California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
School Overview: Acceptance Rate, Tuition, and More
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$5,742
Avg in-state tuition
$17,622
Avg out-of-state tuition
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About California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo is a large public university located on a suburban campus in San Luis Obispo, California. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,456, and admissions are very selective, with an acceptance rate of 38%. The university offers 78 bachelor's degrees, has an average graduation rate of 83%, and a student-faculty ratio of 21:1. Tuition and fees for in-state students are $5,742, while tuition and fees for out-of-state students are $17,622.
Rankings
Learn more about how this school compares to other schools with rankings by BestColleges.
- #6 Ranked in Colleges With the Best Return on Investment in 2023
- #10 Ranked in Best Industrial Engineering Programs
Admissions Breakdown
Acceptance Rate Insight
This school has a competitive acceptance rate.
This school is a little more selective about its students. Competitive acceptance schools welcome 15-50% of all applicants.
This school has a competitive acceptance rate.
This school is a little more selective about its students. Competitive acceptance schools welcome 15-50% of all applicants.
38% of students were accepted during the 2020-2021 school year. Sometimes schools with midrange acceptance rates have higher standards of entry but are still accessible to many students who apply.
Retention Rate Insight
Students remain enrolled in this school at a higher rate than other schools.
This typically means students are happy with their school selection and wish to continue their education there.
Learn more about how we determine school awards
Students remain enrolled in this school at a higher rate than other schools.
This typically means students are happy with their school selection and wish to continue their education there.
Learn more about how we determine school awards94% of full-time students stayed to continue their studies the following academic year. These students started in Fall 2019 and returned in Fall 2020.
Graduation Rate Insight
Students graduate from this school at a higher rate than other schools.
This is typically an indication of a school's quality and means most students finish their degree in a timely manner.
Learn more about how we determine school awards
Students graduate from this school at a higher rate than other schools.
This is typically an indication of a school's quality and means most students finish their degree in a timely manner.
Learn more about how we determine school awards83% of students graduated out of all full-time, first-time students who began their studies in Fall 2014. Keep in mind many students who enroll are not typically first-time students, as most are adult learners. Therefore, the number of first-time students is traditionally low.
Application Considerations
Test scores Required
High school transcript Required
High school rank Not required or recommended
Letter of recommendation Not required or recommended
High school GPA Required
Open admission No
Completion of college prep program Required
Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) Not required or recommended
Transfer Credit Policy
Dual enrollment Yes
Credit for qualified life experience* Yes
Advance placement (AP) credits Yes
*This can include previous jobs, trainings, licenses/credentials, or seminars. You may need to complete an exam or provide a portfolio to earn credit.
SAT & ACT
Students who attend this school typically have higher standardized test scores than students at other schools.
While test scores can be an important aspect of college applications, schools determine admission based on several factors, and these test scores are only a suggested range.
Learn more about how we determine school awardsACT 25th-75th Percentile 26-32
SAT 25th-75th Percentile 1220-1410
Learning Environment
Student Body Stats
This school has a student body of more than 15,000 students.
Learn more about how we determine school awards22k
Students enrolled
100%
Online student enrollment
21:1
Student to faculty ratio
Ways Students Can Learn
Demographics
White
54%
Hispanic
18%
Asian
13%
Two or more races
8%
Unknown
4%
Non-U.S. Citizen
2%
Black
1%
American Indian/Alaska Native
0%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
0%
Female student population
49%
Socio-economic diversity
15% of students received an income-based Federal Pell Grant intended for low-income students.
Explore Similar Schools
Online Programs
Offers Online Programs
Yes
Online Programs
2
Total Online Enrollment
22,344
Percent of Programs Online
98% On-campus
2% Online
Types of Online Programs Offered
Certificates Not offered
Associate Not offered
Bachelor's Not offered
Graduate Certificate Not offered
Master's 4% online
Doctorate Not offered
Student Charges
Tuition and Required Fees
Student Level | In-state | Out-of-state |
---|---|---|
Undergraduate | $5,742 | $17,622 |
Graduate | $7,176 | $16,680 |
Cost of Undergraduate Attendance
Costs based on full-time, first-time degree or certificate-seeking undergraduates for the 2020–2021 academic year.
Costs to Consider | Price |
---|---|
Books and supplies | $888 |
On-campus room and board | $15,694 |
On-campus other expenses | $2,190 |
Off-campus (not with family) room and board | $15,694 |
Off-campus (not with family) other expenses | $2,190 |
Off-campus (with family) other expenses | $2,190 |
Total Undergraduate Cost
Total cost by category | In-state | Out-of-state |
---|---|---|
On-campus | $24,514 | $36,394 |
Off-campus without family | $24,514 | $36,394 |
Off-campus with family | $8,820 | $20,700 |
Financial Breakdown
Students Receiving Aid
Federal Grant Aid
15%
State Grant Aid
27%
Institution Grant Aid
43%
Pell Grant
15%
Average Aid Awarded
Financial Outlook
$20k
Average student debt after graduation
$55k
Average salary 6 years after starting school
Varsity Athletic Teams
NCAA Division I-FCS
of the overall student body is a member of an athletic team.
