California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California · Public · 4-year · Suburb
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $16,665What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 31%
- Graduation rate
- 86%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 21,996
- In-state tuition
- $13,596Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $34,665
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $90,768Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$16,6652/5
Better than 32% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
86%5/5
Better than 96% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$90,7685/5
Better than 98% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$18,5004/5
Better than 74% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$32,265
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$16,665
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 86% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 96% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $18,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $90,768 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $111,560 | 129 |
| Computer Science | $111,141 | 202 |
| Construction Management | $92,785 | 150 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $90,576 | 159 |
| Industrial Engineering | $87,226 | 76 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $85,509 | 110 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $83,011 | 278 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $82,197 | 39 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $81,186 | 71 |
| Civil Engineering | $80,673 | 148 |
| Architectural Engineering | $80,481 | 27 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $78,938 | 36 |
| Materials Engineering | $74,496 | 46 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | $73,053 | 31 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $72,713 | 37 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $71,876 | 689 |
| Economics | $67,501 | 59 |
| Agriculture, General | $64,786 | 31 |
| Plant Sciences | $63,129 | 55 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $62,183 | 71 |
| Architecture | $60,634 | Not reported |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $58,653 | 126 |
| Landscape Architecture | $58,331 | 48 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $57,538 | 37 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $55,807 | 24 |
| Forestry | $55,092 | 46 |
| Agricultural Public Services | $54,583 | 29 |
| Mathematics | $53,136 | 51 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $52,778 | 126 |
| Food Science and Technology | $52,240 | 81 |
| Graphic Communications | $49,029 | 75 |
| Journalism | $48,637 | 51 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $48,489 | 38 |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | $47,832 | 36 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $39,157 | 102 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | $37,126 | 129 |
| Political Science and Government | $37,003 | 85 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $36,006 | 58 |
| Biology, General | $35,638 | 163 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $35,056 | 116 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $34,718 | 49 |
| Animal Sciences | $33,879 | 159 |
| History | $31,540 | 55 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $30,472 | 75 |
| Sociology | $30,401 | 66 |
| Social Sciences, Other | $28,931 | 35 |
| Marine Sciences | $27,337 | 26 |
| Psychology, General | $23,744 | 135 |
| Nutrition Sciences | $22,675 | 74 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $22,293 | 52 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 62 |
| Statistics | Not reported | 41 |
| Physics | Not reported | 35 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 30 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | 30 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 28 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | 19 |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Not reported | 17 |
| Music | Not reported | 15 |
| Engineering Science | Not reported | 14 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | 10 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 6 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | 2 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not reported | Not reported |
| Soil Sciences | Not reported | Not reported |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Social Sciences, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | Not reported | Not reported |
| Construction Engineering | Not reported | Not reported |
All 77 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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