Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublicHSI

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, California·Public, 4-year or above·Far West·calpoly.edu
6-yr Graduation
86%
+32.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
23,069
peer median 16,237
Avg net price
$15,624
+$3.5k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeDocumentsAlumni

About

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.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
68,371
68,371 candidates competed
Admitted
21,416
31.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
5,271
24.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
86%+32.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
61%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
86%
Full-time retention
96%

Pell equity

7.0pp gap
Pell recipients
80%
Non-Pell
87%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 7.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 107 Title IV programs, 63 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 44 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
107
Passing
63
58.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

107programs
  • Passing63 · 58.9%
  • No Data44 · 41.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
0
Safe
62
No data
44

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

63
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.7%
$36,697 vs $36,082
City/Urban Community and Regional Planning
Master's Degree · Architecture And Related Services
+40.9%
$89,909 vs $63,816
Psychology General
Master's Degree · Psychology
+42.7%
$69,419 vs $48,653
Animal Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
+51.9%
$54,805 vs $36,082
Civil Engineering
Master's Degree · Engineering
+53.5%
$106,004 vs $69,070
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+53.9%
$55,543 vs $36,082
Social Sciences Other
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+59.0%
$57,360 vs $36,082
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+61.7%
$108,148 vs $66,899

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+1.7%
+$615

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

52
Animal Sciences
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
37%
$20,000 debt · $54,805 earn
Chemistry
Bachelor Degree · Physical Sciences
33%
$21,250 debt · $63,882 earn
Social Sciences Other
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
33%
$18,824 debt · $57,360 earn
Architecture
Bachelor Degree · Architecture And Related Services
33%
$25,000 debt · $76,613 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
32%
$22,500 debt · $69,854 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
32%
$17,840 debt · $55,543 earn
Food Science and Technology
Bachelor Degree · Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences
32%
$24,068 debt · $75,466 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
32%
$19,000 debt · $59,721 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

WASC Senior College and University Commission

Accredited since 1951Next review Jun 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 9

  1. Apr 2025Grant Substantive Change: Other
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  2. Jul 2024Approved for Distance Education
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  3. Jan 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Jun 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    WASC Senior College and University Commission
  5. Jan 2019Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$6,476
$30–48k$6,904
$48–75k$11,372
$75–110k$18,032
$110k+$26,920

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$15,624
+$3,450vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $12,174
Federal loans
23.5%
In-state tuition
$11,075
Out-of-state
$30,995

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 5,304 students received $34.5M in Pell grants, alongside $63.5M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
5,304
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$34.5M
$34,549,160 total
Direct Loans
$63.5M
8,759 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
’20
4k
’21
4k
’22
4k
’23
5k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$13.9M
3,254 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$17.7M
4,057 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.7M
244 loan awards
Parent PLUS$27.7M
1,181 loan awards
Grad PLUS$443K
23 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 2,852 borrowers who entered repayment, 24 (0.8%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.8%
-1.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,852
Defaulted
24
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
0.9%
2017
1.1%
2018
0.7%
2019
0.8%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Calpoly

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs101
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

4,271 total completions
01Engineering
1,17027.4%
02Business
96822.7%
03Agriculture
59614.0%
04Social Sciences
2676.3%
05Architecture
2606.1%
06Computer Sciences
2475.8%
07Biological Sciences
2205.2%
08Natural Resources
1974.6%
09Education
1744.1%
10Communication
1724.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
23,069
12-mo unduplicated
23,829
Undergraduate
22,726
Graduate
1,103

Gender split

Men
50%11,829
Women
50%12,000

Race / ethnicity composition

White
49.7%
Hispanic
23.1%
Asian
14.4%
Two or more
7.9%
Unknown
3.0%
Non-resident
0.9%
Black
0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
580
357 M · 223 W
Women athletes
38.4%
Athletic aid
$7.5M
Total student aid
Budget
$35.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$4.5M
$3.0M
Recruiting expense
$408K
$176K
Head-coach salaries
$191K
$118K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
104 M · 124 W
$2.0M
Football
125 M · —
$6.9M
Soccer
36 M · 38 W
$2.1M
Swimming
29 M · 31 W
$819K
Baseball
38 M · —
$2.2M
Basketball
18 M · 16 W
$4.4M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
5.05
111 offenses · 22,000 students

