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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large, public institution located in San Luis Obispo, ca. Founded in 1901, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo offers undergraduate degrees in 128 majors.

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Key stats

college-type 4 Year, Public
athletics Division 1
undergraduates 20,976 undergraduates
cost $10,319 undergraduate tuition
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Admissions Academics Annual tuition & cost Ways to pay Students Campus life FAQs

Admissions

Will I get into Cal Poly San Luis Obispo? Here’s what we know about who has! SAT/ACT scores are neither required nor recommended to apply. Check here for college application deadline info or visit the school’s website.

Acceptance rate 30.4%
SAT score average N/A
ACT score average N/A
Average high school GPA 4.03
Application fee $70
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Key deadlines

June
30
59 days away FAFSA® deadline

Apply ASAP. A lot of aid is first come, first served!

Apply for the FAFSA®
December
02
214 days away Application deadline date

Visit the school's website for more about this option.

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Academics

The degree program or major you pursue is major! Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is known for one of its top majors: Business Administration, Management and Operations. Their student-faculty ratio is 20:1.

Graduation rate
Retention Rate
20 :1
Student to faculty ratio

Popular degree programs

Business and Management
Engineering and Technology
Natural Sciences and Environmental Studies
Agriculture, Food, and Animal Sciences
Computer Science and Information Technology
Social Sciences and Psychology
Other

Popular majors

Business Administration, Management and Operations
Mechanical Engineering
Biology, General
Animal Sciences
Computer Science
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering

Annual tuition & cost

In state

Undergraduate tuition $10,319
Additional expenses
Room & board $16,449
Books & supplies $906
Other expenses $2,244
Cost of attendance* $29,918
Average financial aid package $15,171
Estimated cost $14,747 See my potential costs

Out of state

Undergraduate tuition $28,229
Additional expenses
Room & board $16,449
Books & supplies $906
Other expenses $2,244
Cost of attendance* $47,828
Average financial aid package $15,171
Estimated cost $32,657 See my potential costs

June 30 FAFSA® deadline

Submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is the only way to see if you qualify for financial aid.  

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*Cost of attendance is the average expenses including tuition, room, board and other estimated living expenses.

Scholarships from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Scholarships are a great way to cover your education costs—it’s free money you don’t need to pay back. Check out these opportunities and apply!

Cal Poly Alumni, Greater Monterey Bay Chapter Scholarship No essay Varies Apply Now
Cal Poly Alumni Association - Central California Chapter Scholarship No essay Varies Apply Now
Elijah McClain Memorial Cal Poly Scholars No essay Varies Apply Now

Student population

Who’s going to be there? Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has a total undergraduate enrollment of 20,976, with gender binary students split 51% male and 49% female.

Total enrollment

22,279

Enrollment by gender

Male
Female

Enrollment & ethnicity

White %
49%
African American %
1%
Hispanic American %
23%
Asian %
14%
Native American %
0%
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander %
0%
Multiracial %
8%
Unknown %
5%

Student type

Full-time
Living on campus
International

Campus life

Find your people & try new things

At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, student athletes compete in Division 1 sports. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

Campus info

map 1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
phone 805-756-1111
address calpoly.edu/
announcement

Athletics

NCAA Division levelDivision 1
Varsity sportsYes
Intramural sportsYes
greek-life

Greek life

Female
Male

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to common questions about Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to help you figure out where you want to apply.

Where is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, ca.

What is the acceptance rate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo? 

The acceptance rate for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is 30%.

What’s the average GPA for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

The average high school GPA for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo students was 4.03.

How much does it cost for 4 years at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?  

The estimated cost for 4 years at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo including tuition, room and board, and books and other fees is $119,672.

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SLM Education Services, LLC does not provide, and these materials are not meant to convey, financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult your own financial advisor, tax advisor, or attorney about your specific circumstances.

FAFSA® is a registered service mark of U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid.

Certain content is referenced from Peterson’s Data 2024.

N/A means the information was not available or reported.