Regional university
#20 Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in AmericaCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $17,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $18,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
Cal Poly Virtual Campus Tour – San Luis Obispo, CA · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#20 of 950
- Best colleges for business in America#58 of 1,563
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#25 of 598
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#53 of 1,238
- Best colleges for education in America#58 of 1,318
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#32 of 681
Show 25 more
- Best colleges in America#101 of 1,829
- Best colleges for psychology in America#85 of 1,418
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#112 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#91 of 1,481
- Best value colleges in America#43 of 674
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#87 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#87 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#90 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#87 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#90 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#90 of 1,162
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#90 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#86 of 1,063
- Best colleges for computer science in America#61 of 750
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#60 of 682
- Best colleges for engineering in America#67 of 749
- Best large colleges in America#23 of 256
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#71 of 693
- Best colleges for economics in America#89 of 788
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in America#50 of 367
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#98 of 690
- Best value colleges in the West in America#15 of 103
- Most selective colleges in America#101 of 683
- Best colleges under $20,000 a year in America#31 of 197
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#121 of 684
In California
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in California#2 of 49
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in California#5 of 61
- Best colleges for education in California#6 of 56
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in California#6 of 54
- Best colleges in California#15 of 128
- Best colleges for business in California#11 of 88
Show 23 more
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in California#8 of 62
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in California#17 of 128
- Best test-optional colleges in California#14 of 100
- Best colleges for psychology in California#11 of 74
- Best colleges for art and design in California#12 of 75
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in California#12 of 70
- Best colleges for music in California#12 of 70
- Best colleges for English in California#12 of 68
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in California#13 of 69
- Best colleges for history in California#13 of 68
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in California#13 of 67
- Best colleges for mathematics in California#13 of 65
- Best value colleges in California#12 of 59
- Best value colleges in the West in California#12 of 59
- Best colleges for chemistry in California#13 of 63
- Best large colleges in California#6 of 29
- Most selective colleges in California#12 of 57
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in California#14 of 63
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in California#14 of 63
- Best colleges for engineering in California#13 of 56
- Best colleges for computer science in California#13 of 54
- Best colleges for economics in California#13 of 54
- Best colleges for NCAA Division I athletes in California#7 of 26
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.86%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.96%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,438
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $32,265 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 21,559 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 25% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 14% |
| Total students | 22,485 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $17,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $32,265 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $18,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 86% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 76% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 75% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 87% |
| First-year retention | 96% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $90,768 |
| Admission rate | 31% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $70 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,914 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
Value: Exceptional · Top 5% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Construction Management | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Business administration | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | |
| Statistics | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Materials Engineering | |
| Economics | |
| Philosophy | |
| Physics | |
| Architectural Engineering | |
| Agricultural Engineering | |
| Industrial technology | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Agriculture | |
| Mathematics | |
| Plant Sciences | |
| Political science | |
| Agricultural Public Services | |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | |
| Graphic communications | |
| Biochemistry | |
| Agricultural Mechanization | |
| Forestry | |
| Architecture | |
| Food Science and Technology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Journalism | |
| Sociology | |
| Biology | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | |
| Nutrition Sciences | |
| Landscape Architecture | |
| Liberal arts | |
| History | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Chemistry | |
| English | |
| Psychology | |
| Fine arts | |
| Other social sciences | |
| Teacher education | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Business (general), Computing and information science, Construction Engineering, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Engineering (general), Engineering Science, Ethnic and gender studies, Family and human development, Foods, Nutrition,, Interdisciplinary studies, Linguistics, Manufacturing Engineering, Marine Sciences, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Public health, Romance languages, Secondary education, Social sciences, Soil Sciences, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Engineering | |
| Business | |
| Agriculture | |
| Social sciences | |
| Architecture |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 2% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,792 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big West Conference |
| ROTC | Army |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 9%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 69%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $12,177IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 41% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | San Luis County Regional Airport (SBP)About 4 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Town population | 48,491Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BakersfieldAbout 91 miles away · about 2 hours 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 54°F in January · 66°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from San Luis Obispo Poly, CA |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 6% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $17,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo?
- California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo admitted 31% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo’s graduates do?
- 86% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $90,768; the median federal debt at graduation is $18,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 110422
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
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