In 1857 the San Francisco Board of Education established Minns' Evening Normal School for current and prospective teachers in the city. Named after its principal, George W. Minns, the institution was formally established as the first California State Normal School by the State Legislature in 1862. A decade later, the Legislature voted to move the Normal School to San José, and the school relocated to its new home on Washington Square prior to the fall term of 1872. After a fire destroyed the Normal School building in 1880, the Legislature authorized $200,000 to construct a new building on the same site. Completed in 1881, the building was commonly referred to as the Second State Normal School. After several names and curriculum changes, Minns' Normal School is now San Jose State University, offering more than 134 bachelor's and master's degrees with 110 concentrations, and is recognized as one of the top public universities granting such degrees in the West.

San José State University has been home to numerous student organizations throughout its 150-year history. SJSU student clubs range from social groups to Greek letter societies, honor societies to academic and major-related clubs, and service and human rights organizations. The Philomathean society is the oldest documented club on campus, with evidence of its existence prior to 1876. Many of the initial Normal School and San José State Teachers College student organizations were related to literary studies, oratory, and Christian missionary work. Panhellenic Greek societies were also present on campus during the nineteenth century, including Chi Epsilon, Kappa Delta, Iota Phi, and Alpha Rho. In addition, an early form of student government, referred to as the Student Body, was established on campus in 1898; it was subsequently renamed Associated Students in 1923. As of 2010, San José State University maintains over 300 active student clubs and organizations, including the service co-ed fraternity Alpha Phi Omega, the Akbayan Pilipino American Organization, the History Club, the Badminton Club, and the Longboarding Club.