California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

• Aug 3, 2026 · Announced

  Cal State Apply opens two months early for fall 2027; submissions still start October 1

  The CSU application opened in August this year instead of October. What you can do now, what waits until October 1, and the fee waiver.

  For the class of 2027.

  Source: California State University, Aug 3, 2026 (opens in a new tab)

For Fall 2025, 71,309 first-year students applied to Cal Poly SLO, 21,367 were admitted and 5,456 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 30%.

Source: Cal Poly Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.

By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025

Source: Cal Poly Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.

By school or major. Cal Poly's First-Year Student Profile reports applicants and selected students by college for fall 2025. You apply to a major, and the college here is the one your major belongs to. The profile calls its figures preliminary, and its totals (71,171 applied, 20,513 selected) differ from the Common Data Set's.

Rates by school or major, Fall 2025

Source: Cal Poly Admissions, First-Year Student Profile (opens in a new tab), 2025 Preliminary Newly Selected First-Year Student Profile. Read Oct 1, 2026.

Early decision and early action. Cal Poly has no early decision or early action plan; the Common Data Set answers no to both. There is one Cal State Apply filing period.

Source: Cal Poly Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027

Cal Poly is impacted as a campus and in every major: meeting the CSU minimum does not guarantee admission. You declare a major when you apply and compete with other applicants to that major. Some majors ask for more:

• Art and Design. A portfolio, due January 31.

  Source: Cal Poly Admissions, Selection Criteria for First-Year Students (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

• Music. A supplementary application, due January 31.

  Source: Cal Poly Admissions, Selection Criteria for First-Year Students (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

Applicants from high schools in San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County and southern Monterey County get preference as local applicants. You can name an alternate major, considered if space is available.

Source: Cal Poly Admissions, Impaction (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

72 majors across 7 schools. Every bachelor's degree in Cal Poly's official 2026-2028 Academic Catalog, grouped by the college that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Minors and graduate programs are left out.

Source: Cal Poly Admissions, Selection Criteria for First-Year Students (opens in a new tab), for the extra requirements. Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027

You apply through Cal State Apply, with the application and fees (or fee waivers) in by 11:59 pm Pacific time on November 30. Late applications are not accepted. The last day to request a change to your application is January 31, and you accept or decline an offer by May 1.

Source: Cal Poly Admissions, First-Year Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027

The CSU no longer uses the ACT or SAT to decide admission at any of its campuses, so scores are not considered at Cal Poly even if you send them. If you are admitted, they can be one of the measures used to place you in math and writing courses.

Source: California State University, Freshman Testing Requirements (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

The Common Data Set agrees: it answers no to using SAT or ACT scores and marks them not considered for admission, even if submitted, for fall 2027 applicants.

Source: Cal Poly Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8A. Read Oct 1, 2026.

For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028

Not announced yet. When we checked Cal Poly SLO's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.

Source: Cal Poly Admissions, First-Year Dates and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

The published cost of a year at Cal Poly SLO, 2026-2027:

For a new student living in a residence hall. Nonresidents pay $14,130 in tuition (30 units at $471) plus an $8,804 opportunity fee. In the Colleges of Engineering, Architecture and Agriculture, tuition and fees are $15,720, which brings the totals to $41,342 in-state and $64,276 out-of-state.

Source: Cal Poly Financial Aid, Undergraduate Costs of Attendance 2026-27 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:

What first-year, full-time in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Cal Poly's aid offer.

Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.

Chosen for how close each is to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.

• University of California, IrvineIrvine, CA · Public28.9% admitted$14,251 average net price
• University of California, San DiegoLa Jolla, CA · Public28.6% admitted$12,470 average net price
• San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA · Public37.4% admitted$15,364 average net price
• University of California, Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA · Public38.2% admitted$16,109 average net price
• University of California, DavisDavis, CA · Public44.3% admitted$14,741 average net price

Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.