California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Academics

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How strong are the academics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

18:1
Student to faculty ratio
35
Average class size
62%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 18:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
68
10-19
342
20-29
735
30-39
660
40-49
268
50-99
178
100+
93

Honors Programs

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Cal Poly San Luis Obispo's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo:

95%
First-year retention rate
62%
4-year grad rate
87%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Business Administration and Management, General
Mechanical Engineering
Computer Science
Animal Sciences, General
Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology
57
195
333
471
609
747

The Full List

Major Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
  • Animal Sciences, General 189
  • Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 117
  • Viticulture and Enology 65
  • Agronomy and Crop Science 48
  • Food Science 42
  • Agriculture, General 36
  • Agriculture, General 36
  • AGRICULTURAL / ANIMAL / PLANT / VETERINARY SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS 36
  • Agricultural Communication/Journalism 35
  • Agricultural Mechanization, General 30
  • Dairy Science 18
  • Agronomy and Crop Science 1
  • Agribusiness/Agricultural Business Operations 1
  • Soil Science and Agronomy, General 0
  • Horticultural Science 0
  • Ornamental Horticulture 0
  • Agricultural Business and Management, General 0
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology 172
  • Landscape Architecture 42
  • City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 30
  • Architecture 0
Area
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 5
  • Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other 3
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 153
  • Biochemistry 29
  • Microbiology, General 20
  • Ecology 1
Business
  • Business Administration and Management, General 747
  • Construction Management, General 126
  • Business Administration and Management, General 1
Communication
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 86
  • Journalism 85
  • Journalism 1
Communications Technologies/Technicians And Support Services
  • Graphic Communications, General 80
  • Graphic Communications, General 1
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 219
Education
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 50
  • Agricultural Teacher Education 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 288
  • Civil Engineering, General 126
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 95
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 84
  • Computer Engineering, General 80
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 76
  • Industrial Engineering 68
  • Materials Engineering 59
  • Architectural Engineering 44
  • Computer Software Engineering 37
  • Agricultural Engineering 32
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 31
  • Manufacturing Engineering 28
  • Engineering Science 12
  • Industrial Engineering 1
  • Construction Engineering 0
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Industrial Technology/Technician 47
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 52
  • English Language and Literature, General 1
  • Rhetoric and Composition 0
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Human Development and Family Studies, General 0
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 8
  • Spanish Language and Literature 6
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Public Health, General 52
  • Dietetics/Dietitian 0
History
  • History, General 61
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 82
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 18
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 2
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 66
  • Statistics, General 46
  • Statistics, General 3
  • Mathematics, General 2
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Nutrition Sciences 63
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 41
  • Marine Sciences 24
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other 136
  • Forestry, General 39
  • Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Other 2
  • Forestry, General 1
  • Natural Resources/Conservation, General 0
Parks
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies 93
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 76
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 30
  • Philosophy 1
Physical Sciences
  • Physics, General 32
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 30
  • Chemistry, General 27
  • Physics, General 2
  • Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other 1
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 152
  • Psychology, General 4
Social Sciences
  • Political Science and Government, General 97
  • Sociology, General 58
  • Economics, General 57
  • Social Sciences, Other 33
  • Political Science and Government, General 1
  • Social Sciences, Other 1
  • Social Sciences, General 0
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 61
  • Music, General 9
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 9
  • Fine/Studio Arts, General 1
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 1
  • Art/Art Studies, General 0
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