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California Polytechnic State University

California Polytechnic State University, also officially recognized as Cal Poly, is a nationally ranked public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. It was established on March 8, 1901. Cal Poly is part of the California State University system (CSU). It is the second largest land-holding university in California.

Cal Poly is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). It offers a full spectrum of degrees and programs in diverse areas of study. It is organized into the following academic divisions:

  • College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
  • College of Architecture and Environmental Design
  • College of Education
  • College of Engineering
  • College of Liberal Arts
  • College of Science and Mathematics
  • Orfalea College of Business

Cal Poly was ranked the "#1 Public Master's University in the Western United States" for the 15th consecutive year in the America's Best Colleges of U.S. News & World Report (2008). Cal Poly has several Greek organizations since 1949. They are governed by United Sorority and Fraternity Council, Interfraternity Council, and Panhellenic Association.

Campus Location

San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
USA
Main Tel: (805) 756-1111
Web Site

The campus is in a small suburb.

California Polytechnic State University Highlights

Where California Polytechnic State University stands out most compared to other schools (details below):

  • Many students concentrating in engineering, agricultural science and management, architecture and planning, computer science and engineering, landscaping and horticulture, animal science and care, and nutrition and exercise therapy.
  • Large number of students.
  • Large number of programs of study offered.
  • High faculty salary.
  • Affordable tuition & fees.
  • High male/female ratio.
  • High SAT scores (combined Verbal and Math).
  • Selective admissions.
  • Superior share of faculty on tenure track.

Other important characteristics:

  • Faculty tenure system
  • Library on-campus
  • Campus housing available
  • Student meal (board) plan
  • Study abroad option
  • Distance learning available
  • Part-time classes available
  • ROTC
  • Athlete financial aid

Degrees Awarded (in 2007)

DegreeTotal
Earned
Different
Programs
Bachelor3,61362
Master41723

Cal Poly Students

The student enrollment at Cal Poly was 19,777 in 2007 (19,004 full-time equivalent).

About 57% of the freshmen class in 2007 was male and women were 43% of the class.

Undergrads are 94% of enrolled students and graduate students are 6%.

About 0% of freshmen are from countries other than the US. Students living in the US make up 100% of incoming freshmen.

Among freshmen students, 98% are full-time and 2% are part-time.

Tuition and Other Costs

ItemCost
State Tuition and fees$ 4,689
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 14,859
Room$ 4,971
Board$ 3,846
Books and supplies$ 1,386
Other$ 3,033

Financial Aid: Cal Poly participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.

Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.

Faculty

Tenure (2007):

Full-Time Faculty  Total
With tenure  388
Without tenure; working toward tenure  228
Without tenure; tenure not available  122

Housing and Meals

Cal Poly provides on-campus housing for 3,872 of its 19,004 (full-time) students (as of 2007).

Students may purchase a meal plan which includes 10 meals weekly.

Cal Poly Athletics

School sports include football (Other), basketball (Big West Conference), baseball (Big West Conference), and track (Big West Conference).

Cal Poly offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 215 male students received the aid (men were 65% of those receiving aid) and 114 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 35% of students receiving such aid) .

Cal Poly Admissions (2007)

ApplicantsAdmitted
Men47%
Women47%
All47%

SAT Test Scores:

SATMiddle 50%
Verbal520-620
Math560-670

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees awarded in 2007 in parentheses)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT (265 awarded)

  • Agricultural Business and Management
  • Agricultural Mechanization
  • Agriculture
  • Food Science

ANIMAL SCIENCE AND CARE (137 awarded)

  • Animal Sciences
  • Dairy Science

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING (240 awarded)

  • Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
  • City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
  • Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)

ART STUDIES (36 awarded)

  • Art/Art Studies

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (652 awarded)

  • Business Administration and Management
  • Business Administration, Management and Operations

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (199 awarded)

  • Computer Engineering
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Software Engineering

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (45 awarded)

  • Forestry
  • Natural Resources Management and Policy

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (20 awarded)

  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (168 awarded)

  • Agricultural Teacher Education
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching
  • Education
  • Technology Teacher Education/Industrial Arts Teacher Education

ENGINEERING (943 awarded)

  • Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
  • Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering
  • Architectural Engineering
  • Biomedical/Medical Engineering
  • Civil Engineering
  • Construction Engineering
  • Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
  • Engineering Science
  • Engineering
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
  • Industrial Engineering
  • Manufacturing Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Metallurgical Engineering

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (23 awarded)

  • Public Administration

FINE ARTS (49 awarded)

  • Fine/Studio Arts

LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE (57 awarded)

  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Horticultural Science
  • Ornamental Horticulture
  • Soil Science and Agronomy

LIBERAL ARTS (458 awarded)

  • Economics
  • English Language and Literature
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • History
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
  • Political Science and Government
  • Social Sciences
  • Speech and Rhetorical Studies

MATHEMATICS (47 awarded)

  • Mathematics
  • Statistics

MEDIA (117 awarded)

  • Graphic Communications
  • Journalism

MUSIC (16 awarded)

  • Music

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (241 awarded)

  • Dietetics/Dietitian (RD)
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (15 awarded)

  • Philosophy

SCIENCE (215 awarded)

  • Biochemistry
  • Biology/Biological Sciences
  • Chemistry
  • Ecology
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Polymer Chemistry

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (87 awarded)

  • Psychology

Selected Careers of Interest

(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Cal Poly with government-defined occupation categories.)

Click occupations below for career details, including job description, studies, degree requirements, how to evaluate schools, and more.

Related California School Links

List of California colleges

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