California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

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2019 Undergraduate Tuition

$5,742

0% growth from 2018

2019 Average Net Price

$21,232

After Financial Aid

2017 Student Loan

1.15%

Default Rate

2019 Acceptance Rate

28.4%

54,072 Applicants

2019 Enrolled Students

21,426

95.1% Full-Time

2018 Graduation Rate

81.7%

3,013 Graduates

About

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a higher education institution located in San Luis Obispo County, CA. In 2016, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo were General Business Administration & Management (762 degrees awarded), Mechanical Engineering (264 degrees), and General Biological Sciences (241 degrees).

In 2019, 5,727 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. 49.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 50.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (3,241 degrees), 3.57 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (909 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $5,742, which is $-16,284 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($22,027).

Photo by Rob Bulmahn

Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $21,232.

In 2019, 53% of undergraduate students received federal grants, while 29% of undergraduate students received federal loans.

Student Expenses

Tuition Costs

$5,742

2019 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2019, the cost of tuition at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was $5,742. The cost of tuition at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $-16,284 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($22,027).

This chart compares the tuition costs of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$21,232

2019 Value

5.97%

1 Year Growth

In 2019 California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $21,232. Between 2018 and 2019, the average net price of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo grew by 5.97%.

This chart compares the average net price of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$13,770

Room and Board

$1,941

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was of $13,770 in 2019. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,941. The cost of room and board increased by 4.84% between 2018 and 2019. The cost of books and supplies increased by 3.03% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid by Income Level

53%

Of Undergraduates Receive Grants

29%

Of Undergraduates Receive Federal Loans

53% of undergraduate students at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo received grants or loans in 2019. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2018, when 53% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.15%

2017 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2017 the default rate for borrower's at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was 1.15%, which represents 29 out of the 2516 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo received 54,072 undergraduate applications in 2019, which represents a 1.08% annual decline. Out of those 54,072 applicants, 15,366 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 28.4% acceptance rate.

There were 21,426 students enrolled at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in 2019, and 78% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has an overall enrollment yield of 30%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

28.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2019

15,366

Accepted Out of 54,072

In 2019, the undergraduate acceptance rate of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was 28.4% (15,366 admissions from 54,072 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2018, which was 30.2%. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of applicants declined by -1.08%, while admissions declined by -6.82%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

78%

Submission Percentage

3,606

Scores Submitted

78% of enrolled first-time students at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in 2019 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has a total enrollment of 21,426 students. The full-time enrollment at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is 20,379 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,047. This means that 95.1% of students enrolled at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, both undergraduate and graduate, is 53.7% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 7.63% Two or More Races, 0.84% Black or African American, 0.215% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.14% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Students enrolled at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (27.3%), followed by White Female (26.2%) and Hispanic or Latino Male (9%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (32.9%), followed by White Male (25.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (8.36%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

95.1%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, both undergraduate and graduate, is 21,426 students. The full-time enrollment at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is 20,379 and the part-time enrollment is 1,047. This means that 95.1% of students enrolled at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are enrolled full-time compared with 69.2% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

94%

2019 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was 94%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (74%), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
11,512
Hispanic or Latino
3,719
Asian
2,878

The enrolled student population at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is 53.7% White, 17.4% Hispanic or Latino, 13.4% Asian, 7.63% Two or More Races, 0.84% Black or African American, 0.215% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.14% American Indian or Alaska Native. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 53.3% White, 16% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.9% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 894 students (4.17%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2019, 83 fewer women than men received degrees from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is white (3,241 degrees awarded). There were 3.57 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (909 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is General Business Administration & Management (762 degrees awarded), followed by Mechanical Engineering (264 degrees) and General Biological Sciences (241 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Agriculture (656 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (221 degrees), and Engineering (1,384 degrees).

Workforce

Common Jobs by Major

Software developers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are Software developers (408,110 people), Other managers (333,688 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (331,363 people), Civil engineers (272,294 people), and Mechanical engineers (201,420 people).

The most specialized majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are Agriculture (656 degrees awarded), Architecture and Related Services (221 degrees), Engineering (1,384 degrees), Communication Technologies (100 degrees), and Natural Resources & Conservation (115 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are Surgeons, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, Cardiovascular technologists and technicians, and Chief executives & legislators

Common Industries by Major

Architectural, engineering & related services

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are Architectural, engineering & related services (554,334 people), Computer Systems Design (418,204 people), Construction (324,680 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (208,691 people), and Aircraft & parts manufacturing (150,411 people).

Degrees

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
762 degree-majorss awarded
Mechanical Engineering
264 degree-majorss awarded
General Biological Sciences
241 degree-majorss awarded

In 2019, the most common bachelors degree concentration at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was General Business Administration & Management with 762 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo according to their major.

Gender Breakdown for Common Majors

2,905

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2019

2,822

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2019

In 2019, 2,905 degrees were awarded to men at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, which is 1.03 times more than the number of degrees awarded to females (2,822).

This chart displays the gender disparity between the top 5 majors at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2019, 435 degrees were awarded to men at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.17 times more than the 372 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2019, 372 degrees were awarded to women at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.855 times less than the 435 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

47%

100% Completion Time

82%

150% Completion Time

In 2019, 47% of students graduating from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 82% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 84% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Diversity

Graduation Rate by Race and Gender

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

White Female

Highest Graduation Rate (89%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is Female and White (89% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (69.1%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 3.55% of graduates (107 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
3,241 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
909 degrees awarded
Asian
690 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is white (3,241 degrees awarded). There were 3.57 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (909 degrees).

4.94% of degree recipients (283 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Gender

Most Common Gender Demographic

White Female
1,627 degrees awarded
White Male
1,614 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Female
460 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and gender grouping at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is white female (1,627 degrees awarded). There were 1.01 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,614 degrees).

Operations

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has an endowment valued at nearly $228M, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $6.24M (2.74%), compared to the 4.44% average return ($1.71M on $38.5M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2019, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo had a total salary expenditure of $624M. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo employs 330 Professors, 218 Lecturers, and 201 Assistant professors. Most academics at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are Male Professors (235), Male Lecturers(135), and Male Assistant professors (103).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are: Business and Financial Operations, with 302 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 269 employees, and Office and Administrative Support with 218 employees.

Finances

Endowment

$228M

2019 Endowment

3.25%

growth from 2018

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo has an endowment valued at about $228M, as of the end of the 2019 fiscal year. The endowment of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo grew 3.25% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $189M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$0 - Federal
$0 - State
$0 - Local

As of 2019, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo received $0 in grants and contracts from the federal government, $0 from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Expenses

Salary Expenditure

$211M

2019 Salaries

2.06%

growth from 2018

In 2019, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo paid a median of $211M in salaries, which represents 33.9% of their overall expenditure ($624M) and a 2.06% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 11.6% growth from 2017 and a 6.75% growth from 2016.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 34.1M (40.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$86.7M

Instructional Salaries

894

Number of Employees

In 2019, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo paid a total of $86.7M to 894 employees working as instructors, which represents 41% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $11.2M (32.7%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Faculty and Staff

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

330 Employees

Business and Financial Operations

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

302 Employees

In 2019, the most common positions for instructional staff at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo were Professor with 330 employees; Lecturer with 218 employees; and Lecturer with 201 employees.

In 2019, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo were Business and Financial Operations with 302 employees; Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 269 employees; and Office and Administrative Support with 218 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Gender

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Lecturer
Male Assistant professor

In 2019, the most common demographic for instructional staff at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo was Male Professor with 235 employees, Male Lecturer with 135 employees, and Male Assistant professor with 103 employees.

This chart shows the gender split between each academic rank present at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

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