3-year trend

2.542 yrs ago3.511 yr ago5.05Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
246
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
152
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
7
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
27

Criminal offenses by type

Motor vehicle theft
58
Burglary
21
Rape
15
Fondling
9
Arson
6
Aggravated assault
2

By location

111total
  • On campus100
  • Non-campus11

Includes 20 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

14
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
61
Stalking
75 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Religion5
  • Sexual orientation1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons41
Drugs61
Liquor30

Residence-hall fires

  • Yosemite Hall 31 fire
    Open flamesDamage $0-$99
  • Santa Lucia Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Muir Hall1 fire
    Unknown suspect used a cigarette lighter to burn the word "ALEX" into a ceiling tile.Damage $0-$99
  • Cerro Cabrillo1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Aliso2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Aliso2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Corralitos1 fire
    Open flamesDamage $0-$99
  • Dover1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Estrella1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Gypsum2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Gypsum2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • tšilkukunitš1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 10 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
989

Calpoly vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Calpoly selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
86%—23,069$15,624Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Appalachian State University
75%90.1%21,570$16,487Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
68%75.2%27,636$11,580Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Chico
63%92.7%15,257$14,838Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Dominguez Hills
43%93.3%15,182$3,659Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Los Angeles
53%91.3%23,163$4,113Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Northridge
57%93.4%38,313$7,599Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-Sacramento
56%94.0%31,943$10,512Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
California State University-San Marcos
55%95.1%16,237$10,550Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
72%47.5%20,081$2,978Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Brooklyn College
54%58.4%14,390$2,943Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Hunter College
57%53.8%22,538$2,446Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
56%57.1%13,763$3,046Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Lehman College
51%56.6%13,324$3,482Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Queens College
53%64.3%15,965$3,830Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Eastern Washington University
43%90.7%10,492$13,091Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Metropolitan State University of Denver
31%98.8%18,453$14,294Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Minnesota State University-Mankato
53%88.4%15,271$18,609Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Pennsylvania Western University
52%94.3%10,834$19,352Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
San Jose State University
69%84.6%37,661$13,741Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Southeastern Louisiana University
45%99.3%14,426$12,174Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Towson University
69%82.0%19,401$16,791Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Troy University
49%96.0%13,658$13,869Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Houston-Downtown
33%90.0%13,730$14,623Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Maryland Global Campus
20%—63,012$14,514Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of North Georgia
50%67.9%19,291$10,785Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Western Washington University
65%93.2%14,710$18,680Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median54%90.1%16,237$12,174

Institutions like Calpoly

Explore the federal data for institutions in Calpoly's comparison group.

IPEDS

Calpoly Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Email
ir [at] calpoly.edu
Phone
805-756-1111
Address
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California 93407

We play a pivotal role on campus by fulfilling two core functions: providing mandatory data to the Chancellor's Office and serving as a key resource for Cal Poly constituents for strategic planning and decision-making.

Visit IR office page
Team
6 members
  • Mauricio Saavedra, Ph.D.
    Executive Director, Institutional Research
  • Robert Fitler
    Senior Research Analyst
  • Ray Flores
    Data Analyst
  • Gary Glasspool
    Data Analyst
  • Meghna Taneja
    Data Analyst
  • Taylor Takanishi
    Data Analyst

Reports & documents (5)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Calpoly (10)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Weird Al Yankovic
    Music
  • Bobby Beathard
    Sports
  • Devin Nunes
    Politics
  • Ozzie Smith
    Sports
  • Robert L. Gibson
    Aerospace
  • Alex Spanos
    Business
  • Burt Rutan
    Aerospace
  • John Madden
    Sports
  • Farzad Nazem
    Tech
  • Frederick W. Sturckow
    Aerospace

Frequently asked questions about California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Calpoly.

What is the graduation rate at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports a 6-year graduation rate of 86% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports a total enrollment of 23,069 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

The average net price at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $15,624 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's yield rate is 24.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo located?

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California 93407.

Who runs Institutional Research at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

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