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California Polytechnic State University, popularly called Cal Poly, is a nationally ranked four-year public university in California. Established in 1901, it has one of the largest campuses covering over 9,678 acres of land. The university offers bachelor's and master's degrees to over 19,000 students in 7 distinct colleges:
Cal Poly has consistently been listed in the U.S. News & World Report for America's Best Colleges and according to the Forbes.com ranking of college campuses in 2008, the alumni have the third-highest average salaries of all public university graduates in the United States.
The Cal Poly university mascot is the Mustang and the university fields over 20 varsity sports. The women's volleyball team won the second straight Big West Title in 2007. Stephanie Brown Trafton won the gold medal in the women's discus throw at the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The school is known for its programs in engineering, agricultural science and management, landscaping and horticulture, animal science and care, architecture and planning, and nutrition and exercise therapy.
Admission at Cal Poly is selective, not open to all who apply. Getting into the school is challenging; it only admitted 45% of those who applied in 2007-2008. Three quarters of students in 2007-2008 had SAT verbal scores of at least 520. Half of math SAT scores of accepted students fell between 560 and 670.
The school has a tenure system for senior faculty. The full-time faculty at Cal Poly is well-paid, which often goes with faculty quality.
In 2007-2008, the school had 19,777 students enrolled (18,835 full-time equivalent).
Cal Poly offers students meal plans. The school values student athletics, and belongs to the Big West Conference and Other.
More complete details are provided below.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
One Grand Ave
San Luis Obispo, CA 93407
General Phone: (805) 756-1111
http://www.calpoly.edu
| General Category | Degrees | Most Common Majors [see all] |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 928 | mechanical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, construction engineering, aerospace engineering, industrial engineering, engineering, architectural engineering, ... |
| Business And Management | 666 | business management, business administration, accounting |
| Liberal Arts | 455 | English, liberal arts and sciences, social services, speech and rhetoric, political science, history, economics, foreign language and literature, ... |
| Nutrition And Exercise Therapy | 282 | dietitian, parks and recreation studies, health and physical education |
| Architecture And Planning | 266 | architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning |
| Agricultural Science And Management | 249 | agricultural management, agriculture, agricultural mechanization, food science |
| Science | 248 | biology, biochemistry, microbiology, chemistry, ecology, geological and earth sciences, physics, polymer chemistry, ... |
| Computer Science And Engineering | 170 | computer science, computer engineering, software engineering |
| Education And Teaching | 148 | education, early childhood education, agricultural teaching |
| Animal Science And Care | 119 | animal science, dairy science |
| Media | 112 | graphic communications, journalism |
| Therapy And Counseling | 106 | psychology |
| Landscaping And Horticulture | 84 | horticultural science, ornamental horticulture, agronomy, soil science, pest management |
| Mathematics | 70 | mathematics, statistics |
| Conservation And Resource Management | 52 | forestry, natural resources policy |
| Fine Arts | 48 | fine arts |
| Religion And Philosophy | 23 | philosophy |
| Family And Social Work | 19 | public administration, child development |
| Music | 8 | music |
| Drama And Performing Arts | 8 | drama |
Number of programs and degrees for Cal Poly in 2008-2009:
| Degree Level | Total Awarded | Number of Programs |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 3,617 | 66 |
| Master's degree | 444 | 22 |
In 2007-2008, Cal Poly had a total enrollment of 19,777 students (18,835 full-time equivalent).
Students in the Freshman Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Men | 58% |
| Women | 42% |
| Full-Time | 98% |
| Part-Time | 2% |
Students By Class:
| Group | Percent |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 94% |
| Graduate | 6% |
| Race | Percent |
|---|---|
| White | 65% |
| Black | 1% |
| Hispanic | 11% |
| Asian | 11% |
| American Indian | 1% |
| Unknown | 10% |
| (Foreign Students) | 1% |
Students by Age:
| Age | Percent |
|---|---|
| Under 18 | 0% |
| 18-19 | 36% |
| 20-21 | 32% |
| 22-24 | 24% |
| 25-29 | 5% |
| 30-34 | 1% |
| 35-39 | 0% |
| 40-49 | 1% |
| 50-64 | 0% |
Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)
| Residence | Percent |
|---|---|
| California | 93% |
| Washington | 1% |
| Oregon | 1% |
| Colorado | 1% |
| Nevada | 1% |
Retention Rates (2007):
| Group | Returning From Previous Year |
|---|---|
| Full-Time | 90 % |
| Part-Time | 77 % |
Cal Poly offers campus housing for 5,362 of its 18,835 (full-time) students.
(Please refer to our profile of San Luis Obispo, California for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other California Colleges).
The school offers students a meal plan with 10 meals per week.
Acceptances:
| Group | Applicants | Accepted | Percent Accepted | Enrolled | Percent of Accepted Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 30,176 | 13,520 | 45% | 4,369 | 32% |
| Men | 15,944 | 7,200 | 45% | 2,538 | 35% |
| Women | 14,232 | 6,320 | 44% | 1,831 | 29% |
Standardized Test Scores:
| Test | 25th Percentile | 75th Percetile |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Verbal | 520 | 620 |
| SAT Math | 560 | 670 |
| ACT Verbal | 22 | 28 |
| ACT Math | 24 | 29 |
| ACT Composite | 23 | 28 |
Application Requirements:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| GPA | required |
| Class Rank | not required |
| High School Record | required |
| College Prep Program | required |
| Recommendations | not required |
| Formal Demonstration of Competence | not required |
| Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT) | required |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT | 96% |
| Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT | 50% |
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) | required |
| Other Standardized Tests | not required |
Expenses and Financial Aid:
| Expense | Amount |
|---|---|
| In-state tuition and fees | $ 5,035 |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $ 15,213 |
| Room and board | $ 9,369 |
| Room charge | $ 5,218 |
| Board (meal plan) charge | $ 4,038 |
| Books and supplies | $ 1,566 |
| Other expenses | $ 3,147 |
Financial Aid:
Cal Poly participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 114300)
Cal Poly has a tenure system for faculty.
