# California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Public college in San Luis Obispo, CA. IPEDS ID 110422.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 31% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $16,665 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 86%; beats 88% of CA colleges and 94% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $90,768; beats 91% of CA colleges and 97% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $15,396

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,529 |
| 30-48k | $7,253 |
| 48-75k | $9,896 |
| 75-110k | $15,786 |
| 110k+ | $27,772 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $32,265 in-state; about $53,334 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $13,596 in-state, $34,665 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $17,220; books: $1,089

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 63,736 applicants, 18,964 admitted, 5,278 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 31%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 30%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (77 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $111,141 | $154,784 | $19,298 |
| Computer Engineering | $111,560 | $148,950 | $20,556 |
| Electrical Engineering | $90,576 | $125,240 | $24,449 |
| Construction Management | $92,785 | $118,331 | $18,955 |
| Industrial Engineering | $87,226 | $112,797 | $19,691 |
| Business Administration | $71,876 | $110,902 | $17,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $81,186 | $109,232 | $20,500 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical / Space Engineering | $85,509 | $107,498 | $22,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $83,011 | $106,750 | $20,500 |
| Environmental Engineering | $82,197 | $102,702 | $20,500 |
| Statistics | not reported | $101,353 | $17,939 |
| Civil Engineering | $80,673 | $101,072 | $20,424 |
| Materials Engineering | $74,496 | $100,599 | $17,000 |
| Economics | $67,501 | $98,927 | $18,500 |
| Philosophy | not reported | $98,592 | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | $96,805 | $23,000 |
| Architectural Engineering | $80,481 | $92,767 | $25,116 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $72,713 | $92,603 | $16,420 |
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $78,938 | $89,195 | $18,250 |
| Agricultural Business | $52,778 | $88,396 | $14,500 |
| Agriculture | $64,786 | $84,412 | $21,903 |
| Mathematics | $53,136 | $83,187 | $16,718 |
| Plant Sciences | $63,129 | $82,487 | $16,666 |
| Political Science | $37,003 | $81,843 | $17,665 |
| Agricultural Public Services | $54,583 | $80,965 | not reported |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | $47,832 | $80,820 | $18,167 |
| Graphic Communications | $49,029 | $79,432 | $17,961 |
| Biochemistry | $57,538 | $78,097 | $17,500 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | $73,053 | $78,080 | not reported |
| Forestry | $55,092 | $77,419 | $17,000 |
| Architecture | $60,634 | $76,613 | $27,500 |
| Food Science and Technology | $52,240 | $75,466 | $20,654 |
| Communications | $62,183 | $75,223 | $14,928 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $39,157 | $75,181 | $16,369 |
| Journalism | $48,637 | $70,829 | $19,333 |
| Sociology | $30,401 | $69,883 | $16,750 |
| Biology | $35,638 | $69,854 | $22,949 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $48,489 | $69,227 | $15,000 |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | $37,126 | $68,965 | $20,000 |
| Nutrition Science | $22,675 | $68,930 | $17,620 |
| Landscape Architecture | $58,331 | $68,795 | $22,433 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $35,056 | $68,171 | $17,500 |
| History | $31,540 | $66,518 | $17,627 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $30,472 | $64,579 | $16,666 |
| Chemistry | not reported | $63,882 | $15,259 |
| English | $34,718 | $63,413 | $23,956 |
| Psychology | $23,744 | $60,466 | $20,000 |
| Studio Art | $36,006 | $59,721 | $19,198 |
| Social Sciences, Other | $28,931 | $57,360 | $17,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $22,293 | $55,543 | $18,090 |
| Animal Sciences | $33,879 | $54,805 | $20,500 |
| Theatre | not reported | $36,697 | not reported |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Soil Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $58,653 | not reported | $23,500 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Construction Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Manufacturing Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Development and Family Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $55,807 | not reported | $22,138 |
| Marine Sciences | $27,337 | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dietetics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $84,290 (San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA), $101,460 (CA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer: median wage $102,270 (San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA), $130,900 (CA), $104,110 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

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