Public · Regional University
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · 21,996 undergraduates
What it may cost by family income
Estimated average net price — what families actually pay after grants and scholarships — by annual household income. Net price matters far more than the $53,334 sticker price. All figures are the full cost of attendance — housing, food, and books included, not just tuition.
| Household income | Est. net price / year |
|---|---|
| Under $30k | $7,529 |
| $30k–$48k | $7,253 |
| $48k–$75k | $9,896 |
| $75k–$110k | $15,786 |
| Over $110k | $27,772 |
Sticker cost of attendance: $53,334 (out-of-state) · $32,265 in-state. GPA context: Learn-by-doing polytechnic; admissions test-blind (CSU system).
What the whole degree costs
Every cost figure above is one year. A bachelor's degree is four — sometimes five. Today's-prices makes no assumptions; the second column assumes prices rise ~3.5% a year, in line with recent averages.
| Household income | 4 yrs, today's prices | 4 yrs with increases |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $30,116 | $31,734 |
| $30k–$48k | $29,012 | $30,571 |
| $48k–$75k | $39,584 | $41,711 |
| $75k–$110k | $63,144 | $66,537 |
| Over $110k | $111,088 | $117,057 |
First-year aid is not guaranteed to repeat — ask Cal Poly San Luis Obispo how grants change after year one. That answer moves these numbers more than anything else on this page.
Applying to a specific major at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
31% is the acceptance rate for the whole university — not for every major. For the programs below, admission is usually decided separately and is harder than that number suggests. Almost no university publishes a by-major admission rate, and neither does the federal government, so we do not show one: any site that does is estimating.
To find the real figure for your major, check Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's Common Data Set and its admissions page, or ask an admissions officer directly — that question gets answered more often than students expect.
At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: 824 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $74,038 median earnings (Mechanical Engineering.)
Most engineering colleges admit students directly into the college rather than the university at large, and review them against a separate, usually more selective pool.
Check: Whether you apply to the engineering college directly, and what happens if you are not admitted — some schools offer general admission with a later transfer path, others do not.
At Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: 689 bachelor's degrees awarded a year · $64,328 median earnings (Business Administration, Management and Operations.)
Many undergraduate business schools admit their own cohort at application time and are more selective than the university overall; others admit only after two years of coursework.
Check: Whether the business school is direct-admit for first-years, and if not, what GPA the internal application actually requires.
Federal data shows no bachelor's completions at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in computer science, nursing, architecture or visual & performing arts, so those are not listed above. Small or new programs can be missing from federal reporting — confirm with the school before ruling one out.
What graduates earn, by major
Median earnings and median federal loan debt for bachelor's graduates of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, by field of study, from the U.S. Department of Education. Earnings differ far more between majors at one school than between schools.
| Major | Median earnings | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. · Business | $64,328 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering. · Engineering | $74,038 | — |
| Biology, General. · Biological Sciences | $38,469 | — |
| Animal Sciences. | $32,711 | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. · Engineering | $79,647 | — |
| Civil Engineering. · Engineering | $72,645 | — |
| Psychology, General. · Social Sciences | $31,673 | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy. | $40,281 | — |
| Computer Engineering. · Engineering | $93,964 | — |
| Agricultural Business and Management. | $57,149 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. | $29,685 | — |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. · Engineering | $76,460 | — |
Largest programs shown. Earnings are measured a few years after graduation and reflect who enrolls as much as what is taught.
Is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo a reach, target, or safety for you?
Ladder2College models your personal admission odds and net cost here — based on your GPA, scores, and family income — and shows how it fits alongside the rest of your list.
Model my odds & cost — freeFigures are estimates modeled on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data and recent reporting, provided for guidance only. Always confirm cost with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s official net price calculator and admissions figures with the school directly.