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San Luis Obispo , CA
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, commonly known as Cal Poly, is a prestigious public university located in San Luis Obispo, California. Established in 1901, Cal Poly is well known for its hands-on approach to education and emphasis on applied learning. The university offers over 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across six colleges, including agriculture, engineering, business, liberal arts, science, and architecture and environmental design.
Cal Poly boasts a highly regarded faculty composed of accomplished professionals and industry experts who bring real-world experience into the classroom. This unique approach to education prepares students for successful careers upon graduation. The university also offers students numerous opportunities for research, internships, and cooperative education, allowing them to gain practical experience in their chosen fields.
Beyond academics, Cal Poly provides a vibrant campus life with a range of student organizations, clubs, and sports teams. The university has a strong emphasis on sustainability and is dedicated to maintaining an eco-friendly campus. Located on the central coast of California, students can take advantage of the surrounding natural beauty, including nearby beaches, hiking trails, and vineyards. With its exceptional academic programs, commitment to hands-on learning, and picturesque location, Cal Poly offers an enriching and dynamic educational experience for its students.
Located in San Luis Obispo, CA and set in a suburban environment, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public comprehensive higher education institution. This academic institution uses a quarterly calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 31%. The freshman retention rate at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is 95.1% and the six-year graduation rate is 87%.
The freshmen application deadline for this school is November 30. The transfer application deadline is November 30.
Here are some essential information on important things to consider about California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
Quick Facts
21,947
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
18:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
87%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you learn as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will greatly improve. What are the admission requirements for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo?
In 2025, the school accepted 21,416 new students. Looking at entrance difficulty level for all or most incoming freshmen, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
Out of the number of those who submitted test scores, the percentage of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students who submitted SAT scores was 27.5% and ACT scores 6.9%. 32.7% of the freshmen submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 49.42% between 1,200 and 1,399, 14.73% between 1,000 and 1,199, 3.02% between 800 and 999, and 0.13% of the students between 600 and 799. The percent of incoming freshmen who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 62.57, 29.78 between 24-29, 7.1 in the range between 18-23, and 0.55 between 12-17.
The latest reported average GPA of the enrolled students was 4.12. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
Deadlines
Be sure to apply to this school by November 30. If you are applying for a transfer, the application deadline is November 30.
Retention Rate
What is the freshman retention rate? The freshman retention rate is the percentage of full-time students who entered the institution as freshmen in the previous academic year and returned for the fall term of the current academic year. Why is that information important? Because it tells you if the majority of freshmen enjoyed their first year at a school enough to come back.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo was 95.1%, which is an excellent retention rate only the most prestigious institutions have.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It reflects the proportion of students who obtain their degrees within the expected timeframe. This academic institution has the six-year graduation rate of 87%, which is considered an above-average graduation rate.
Student Body
Figuring out which school is the right fit for you is not a task you should take lightly. Knowing more about the student population can help you get a better understanding of the school's culture and life.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school enrolled 22,842 students.
That year, the school had an out-of-state student body percentage of 14.42. There was a total of 21,947 undergrad students, including 180 international students. 916 students were admitted as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 10,689 male and 11,104 female full-time students in 2025. There were 260 full-time graduate male and 351 full-time graduate female students at this school.
Student Population Diversity
The importance of student diversity cannnot be denied, when it comes to the overall feeling of inclusion and beloning among the students of any school. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Discover more about the many ethnic communities that go to this school.
In 2025, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of students of Asian origin was 3,054, while the number of Afro-American students was 167. 5,520 undergraduates at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 1,782 as multirace. The school also had 45 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 26 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 712 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before you send an application to any college or university, you should take into account the financial component. Here are some details you should know about the expenses at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo that the majority of students face.
Tuition and Fees
Here are some numbers that can help you better understand the estimated tuition cost for this university.
For local residents, public county and municipal institutions reported that tuition costs were $6,084. For out-of-state students, tuition fees amounted to $18,684. If you are an international student at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, you should know that the 2025 tuition came to $18,684, as well. Fees per academic year required of full-time students came to a total of $6,637 in 2025.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $18,684 | $6,637 | $25,321 |
| In-State | $6,084 | $6,637 | $12,721 |
Books and Supplies
Another important financial factor to consider is the estimated price of books and supplies for a college or university. The estimated cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $1,119.
Boarding
Besides tuition, another cost to consider is the price of housing in the dorms and eating at the school cafeteria. What is the typical amount colleges and universities charge for room and board?
In 2025, room and board cost at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo amounted to $18,225 a year. If you only wanted a room on the campus, you had to pay $11,097 for the 2025 academic year. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was $13,761.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 6,084 |
| Room and Board | $ 18,225 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,119 |
| Total Expense | $ 25,428 |
Financial Aid
Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all types of financial aid available to students. Check out some recent data to get informed about need-based and non-need-based monetary aid available at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
According to the most recent data, 1,761 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average amount of financial aid given to students was $17,374.
Need-based
Need-based financial aid is exactly what it sounds like — it’s awarded based on the determined financial need.
There were 6,794 students who attained need-based financial aid of any kind. The total number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was 7,566. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution reached $25,953,300, and state $39,786,509. The students of California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $46,201,273, and external in the amount of $6,767,948.
$2,410
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Any financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid is considered non-need-based aid. Non-need-based student aid typicaly comes in a form of Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
Institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants were given to 1,084 students overall (including freshmen) at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo in 2025. 380 full-time freshmen were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $25,953,300 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $6,973. The total amount of institutional scholarships and awards that were not based on financial need was $6,560,995. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $7,634,276 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
18:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Knowing more about a school's faculty can help you gauge the caliber of the education it can provide to you.
In 2025, this ratio at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo was 18:1. That means that there were 18 times more students than teachers at this school. This school has recently reported to have 1,545 faculty members. This number included 896 men and 640 women.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Knowing what to expect out of campus life at a college or university can set you up for success. Find out some details about social life at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
Its campus spans 6,000 acres.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
Sororities and fraternities are included in that number. 16 percent of male and 20 of female students take part in in different organizations at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. Students who like music can join the California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo band or chorus. For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club. For students looking to explore media and communication, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
At California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, there are many amenities required for a pleasant and safe life on campus.
There are 24-hour emergency phone and alarm devices. There is a security patrol that operates 24 hours a day. Theer is a nighttime transportation/escort service.
There is a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Legal Services, Veteran's Affairs and Women's Center are available to the students of California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
All in all, campus life at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
Career Counselling
At California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be excellent for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
FAQ
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California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, CA.
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According to the latest information, the acceptance rate for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is 31%.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is 95.1%.
Contact Information
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
1 Grand Avenue
San Luis Obispo , CA
93407
805 756-1111
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.