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California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Science & Tech Programs

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, CA. A Smaller Suburban Community provides tranquility and safety near the excitement of urban amenities.

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Rankings

Cal Poly is featured in these rankings for science & tech programs at the bachelors level:

Ranking	Rank	Among
Overall Quality	#3 of 469	State — California
Overall Quality	#3 of 667	Region — Far Western
Overall Quality	#14 of 4,630	Nationwide

Where Is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

Contact details for Cal Poly are given below.

	Contact Details
Address:	1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Phone:	8057561111
Website:	calpoly.edu/
Admissions:	www.calpoly.edu/admissions
Financial Aid:	www.calpoly.edu/financial-aid

How Do I Get Into Cal Poly?

You can apply to Cal Poly online at: www2.calstate.edu/apply

Cal Poly is classified as Selective (30-50%) for admissions.

Admission Requirements for Cal Poly

This is what Cal Poly looks for in applicants:

Requirement	Status
Secondary School Record	Required
Secondary School GPA	Required
Recommendations	Neither required nor recommended
Admission Test Scores (SAT/ACT)	Neither required nor recommended

How Hard Is It To Get Into Cal Poly?

Cal Poly maintains an acceptance rate of 31%, which makes it moderately selective. Be sure to prepare a complete application and prepare the application in full.

Of those admitted, 25% choose to enroll — a typical enrollment-to-admission yield.

Average Test Scores

Selectivity by Gender

Selectivity numbers at Cal Poly vary modestly across gender.

Gender	Applicants	Admitted	Acceptance Rate
Men	33,952	9,124	27%
Women	34,419	12,292	36%

Can I Afford California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

The average net price after aid at Cal Poly is $15,624. Cost varies significantly based on your financial situation since net price varies by income group.

Tuition & Fees

Category	Cost
In-State Tuition	$6,084
In-State Fees	$6,077
Out-of-State Tuition	$18,684
Out-of-State Fees	$14,546
Total In-State Tuition & Fees	$12,161
Total Out-of-State Tuition & Fees	$33,230

Financial Aid

Counting all forms of financial assistance, 24% of students at Cal Poly receive some form of financial aid (5,163 students).

Nearly 52% of students at Cal Poly receive grant or scholarship aid, averaging $12,264 per student.

19% of students receive federal Pell Grants, averaging $6,002.

Student Loan Debt

25% of Cal Poly undergraduates take out federal student loans, averaging $5,900 per year.

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Undergraduate Student Diversity

There are 1,142 students enrolled at Cal Poly. Cal Poly is classified as a 20,000 and above institution by enrollment size. Its Carnegie Classification is Master’s Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs.

Gender Diversity

Of the 21,521 undergraduate students at Cal Poly, approximately 49% are male and 51% are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

The racial-ethnic breakdown of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo undergraduate students is as follows.

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Students
Asian	2,991
Black or African American	172
Hispanic	5,423
White	10,222
American Indian/Alaska Native	21
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	43
Two or More Races	1,743
Non-Resident	172

Geographic Diversity

The top 5 home states of first-time undergraduate students at Cal Poly are listed below.

State	First-Time UG Students
California	4,353
Washington	279
Colorado	120
Oregon	111
Hawaii	53

Additionally, approximately 0.8% of undergraduate students are non-resident from outside the United States.

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Graduate Student Diversity

926 of Cal Poly’s students are in graduate programs. The highest graduate-level award offered is Master’s degree.

Gender Diversity (Graduate)

Among graduate students at Cal Poly, approximately 54% are male and 46% are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity (Graduate)

The racial-ethnic breakdown of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduate students is as follows.

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Students
Asian	101
Black or African American	5
Hispanic	193
White	495
American Indian/Alaska Native	0
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	4
Two or More Races	56
Non-Resident	27

Online Learning at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly delivers online programs for students who need flexibility.

7,879 undergraduate students at Cal Poly took at least one online class — of those, 62 took all of their classes online.

At the graduate level, 68 students took at least one online class and 65 took all classes online. Distance education is available at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Science & Tech Programs at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

The following science & tech degree programs are offered by Cal Poly, with the number of degrees awarded at each level in the most recent reporting year.

Program	Bachelor’s	Master’s	Doctorate	Total
Architectural Sciences and Technology	172	—	—	172
Landscape Architecture	42	—	—	42
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	30	10	—	40
Architecture	—	6	—	6

Academic Programs at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly offers 28 distinct academic programs.

The highest level of award offered is Master’s degree.

Institutional Profile

Cal Poly maintains an open admission policy: No. Credit transfer:

• AP credits: Yes
• Dual enrollment credits: Yes
• Life experience credits: Implied no

References

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)

More about our data sources and methodologies.