Participation
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming Diving
- Tennis
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- All Track Combined
Degrees Awarded by Program
Degrees given for the 2020-2021 academic year.
1Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
Agriculture, General
BA
MA
DOC
Dairy Science
BA
MA
DOC
Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations
BA
MA
DOC
Soil Science and Agronomy, General
BA
MA
DOC
Food Science
BA
MA
DOC
Agronomy and Crop Science
BA
MA
DOC
Animal Sciences, General
BA
MA
DOC
Agricultural Communication/Journalism
BA
MA
DOC
Ornamental Horticulture
BA
MA
DOC
Viticulture and Enology
BA
MA
DOC
Agricultural Mechanization, General
BA
MA
DOC
2Architecture And Related Services
BA
MA
DOC
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
BA
MA
DOC
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
BA
MA
DOC
Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)
BA
MA
DOC
3Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
BA
MA
DOC
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, and Gender Studies, Other
BA
MA
DOC
4Biological And Biomedical Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
Biochemistry
BA
MA
DOC
Microbiology, General
BA
MA
DOC
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
BA
MA
DOC
5Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
BA
MA
DOC
Business Administration and Management, General
BA
MA
DOC
Construction Management
BA
MA
DOC
Taxation
BA
MA
DOC
Management Science, General
BA
MA
DOC
Accounting
BA
MA
DOC
6Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
BA
MA
DOC
Journalism
BA
MA
DOC
Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
BA
MA
DOC
7Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
BA
MA
DOC
Graphic Communications, General
BA
MA
DOC
8Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
BA
MA
DOC
Computer Science
BA
MA
DOC
9Education
BA
MA
DOC
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
BA
MA
DOC
Agricultural Teacher Education
BA
MA
DOC
College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
BA
MA
DOC
Special Education and Teaching, General
BA
MA
DOC
Education, General
BA
MA
DOC
10Engineering Technologies/Technicians
BA
MA
DOC
Packaging Science
BA
MA
DOC
Industrial Technology/Technician
BA
MA
DOC
11Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Materials Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Manufacturing Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Mechanical Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Industrial Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Engineering Science
BA
MA
DOC
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Computer Software Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Computer Engineering, General
BA
MA
DOC
Civil Engineering, Other
BA
MA
DOC
Engineering, General
BA
MA
DOC
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Civil Engineering, General
BA
MA
DOC
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Architectural Engineering
BA
MA
DOC
Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering
BA
MA
DOC
12English Language And Literature/Letters
BA
MA
DOC
English Language and Literature, General
BA
MA
DOC
13Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
Human Development and Family Studies, General
BA
MA
DOC
14Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
BA
MA
DOC
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
BA
MA
DOC
15History
BA
MA
DOC
History, General
BA
MA
DOC
16Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
BA
MA
DOC
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
BA
MA
DOC
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
BA
MA
DOC
17Mathematics And Statistics
BA
MA
DOC
Statistics, General
BA
MA
DOC
Mathematics, General
BA
MA
DOC
18Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
BA
MA
DOC
Nutrition Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
Marine Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
19Natural Resources And Conservation
BA
MA
DOC
Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other
BA
MA
DOC
Forestry, General
BA
MA
DOC
20Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
BA
MA
DOC
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
BA
MA
DOC
Health and Physical Education, General
BA
MA
DOC
21Philosophy And Religious Studies
BA
MA
DOC
Philosophy
BA
MA
DOC
22Physical Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
Chemistry, General
BA
MA
DOC
Physics, General
BA
MA
DOC
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
BA
MA
DOC
Polymer Chemistry
BA
MA
DOC
23Psychology
BA
MA
DOC
Psychology, General
BA
MA
DOC
24Public Administration And Social Service Professions
BA
MA
DOC
Public Policy Analysis
BA
MA
DOC
25Security And Protective Services
BA
MA
DOC
Fire Protection, Other
BA
MA
DOC
26Social Sciences
BA
MA
DOC
Economics, General
BA
MA
DOC
Political Science and Government, General
BA
MA
DOC
Sociology
BA
MA
DOC
Social Sciences, Other
BA
MA
DOC
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics
BA
MA
DOC
27Visual And Performing Arts
BA
MA
DOC
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
BA
MA
DOC
Fine/Studio Arts, General
BA
MA
DOC
Music, General
BA
MA
DOC
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Data collected from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), [2020-2021]. In the absence of IPED data, information was collected directly from the school and is accurate as of the date of collection. Contact the school directly for the most current and complete information.
- All Track Combined
- Basketball
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