Aid signal
Strong aid for lower incomes
Reported net price for the $0–30k band runs below average.
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$13,596
Out-of-State Tuition
$34,665
Avg On-Campus Living
$18,792
Avg Off-Campus Living
$19,155
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$32,388
Net price (after aid)$16,665
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$7,529
$30k – $48k$7,253
$48k – $75k$9,896
$75k – $110k$15,786
$110k+$27,772
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$90,768
Median debt at graduation$18,500
Est. monthly loan payment$196
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Strong · 4.9×Graduates earn about 4.9× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants19%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans25%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
86%
Freshman Retention
96%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Strong post-grad earnings
$90.8k above avg
Manageable graduate debt
$18.5k below avg
Strong completion rate
86% above avg
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$13.6k
Out-of-state
$34.7k
Net price
$16.7k
Pell
19%
Median debt
$18.5k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$90.8k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
31%
SAT range
1207 - 1430
ACT range
27 - 35
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
Academics
Studying online: a small share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 109 of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's 22,485 students (0%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 8,603 (38%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reported conferring credentials in 76 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo located?
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, CA, in the United States.
- What type of institution is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a public university based in CA. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is approximately 31%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's published in-state tuition is approximately $13,596 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports total enrollment of approximately 22,447 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is approximately $16,665 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $7,529 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $27,772. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reports a graduation rate of approximately 86%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo have?
- Students who borrowed at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo left with a median of approximately $18,500 in federal loans, and about 25% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $90,768 for students who received federal financial aid at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 76 fields California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 777 | Graduate29 graduate · 748 bachelor's |
| Mechanical Engineering | 309 | Graduate21 graduate · 288 bachelor's |
| Computer Science | 247 | Graduate28 graduate · 219 bachelor's |
| Animal Sciences | 207 | Bachelor's |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 172 | Bachelor's |
| Biology, General | 170 | Graduate17 graduate · 153 bachelor's |
| Psychology, General | 168 | Graduate12 graduate · 156 bachelor's |
| Civil Engineering | 152 | Graduate26 graduate · 126 bachelor's |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | 138 | Bachelor's |
| Construction Management | 126 | Bachelor's |
| Agricultural Business and Management | 118 | Bachelor's |
| Computer Engineering | 117 | Bachelor's |
| Food Science and Technology | 109 | Graduate2 graduate · 107 bachelor's |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 107 | Graduate12 graduate · 95 bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideAll colleges in CaliforniaCalifornia college costs by family incomeStudent debt at California collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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