California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo — College Profile

About

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is best known for its signature "Learn by Doing" philosophy, which integrates immediate, hands-on technical experience directly into the undergraduate curriculum. The university boasts nationally renowned programs in engineering, architecture, agriculture, and business, emphasizing practical problem-solving from a student's very first term. Nestled along California's scenic Central Coast, campus life is energetic and outdoorsy, with a collaborative student body that balances rigorous academics with hiking, surfing, and enjoying downtown San Luis Obispo. Setting Cal Poly apart is its direct-to-major admissions process and a required capstone Senior Project that frequently translates into direct employment after graduation.

Wikipedia:California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is a public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, outside of the city limits of San Luis Obispo. Founded in 1901, it is the oldest of three polytechnic universities within the California State University system. Cal Poly emphasizes a "learn by doing" philosophy, integrating hands-on, practical experiences into its curriculum. As of fall 2025, Cal Poly had approximately 22,000 undergraduate and 900 graduate students.

Location

San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

LAX · Los Angeles

159 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$13,596$34,665

Housing & food (on campus)$18,792$18,792

Books & supplies$1,119$1,119

Cost of attendance$32,265$53,334 est.

Average net price$16,665Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$34,665

In-state: $13,596

Housing & food (on campus)$18,792

Books & supplies$1,119

Cost of attendance$53,334 est.

In-state: $32,265

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $16,665

est. = the in-state cost of attendance with out-of-state tuition swapped in; no out-of-state figure is published.

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$7,529

$30–48k

$7,253

$48–75k

$9,896

$75–110k

$15,786

$110k+

$27,772

Your family's actual price → California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$4,121

First-years who got one624

Source: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

86%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

61%

Back for yr 2

96%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

87% graduated · 8% transferred · 5% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$72,358

10 yrs after entry$90,768

Debt

Median at graduation$18,500

Monthly payment$196

Middle 50% owe$7.5k–$25k

90th percentile$30,000

Green marks a figure above the typical Master's (larger programs): 54% graduate within 6 yrs, $55,177 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

31%

Test policy

Not required

Per College Scorecard

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Essay prompts

If California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the school's application.

Student Body

Gender

Men 49%Women 51%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

19 : 1

Pell grant

19%

First-gen

25%

Family income

$74,513

Independent

Age at entry

20.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

48%

Hispanic

25%

Black

Asian

14%

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FCS · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Beach Volleyball
Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's
Wrestling
Men's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$72,358

After 10 yrs

$90,768

Business Administration, Management and Operations689

Mechanical Engineering278

Computer Science202

Biology, General163

Animal Sciences159

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering159

Construction Management150

Civil Engineering148

Psychology, General135

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy129

Computer Engineering129

Agricultural Business and Management126

Architectural Sciences and Technology126

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities116

Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering110

Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies102

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$296M

Full-time faculty

69%

Faculty salary

$12,673/mo

Teaching spend

$11,438

per student

Federal loans

25%

Classification

Carnegie type

Master's (larger programs)

Research activity

Research college or university

$38M research spending

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, more selective admissions