall — actor and martial artist [125]
- Justin Willis — professional mixed martial artist, current UFC heavyweight [126]
Fictional Alumni
- Amir Qadiri — protagonist of the novel The Kite Runner [127]
