California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
PublicSan Luis Obispo, CA
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, in San Luis Obispo, CA, is a public very large school, enrolling around 21,996 students. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is selective, with an acceptance rate near 31%. Among reported majors, Computer Science shows the strongest outcomes -- $154,784/year in median earnings four years after graduation. Most students arrange their own housing since on-campus living isn't required.
Admissions
Cost & outcomes
Out-of-state students pay $22,934 more per year in tuition and fees (2.6x the in-state rate).
Rate for the science and math, business, and liberal arts colleges; engineering, architecture and agriculture cost about $1,000 more. Out-of-state students pay tuition by the unit plus a yearly Opportunity Fee.
Tuition & fees are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's own published 2026-27 rates (source); other figures are from the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo weighs your application
From California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What applicants who posted their results listed
36 self-reported applicant profiles from public posts, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles: 25 admitted, 11 rejected or waitlisted. Figures read admitted vs. rejected or waitlisted.
No SAT/ACT comparison: California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo doesn't consider test scores, so none of these applicants' scores were in front of it.
Most common activities
Most common awards among admits
Who posted
How this compares across big public universities: Big Public University Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo look for in applicants?
Per California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's acceptance rate?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo, CA admits approximately 31% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
How much does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo cost?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's total cost of attendance is reported at $32,265 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
What is out-of-state tuition at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
For 2026-27, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's tuition and required fees are $37,616 for out-of-state students and $14,682 for in-state students -- $22,934 more per year for out-of-state students. That's before financial aid, and room and board are extra.
Does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo require students to live on campus?
No -- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
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