Cal Poly Admission Requirements

How hard is it to get into Cal Poly and can I get accepted? The school has a 35% acceptance rate ranking it #17 in California for lowest rate of acceptance. Last year, 16,817 out of 48,588 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 very high requirements for admission test scores, generally admitting students who score in the top 16 percent. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo typically accepts and attracts "A-" average high school students. Only 31% of those admitted chose to enroll in the school. Most incoming freshmen graduated in the top quarter of their high school class.

35% are accepted,
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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 15 percent of SAT test takers. The school consistently takes SAT composite scores down to 1270 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 1190. The estimated average SAT composite for admitted freshman is 1350 out of 1600. The school ranks #16 in California for highest average SAT composite score. A competitive SAT score is critical as 70 percent of applicants submit SAT scores to the school. Note: SAT scores presented on this page have been adjusted upwards per the College Board's concordance tables for test takers after March 2016.

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 24 in some instances. Prospective students submitting an ACT composite of 28 or higher should be in the upper half of applicants - and students with a 31 and above have very competitive chances. The school ranks #15 in California for highest average ACT composite score. Scoring well on the ACT is very important as 68 percent of applicants submit ACT scores to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo.

You will need exceptionally good grades to get into California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. 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 #8 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?

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

What are the requirements for admission to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and what considerations affect admission decisions?