Tenure Status of Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Tenured | 298 | 91 |
| Non-tenured, but on tenure track | 163 | 96 |
| Non-tenured and not on tenure track | 70 | 51 |
Salaries for full-time faculty:
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | calendar year | 29 | $113,771 | 6 | $108,080 |
| Associate professor | calendar year | 2 | * | 2 | * |
| Assistant professor | calendar year | 2 | * | 0 | * |
| Lecturer | calendar year | 2 | * | 1 | * |
| No academic rank | calendar year | 1 | * | 0 | * |
| All faculty total | calendar year | 36 | $110,541 | 9 | $99,711 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):
| Full-Time Faculty Level | Contract Length | Number Men | Avg Salary Men | Number Women | Avg Salary Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professor | academic year | 192 | $96,432 | 49 | $93,750 |
| Associate professor | academic year | 108 | $82,404 | 48 | $78,356 |
| Assistant professor | academic year | 124 | $69,304 | 82 | $65,438 |
| Lecturer | academic year | 63 | $62,062 | 47 | $61,446 |
| No academic rank | academic year | 3 | $125,404 | 0 | * |
| All faculty total | academic year | 490 | $82,234 | 226 | $73,490 |
*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.
Athletic Conferences:
| Sport | Conference |
|---|---|
| Football | Other |
| Basketball | Big West Conference |
| Baseball | Big West Conference |
| Track | Big West Conference |
Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 215 | 114 | 329 |
| Football | 90 | 0 | 90 |
| Track | 20 | 24 | 44 |
| Baseball | 33 | 0 | 33 |
| Basketball | 13 | 15 | 28 |
| All Other Sports | 59 | 75 | 134 |
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
Agricultural Business and Management, General
Agricultural Mechanization, General
Agriculture, General
Food Science
ANIMAL SCIENCE AND CARE
Animal Sciences, General
Dairy Science
ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Landscape Architecture (BS, BSLA, BLA, MSLA, MLA, PhD)
BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Computer Software Engineering
CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Forestry, General
Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other
DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Agricultural Teacher Education
Early Childhood Education and Teaching
Education, General
ENGINEERING
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
Agricultural/Biological Engineering and Bioengineering
Architectural Engineering
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Construction Engineering
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering Science
Engineering, General
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Manufacturing Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Metallurgical Engineering
FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Child Development
Public Administration
FINE ARTS
Fine/Studio Arts, General
LANDSCAPING AND HORTICULTURE
Agronomy and Crop Science
Horticultural Science
Ornamental Horticulture
Plant Protection and Integrated Pest Management
Soil Science and Agronomy, General
LIBERAL ARTS
Economics, General
English Language and Literature, General
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
History, General
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, General
Speech and Rhetorical Studies
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
MEDIA
Graphic Communications, General
Journalism
NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Dietetics/Dietitian (RD)
Health and Physical Education, General
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
SCIENCE
Biochemistry
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Ecology
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
Microbiology, General
Physical Sciences
Physics, General
Polymer Chemistry
(Details are provided further down on this page.)
What Sets Cal Poly Apart:
| Category | Trophy | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of students (vs. all colleges) | Top 3% |  |
| Number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 4% | |
| % of degrees in engineering (vs. all colleges) | Top 6% | |
| Salaries of full-time faculty (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | |
| % of degrees in agricultural science and management (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | |
| Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs (vs. all colleges) | Top 8% | |
| % of degrees in architecture and planning (vs. all colleges) | Top 12% | |
| % of degrees in computer science and engineering (vs. colleges of similar size) | Top 12% | |
| Lowest tuition & fees (in-state) (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 13% | |
| Male % of student body (vs. all colleges) | Top 14% | |
| Student SAT scores (vs. all colleges) | Top 16% | |
| % of degrees in landscaping and horticulture (vs. colleges with similar degree levels) | Top 18% | |
| Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted) (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | |
| % of full-time faculty on tenure track (vs. all colleges) | Top 18% | |
| % of degrees in animal science and care (vs. all colleges) | Top 19% | |
| % of degrees in nutrition and exercise therapy (vs. all colleges) | Top 20% | |
Notable:
Accepts some high school credits Grants credits for AP courses Offers distance learning Career counseling Career services Student employment services On-campus day care Remedial classes for students Option to study abroad Offers part-time study On-campus library Offers campus housing Offers a board (meal) plan Tenure system for quality teaching Has ROTC (army) Offers athletic scholarships NCAA athletic conference member
Try our unique CollegeMatch™ tool to find schools similar to Cal Poly.
Click occupation names for extensive details, including salary and other job data.
(Based on an automated mapping of degrees popular at Cal Poly with government-defined occupation categories)
Selected QuickSchools™ With Program Focus Areas Similar To Cal Poly(What are QuickSchools?)
Agricultural Science And Management
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