Colleges / California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
College · Public · San Luis Obispo, CA · Suburb
CP

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA

Hispanic-serving
Address1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Websitecalpoly.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate31%
6-yr median pay$72k
Net price / yr$17k
Undergrad size21,996
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $17k/yr for a shot at a $72k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 31% means this is selective — grades, essays, and testing matter.

If you get in

21,996 undergrads. Big. You will have to make it feel small yourself.

Where you live

Suburban — a short drive to the nearest city, greener but still connected.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $32k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $17k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$129k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$67k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$62k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback0.9x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$13.6k
Tuition · out-of-state
$34.7k
Room & board
$18.8k
Books & supplies
$1,119

How students pay for it.

Pell grants19%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans25%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$19k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $9k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention95%
Very high — students stay.
Graduation · 6 yr86%
Most finish on time.
6-yr median pay$72k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$91k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out1%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Suburb
Control
Public
Undergrad size
21,996
Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Region
Far West (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)
Carnegie class
Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Size & setting
Four-year · large · primarily residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, more selective, lower transfer-in
Accreditor
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Also known as
Cal Poly
Identity
Hispanic-serving
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White48%
  • Hispanic25%
  • Asian14%
  • Two or more races8%
  • Unknown3%
  • Black1%
  • International1%
First-gen students25%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time3%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Median family income$75k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 77

What you can study.

Colleges / California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
College · Public · San Luis Obispo, CA · Suburb
CP

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA

Hispanic-serving
Address1 Grand Ave., San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Websitecalpoly.edu
Price calculatorRun your numbers →
Admit rate31%
6-yr median pay$72k
Net price / yr$17k
Undergrad size21,996
§ I · The real read

What it's actually like.

The bet

Net price of $17k/yr for a shot at a $72k first-5-year salary. Math out whether that works for you — it does for some people, not for others.

Getting in

Admit rate of 31% means this is selective — grades, essays, and testing matter.

If you get in

21,996 undergrads. Big. You will have to make it feel small yourself.

Where you live

Suburban — a short drive to the nearest city, greener but still connected.

§ II · Cost & aid

Sticker vs. real.

Sticker cost of attendance is $32k/yr. After need-based aid, the average student pays $17k/yr. Merit aid varies. Run your EFC calculator before you rule anything out.

Sticker · 4 yrs$129k
Before any aid.
Net · 4 yrs$67k
What the average student pays.
Typical aid$62k
Difference over 4 years — higher for lower-income households.
Payback0.9x
4-yr net price ÷ first-5-year salary. Lower is better.

Where the money goes · annual sticker.

Tuition · in-state
$13.6k
Tuition · out-of-state
$34.7k
Room & board
$18.8k
Books & supplies
$1,119

How students pay for it.

Pell grants19%
Share of undergrads on federal Pell grants.
Federal loans25%
Share taking out federal student loans.
Median debt · grads$19k
What the median student owes at graduation. Non-completers: $9k.
3-yr default0%
Low — grads tend to pay on time.
§ III · Outcomes

Do people finish? Do they land?

1-yr retention95%
Very high — students stay.
Graduation · 6 yr86%
Most finish on time.
6-yr median pay$72k
Cross-major. Your major's number can be very different.
10-yr median pay$91k
Ten years out — where grads tend to land career-wise.
Transfer out1%
Share of full-time students who transfer to another school.
§ IV · Campus & identity

Setting, size, and who this school is.

Setting
Suburb
Control
Public
Undergrad size
21,996
Location
San Luis Obispo, CA
Region
Far West (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)
Carnegie class
Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Size & setting
Four-year · large · primarily residential
Undergrad program
Four-year · full-time, more selective, lower transfer-in
Accreditor
Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission
Also known as
Cal Poly
Identity
Hispanic-serving
§ · Who studies here

The student body at a glance.

  • White48%
  • Hispanic25%
  • Asian14%
  • Two or more races8%
  • Unknown3%
  • Black1%
  • International1%
First-gen students25%
Share whose parents didn't complete college.
Part-time3%
Mostly a full-time student body.
Median family income$75k
Of enrolled students' households — useful for aid context.
§ V · Majors offered here · 77

What you can study.