California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

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29.8%
Acceptance Rate
N/A
Median SAT
$90,768
Median Earnings
63,736
Applicants

Acceptance Rate Trend

Down 0.4 percentage points since 2018

Applications & Admissions

Yield Rate Trend

Percentage of admitted students who enroll

Most Popular Majors (2023)

Degrees awarded in latest year

Major Popularity Over Time

How top majors have grown or declined

Earnings by Major

This school vs. national range (2yr after graduation)

Computer and Information Scien... $120,462
$16,169 $155,297
Computer Engineering $93,964
$16,169 $155,297
Construction Engineering Techn... $82,780
$16,169 $155,297
Electrical, Electronics and Co... $79,647
$16,169 $155,297
Aerospace, Aeronautical and As... $76,460
$16,169 $155,297
Mechanical Engineering $74,038
$16,169 $155,297
Biomedical/Medical Engineering $73,635
$16,169 $155,297
Industrial Engineering $73,562
$16,169 $155,297
This school National avg

Historical Admissions Data

Each row shows the admissions cycle for that academic year. Applicants is the total number of students who applied for freshman admission. Admitted shows how many received acceptance letters. Rate is the acceptance rate (admitted ÷ applicants) — lower percentages indicate more selective schools. Yield measures the percentage of admitted students who actually enrolled — a high yield (above 50%) suggests the school is a top choice for admitted students, while lower yields indicate students often choose other options. SAT shows the 25th-75th percentile range, meaning the middle 50% of enrolled students scored within this range. Data is sourced from IPEDS, the federal database where all US colleges report annually.

Year Applicants Admitted Rate Yield
2023 63,736 18,964 29.8% 27.8%
2022 58,774 17,885 30.4% 28.6%
2021 54,570 18,008 33.0% 27.1%
2020 52,371 20,127 38.4% 23.8%
2019 54,072 15,366 28.4% 30.0%
2018 54,663 16,491 30.2% 26.7%
2017 48,588 16,817 34.6% 31.2%
2016 48,162 14,202 29.5% 30.6%
2015 46,820 14,651 31.3% 33.7%

Graduate Outcomes

Median Earnings (10 years)
$90,768
Median Earnings (6 years)
$72,358
Median Debt
$18,500
6-Year Graduation Rate
85.2%

Tuition & Costs (2023)

In-State Tuition
$5,742
Out-of-State Tuition
$17,622
Fees
$4,329
Room & Board
$15,694
Total Cost of Attendance
$37,645

What You'll Actually Pay

Net price after grants/scholarships by family income

$0-30k income $6,476
$30-48k income $6,904
$48-75k income $11,372
$75-110k income $18,032
$110k+ income $26,920

Popular Majors

  • 1 Business Administration, Management and Operations
  • 2 Mechanical Engineering
  • 3 Computer Science
  • 4 Biology, General
  • 5 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering

Highest Earning Majors

  • Computer and Information Sciences, General $120,462
  • Computer Engineering $93,964
  • Construction Engineering Technologies $82,780
  • Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering $79,647
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering $76,460

Student Demographics (2023)

Total Enrollment 22,485
International 1%
Women 50%
Race/Ethnicity
White 50%
Hispanic 23%
Asian 14%
Black 1%

Financial Aid (2023)

Grants are free money; loans must be repaid

Receive Grants 52%
Avg: $9,975 free money/year
Pell Grant Recipients 18%
Federal aid for <$60k income families
Have Federal Loans 23%
Avg: $5,974
School's Own Grants 41%
Avg: $7,705 from school funds