California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly)

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Cal Poly can be found in San Luis Obispo, CA, a public college which focuses on only a select few programs offered. Cal Poly enrolls about twenty two thousand students each year.

An ACT or SAT exam may be required before applying to this college. Scores within the range of 1240 (25th percentile) to 1440 (75th percentile) for the SAT exam and in the range of 26 (25th percentile) to 32 (75th percentile) for the ACT exam is common among applicants accepted to California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. By applying sampled GPA data from over 150 schools, we are able to estimate that the Cal Poly average GPA ranges from 3.48 to 3.78 for accepted students. Only 28 percent of applicants are accepted to this school due to the large number of applicants for enrollment. Based on historical acceptance rate data, the projected Cal Poly acceptance rate 2021 is estimated to be 28%. You can get more information from the admissions office website at admissions.calpoly.edu.

Overall Cal Poly Acceptance Rate - Fall 2020

28.4%

The overall acceptance rate for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was reported as 28.4% in Fall 2020 with over 54,100 applications submitted to Cal Poly. Both in state and out of state applicants are included in these figures. We do not have data on transfer acceptance rates currently.

Accepted Applicants Profile

  • Cal Poly ACT Scores: 26 - 32
  • Cal Poly Average GPA: 3.48 - 3.78

How Hard Is It to Get into California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?

Applicant Selectivity: High

The selectivity of applicants for undergraduate admissions to Cal Poly is considered high, with many applicants scoring in the top percentiles on the SAT or ACT exam, as well as having an excellent high school GPA.

Historical Trend and Acceptance Rate 2024 Projection

The historical trend chart shows acceptance rates from the previous years, from which we have projected the acceptance rate for the 2024-2025 school year. The overall acceptance rate trend for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has been getting lower when compared to averages from previous years.

Acceptance Rate By Year

  • 2016-2017: 29.5%
  • 2017-2018: 34.6%
  • 2018-2019: 30.2%
  • 2019-2020: 28.4%
  • Projected Cal Poly Acceptance Rate 2024-2025: 28.1%

How Does Cal Poly Compare?

28.4%
This School
56.7%
National Avg

The acceptance rate for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is 100 percent lower than the national average of all colleges which is around 56.7%.

Nearby Similar College Acceptance Rates

SchoolAcceptance Rate
University of California-Santa Barbara29.6%
California State University-Bakersfield80.7%
California State University-Fresno57.9%
University of California-Santa Cruz51.3%
California State University-Northridge59.3%

Admissions Rates & Enrollment Rates - Details

General Recommendations & Requirements for Admissions

  • High School GPA Scores are Required
  • School Records are Required
  • College Prep Classes are Required
  • Standardized Test Scores (SAT,ACT,...) are Required

Number of Applicants, Percent Accepted, and Enrolled Students (Fall 2020)

TotalMaleFemale
Applicants54,07251.8%48.2%
Admitted15,36645.6%54.4%
Enrolled4,61349.5%50.5%

Average ACT/SAT Scores of Applicants to Cal Poly (Fall 2020)

SAT® SectionScore Range
Critical Reading620 - 700
Math620 - 740
Total Score1240 - 1440
ACT®Score Range
English26 - 34
Math26 - 32
Composite Score26 - 32
To learn more about the data and calculations that power this site, please visit our data discussion page.