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The Daily Insight

What GPA do you need for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

Author

Mia Phillips

Updated on April 12, 2026

Average GPA: 4 With a GPA of 4, Cal Poly requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

People also ask, what is the average SAT score for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

Reading and Writing 600-680, Math 600-700 (2017–18)

Likewise, does Cal Poly San Luis Obispo require a personal statement? In 1983, a faculty committee created Cal Poly's multi-criteria admissions system. But with all the factors, one common admissions tool is missing: Cal Poly has never required an essay for admission. Though prospective students try, Cal Poly does not consider letters of recommendation.

Similarly one may ask, is Cal Poly hard to get into?

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is one of the more competitive public colleges or universities in the US, with a 29.50% acceptance rate, an average of 1255 on the SAT, an average of 29 on the ACT and an rough average unweighted GPA of 3.7 (unofficial).

What is the acceptance rate for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

34.6% (2018)

Related Question Answers

Which UC has the highest acceptance rate?

The highest rate was from UC Merced, 56%. The admissions rate for black students held steady over three years at 5%, with 3,414 offers made this year. Only UCLA exceeded that, with a 6% rate and offers to 522 students.

Is Cal Poly a UC or CSU?

Campuses. The CSU system is comprised of 23 campuses. The state universities are often referred to as Cal State (like Cal State East Bay or Cal State Chico), while the polytechnic schools are commonly called Cal Poly (e.g. Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo).

Are UC better than CSU?

UC is significantly more expensive than CSU, because CSU is a state school. CSU schools tend to focus on maintaining small, direct class sizes, while UC systems are based on a self-motivated style of learning. The reputations of UC schools are higher than those of the CSU system, but this is a skewed understanding.

What GPA do you need to get into Harvard?

You will need exceptionally good grades to get into Harvard University. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at Harvard University was 4.04 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #1 in Massachusetts for highest average GPA.

How close is Cal Poly to the beach?

Or consider North Beach State Campground, about 14 miles/23 kilometers south of SLO in Pismo Beach; romp on more than 20 miles/32 kilometers of unspoiled sandy beaches, and find your perfect spot for digging legendary Pismo clams (permit required).

Which GPA do Cal States look at?

Although UC/CSU reports the GPA's from 10-12th grade, they only take your 10th and 11th grade marks (CSU considers 12th grade marks as well). UC/CSU only takes A-G courses to calculate your GPA.

What majors is Cal Poly known for?

The most popular majors at California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo include: Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and Social Sciences.

Do Cal States accept SAT Subject Tests?

SAT Subject Tests are standardized tests of individual academic subjects that some applicants submit to colleges. While some colleges require that all applicants submit a number of SAT Subject Tests, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo does not.

Which Cal State is the hardest to get into?

Hardest colleges to get into in California (2017)
  • THE HARDEST COLLEGES TO GET INTO IN CALIFORNIA: University of California, Santa Cruz.
  • University of the Pacific. Acceptance rate.
  • California State University, Long Beach. Acceptance rate.
  • Loyola Marymount University.
  • item-85307.144069 - |ucfirst.
  • Chapman University.
  • San Diego State University.
  • University of San Diego.

What major is Cal Poly known for?

The most popular majors at California Polytechnic State University--San Luis Obispo include: Engineering; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and Social Sciences.

Is Cal Poly a hard school?

Cal Poly prides itself on its academics and all the students are very dedicated and challenged to succeed. The classes are hard but all the work you do pays off in the end.

What's better UC or CSU?

UC is significantly more expensive than CSU, because CSU is a state school. CSU schools tend to focus on maintaining small, direct class sizes, while UC systems are based on a self-motivated style of learning. The reputations of UC schools are higher than those of the CSU system, but this is a skewed understanding.

Which is better Cal Poly or UCSB?

UCSB has more expensive tuition & fees ($44,145) than Cal Poly ($23,833). UCSB has higher submitted ACT score (87) than Cal Poly (87). UCSB has more students with 25,976 students while Cal Poly has 22,013 students. UCSB has more full-time faculties with 1,027 faculties while Cal Poly has 881 full-time faculties.

Is Cal Poly competitive?

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Cal Poly had an acceptance rate of 28%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 28 were admitted, making Cal Poly's admissions process very competitive.

What are my chances of getting into Cal Poly?

The acceptance rate at Cal Poly is 30.2%. For every 100 applicants, 30 are admitted. This means the school is very selective. If you meet Cal Poly's requirements for GPA, SAT/ACT scores, and other components of the application, you have a great shot at getting in.

Does Cal Poly yield protect?

