Cal Poly Admission Requirements

Acceptance Rate

How hard is it to get into Cal Poly and can I get accepted? The school has a 28% acceptance rate ranking it #12 in California for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 15,366 out of 54,072 applicants were admitted making Cal Poly a highly competitive school to get into with a lesser chance of acceptance for qualifying applicants.  Academically, it has extremely high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 18 percent. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students. Only 30% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.

SAT Requirements & Average SAT Score

SAT Scores you need to get in

What are the SAT requirements for students to be admitted to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo?

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo typically requires applicants to be in the top 19 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1240 on a 1600 scale, below which admission should be considered a reach. We estimate some students could be accepted with SAT's as low as 1140. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1340 out of 1600. The school ranks #14 in California for highest average SAT composite score. A competitive SAT score is critical as 75 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school.

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

ACT Requirements & Average ACT Score

ACT Scores needed to get accepted

What are the ACT requirements for prospective students to get into Cal Poly?

Admission data indicates that Cal Poly regularly accepts students with ACT's of 26 and above. Successful applicants typically send ACT scores in the top 18 percent nationally. We estimate the school accepting minimum ACT composite scores around 23 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 29 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 32 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #14 in California for highest average ACT composite score. 57 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by ACT Score

Estimated GPA Requirements & Average GPA

What GPA do you need to get into California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo?

Applicants require exceptionally good grades to get into Cal Poly. The average high school GPA of the admitted freshman class at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo was 3.87 on the 4.0 scale indicating that primarily A- students are accepted and ultimately attend. The school ranks #12 in California for highest average GPA. Even with a competitive GPA, admission to Cal Poly will be challenging as the school denies more applicants than it admits.

 What do these ratings mean?

GPA Data Source, Wintergreen Orchard House

High School Class Rank

83% of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo freshman were in the top twenty five percent of their high school graduating class.

Admission Statistics

Fall 2021 Application Deadline

Admission Requirements

What are the requirements for admission to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and what student information is used for admission decisions?

Credits Accepted