More selective than 87% of California colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $32,265. College Scorecard.
Higher than 88% of California colleges we cover and 94% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 91% of California colleges we cover and 97% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo acceptance rate & admissions
Of 63,736 applicants, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo admitted 18,964 and 5,278 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for California residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: California residents who meet income, asset and GPA standards may receive a Cal Grant (California Student Aid Commission); apply with the FAFSA or California Dream Act Application. At University of California and California State University campuses, the Middle Class Scholarship can also help families with income and assets up to $250,000 (2026-27, dependent students). Not included in the prices above. California Student Aid Commission
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo majors, earnings & careers
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo offers 77 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 20
- Science & Math · 20
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Arts & Design · 3
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $154,784 | $19,298 |
| Computer Engineering | $148,950 | $20,556 |
| Electrical Engineering | $125,240 | $24,449 |
| Construction Management | $118,331 | $18,955 |
| Industrial Engineering | $112,797 | $19,691 |
| Business Administration | $110,902 | $17,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $109,232 | $20,500 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $107,498 | $22,500 |
Quick list of all 77 majors
- Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering$107,498
- Agricultural Business$88,396
- Agricultural Engineering$92,603
- Agricultural Mechanization$78,080
- Agricultural Public Services$80,965
- Agriculture$84,412
- Animal Sciences$54,805
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Architectural Engineering$92,767
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$76,613
- Biochemistry$78,097
- Biology$69,854
- Biomedical Engineering$109,232
- Business—
- Business Administration$110,902
- Chemistry$63,882
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$80,820
- Civil Engineering$101,072
- Communications$75,223
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$148,950
- Computer Science$154,784
- Construction Engineering—
- Construction Management$118,331
- Dietetics—
- Economics$98,927
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$55,543
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$125,240
- Engineering—
- Engineering Science—
- English$63,413
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy$68,965
- Environmental Engineering$102,702
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Food Science and Technology$75,466
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Forestry$77,419
- Geology / Earth Science$69,227
- Graphic Communications$79,432
- History$66,518
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Industrial Engineering$112,797
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$89,195
- Journalism$70,829
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$64,579
- Landscape Architecture$68,795
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$68,171
- Linguistics—
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marine Sciences—
- Materials Engineering$100,599
- Mathematics$83,187
- Mechanical Engineering$106,750
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nutrition Science$68,930
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$75,181
- Philosophy$98,592
- Physics$96,805
- Plant Sciences$82,487
- Political Science$81,843
- Psychology$60,466
- Public Health—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Sciences, Other$57,360
- Sociology$69,883
- Soil Sciences—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics$101,353
- Studio Art$59,721
- Theatre$36,697
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in San Luis Obispo
Overall prices in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,720. Housing costs 44% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 22 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, San Luis Obispo County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
San Luis Obispo County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo with similar schools
Similar public colleges in California by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 31% | $16,665 | 86% | $90,768 | This school |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 33% | $16,109 | 83% | $74,915 | |
| University of California-Irvine | 29% | $14,251 | 87% | $80,735 | |
| University of California-San Diego | 27% | $12,470 | 86% | $84,943 | |
| University of California-Davis | 42% | $14,741 | 86% | $80,838 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo would cost you $556 more per year than University of California-Santa Barbara, on average.
- Lower sticker price at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$2,818).
- University of California-Santa Barbara gives aided families $9,864 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, California resident | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | University of California-Santa Barbara | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $13,596 | $16,414 | −$2,818 |
| Books & supplies | $1,089 | $1,482 | −$393 |
| Housing & meals | $17,220 | $18,684 | −$1,464 |
| Personal & travel | $2,937 | $5,456 | −$2,519 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,577 | −$463 | −$2,114 |
| Sticker price | $32,265 | $41,573 | −$9,308 |
| Average grants | −$15,600 | −$25,464 | +$9,864 |
| You pay | $16,665 | $16,109 | +$556 |
“+” means California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
What is the California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo acceptance rate?
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo accepts 31% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 18,964 of 63,736 applicants were admitted.
How much does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $32,265 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $16,665 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,529 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,772.
How much do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduates earn?
Former California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo students earn a median $90,768 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo graduation rate?
86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 96% return for their second year.
Is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).