Cal Poly does not practice yield protection. Many applicants do not understand how the application scoring is done at the Cal Poly campuses, and are under the false impression that GPA and test scores are the only (or even biggest) factors in the admission decision.

How does Cal Poly calculate high school GPA?

Step 1: Your Cal Poly GPA is calculated by adding up all the grade points you have earned, and dividing by the total amount of credit hours earned. Step 2: The chart below demonstrates how each letter grade corresponds to a certain grade point.

Do Cal States look at extracurricular?

CSUs do mainly look at your academic achievement, like your SAT/ACT scores, GPA, and class grades. However, there for some schools there is a question that asks if you do participate in extracurricular activities, and if I remember correctly it might give a couple ranges of hours per week to choose from. That's it.

Does Cal Poly SLO look at senior grades?

Does Cal Poly look at weighted grades for the senior year? You apply in the fall before you get your senior grades so it doesn't matter. But they look at the difficult of your senior classes. Also don't fail any because they can rescind your application.

Does Cal Poly accept December SAT?

You can take either test as many times before November 30 as you'd like. We will apply the best score for each area of the individual test on your application. You may send December scores, but we can't guarantee that they will be used in the selection process. Cal Poly will use self-reported scores during selection.

Does Cal State need personal statement?

Eligibility Index and Applying for for CSU schools Do this before you apply. CSU undergraduate admissions are based on applicants' GPAs and test scores and course rigor, and generally do not consider items such as personal statements, SAT Subject Test scores, interviews, or recommendation letters.

Does Cal Poly accept weighted GPA?

For the purposes of your application, we'll consider your 9th-11th grade weighted GPA. That number is calculated from college-prep course work as designated on your application.

Is it hard to change majors at Cal Poly SLO?

All majors at Cal Poly are impacted, and it will be difficult to change into some majors despite a student's best efforts. Students who are unable to change into their desired majors might also need to consider applying to another university in the major of their choice.

Does Cal Poly San Luis Obispo have early decision?

Cal Poly suspends early admissions application process. In a move to “ensure equality and fair access” for lower-income students applying to the university, Cal Poly has announced that it's suspending its applications for early admissions — putting all students on the same application cycle for the fall 2017 quarter.

What AP scores does Cal Poly accept?

Students receive credit for all Advanced Placement (AP) scores of 3 or above, and departments are encouraged to identify specific major and General Education course credits, rather than "free electives," for the AP exams relevant to their disciplines.

Does Cal Poly have an essay?

Unlike many colleges and universities, Cal Poly's application does not require an essay. Prospective students can fill out the general application through Cal State Apply and are then redirected to additional admission criteria based on the schools they are applying to.

Is Cal Poly SLO better than Pomona?

Pomona is like the red-headed step child to Cal Poly SLO, it's the more recognized name academically, it's the more popular school and has a better reputation. There is nothing wrong with Pomona, but SLO is the better known of the two.

Is Cal Poly prestigious?

In 2017 Forbes, ranked Cal Poly in the top 100 schools for best value. The various Schools within the university are consistently being ranked high with my Alma Mater, the School of Architecture and Environmental Design, ranking #21 in a 2018 national survey.

Is San Luis Obispo expensive to live?

Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo, California Our cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. An amount below 100 means San Luis Obispo is cheaper than the US average. A cost of living index above 100 means San Luis Obispo, California is more expensive.

What are the top 5 majors at Cal Poly?

Here are the 10 most popular majors at Cal Poly SLO!
  • Mechanical Engineering.
  • Animal Sciences.
  • Civil Engineering.
  • Architecture.
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
  • Psychology.
  • Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations.
  • Health and Physical Education/Fitness. What is Health and Physical Education/Fitness?

Is Cal Poly safe?

San Luis Obispo appears to be a safe environment. When respondents were asked in the online survey if they felt safe on Cal Poly's campus, 86 percent answered “yes.” However, it's important to remember past crimes.

What is Cal Poly ranked in engineering?

U.S. News has named Cal Poly Pomona's College of Engineering among the “Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs” in the nation. The college ranked No. 11, tied with the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, among the 210 schools where the highest engineering degree offered is a bachelor's or master's.

Is Cal Poly good for business?

Cal Poly Pomona has been named a “2018 Best College for Business Majors” by Money Magazine. The university is No. 35 on the list based on estimated price with and without financial aid, the percent of students who receive grants, average student debt and early career earnings for business majors.

What is the average ACT score for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

26-31 (2017–18)

Can you double major at Cal Poly SLO?

You can only double major if both majors are within the same college (like you could do a double major in political science and English, since they're both in the CLA), unless they've changed this since I was at Cal Poly a few years ago. Otherwise you can only major in one subject and minor in another.