Cal Poly SLO acceptance rate, cost and outcomes
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · Public · San Luis Obispo, CA · 21,559 undergraduates (IPEDS fall 2023)
Cal Poly SLO admitted 29.8% of applicants for fall 2023, down from 31.2% in 2013. California residents pay $15,039 in tuition and fees for 2025-26; out-of-state students pay $37,005.
Admit rate, 2013 to 2023
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| Fall | Admit rate | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 31.2% | 36,941 | 11,537 |
| 2014 | 30.9% | 43,812 | 13,533 |
| 2015 | 31.3% | 46,820 | 14,651 |
| 2016 | 29.5% | 48,162 | 14,202 |
| 2017 | 34.6% | 48,588 | 16,817 |
| 2018 | 30.2% | 54,663 | 16,491 |
| 2019 | 28.4% | 54,072 | 15,366 |
| 2020 | 38.4% | 52,371 | 20,127 |
| 2021 | 33.0% | 54,570 | 18,008 |
| 2022 | 30.4% | 58,774 | 17,885 |
| 2023 | 29.8% | 63,736 | 18,964 |
Applications went from 36,941 in fall 2013 to 63,736 in fall 2023. Admit rate = admitted ÷ applicants. Source: IPEDS fall admissions.1
What families actually pay
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| Family income | Net price / year, 2024-25 |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $10,354 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,975 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,476 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,082 |
| Over $110,000 | $31,461 |
| Tuition and fees, in-state (2025-26) | $15,039 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state (2025-26) | $37,005 |
| Cost of attendance (2024-25) | $36,515 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid (2024-25) | $18,832 |
Net price is the cost of attendance minus grants, for first-time full-time students with federal aid paying the in-state rate, 2024-25. Tuition is 2025-26. Source: College Scorecard.2
SAT and ACT
What the numbers say
In fall 2023 Cal Poly SLO admitted 18,964 of its 63,736 applicants, an admit rate of 29.8%.1 In fall 2013 the figure was 31.2%, a small drop of 1.4 percentage points over the decade.1 The rate declined in 7 of the 10 yearly changes, though it moved back up in fall 2020 to 38.4%.1 Applicants grew 73% and admitted students grew 64%, so the pool expanded at nearly the same pace as the offers.1
The campus is test-blind, so SAT and ACT scores are not considered and none are reported.1
California residents pay $15,039 in tuition and fees for 2025-26, against $37,005 for students from outside the state.2 The resident price is above the $8,846 median of the 33 public bachelor's colleges in California.2 Average net price in 2024-25 was $10,354 for families earning $0 to $30,000, $12,476 for $48,001 to $75,000, and $31,461 for families earning over $110,000.2
Of students who entered in 2019, 87% graduated within 6 years, and 96% of the fall 2023 class came back for the next year.2 Median earnings were $96,304 10 years after entry, and federal borrowers left with a median debt of $16,500.2
Every number on this page, with its source field
| Figure | Value | File, field, year |
|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 63,736 | IPEDS ADM2023, APPLCN, fall 20231 |
| Admitted | 18,964 | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMSSN, fall 20231 |
| Enrolled first-years | 5,278 | IPEDS ADM2023, ENRLT, fall 20231 |
| Undergraduates | 21,559 | IPEDS DRVEF2023, EFUG, fall 20234 |
| Admission policy | Selective (not open admission) | IPEDS IC2023, OPENADMP, 2023-243 |
| Test policy | Test-blind | IPEDS ADM2023, ADMCON7, fall 20231 |
| SAT reading/writing, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT reading/writing, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| SAT math, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 75th percentile | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting SAT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Enrolled students submitting ACT | Not reported | Not reported |
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $15,039 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_IN, 2025-262 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $37,005 | College Scorecard, TUITIONFEE_OUT, 2025-262 |
| Cost of attendance | $36,515 | College Scorecard, COSTT4_A, 2024-252 |
| Average net price, students with federal aid | $18,832 | College Scorecard, NPT4_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $0 to $30,000 | $10,354 | College Scorecard, NPT41_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $30,001 to $48,000 | $9,975 | College Scorecard, NPT42_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,476 | College Scorecard, NPT43_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income $75,001 to $110,000 | $18,082 | College Scorecard, NPT44_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Net price, income over $110,000 | $31,461 | College Scorecard, NPT45_PUB, 2024-252 |
| Graduation rate within 6 years | 87% | College Scorecard, C150_4, 2019 entrants2 |
| First-year retention | 96% | College Scorecard, RET_FT4, fall 2023 entrants2 |
| Undergraduates with a Pell grant | 23% | College Scorecard, PCTPELL, 2024-252 |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $96,304 | College Scorecard, MD_EARN_WNE_P10, 2022-232 |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $16,500 | College Scorecard, GRAD_DEBT_MDN, FY2024-252 |
| Median in-state tuition and fees, public colleges, California (N = 33) | $8,846 | College Scorecard, median TUITIONFEE_IN, public bachelor's institutions, 2025-262 |
Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS admissions files, fall 2013 to fall 2023 (IC2013, ADM2014, ADM2015, ADM2016, ADM2017, ADM2018, ADM2019, ADM2020, ADM2021, ADM2022, ADM2023). Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- U.S. Department of Education: College Scorecard, Most Recent Institution-Level Data (Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution (release of 15 Oct 2026)). Data years: 2019 entrants, 2022-23, 2024-25, 2025-26, FY2024-25, fall 2023 entrants. Checked 25 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Institutional Characteristics 2023-24 (IC2023.zip). Data years: 2023-24. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): IPEDS Fall Enrollment, derived variables, fall 2023 (DRVEF2023.zip). Data years: 2023. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
AdmitFacts is not affiliated with Cal Poly SLO, the U.S. Department of Education or NCES. Missing values are shown as Not reported, never estimated. The file field behind each figure is listed under "Every number on this page". How we build each page