Cal Poly vs. Cal State LA

Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or California State University Los Angeles? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly or Cal State LA is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo vs. California State University Los Angeles comparison
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California State University Los Angeles College 3 College 4
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California State University Los Angeles
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Overview

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
Location San Luis Obispo, CA Los Angeles, CA
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 22,000 26,460
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #155 #947
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calpoly.edu calstatela.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $17,622
Room & Board $16,449 $17,998
Avg Net Price $19,184 $5,801
Avg Grant Aid $10,065 $10,907
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 91%

Admission

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 58,774 33,939
Admitted 17,885 29,507
Acceptance Rate 30.4% 86.9%
Enrolled % 28.6% 13.2%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.31
Typical High School Grades A/A+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 26/32 15/20
SAT Range 1220/1410 870/1060
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Jan 19, 2024

Academics

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 22:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Agriculture (15%)
  • Architecture (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Business (22%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (7%)

Outcomes

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
Graduation Rate 75% 36%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $69,400 $46,900
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 57%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,666 $12,920
Median Loan Payment $193 $133

Diversity

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
% Men 51% 41%
% Women 49% 59%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 57% 7%
% Black 1% 4%
% Hispanic 16% 63%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 2%
% International 2% 6%
% Unknown Race 5% 3%

Students

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
% In-State 83% 99%
% Out-of-State 16% 0%

Campus

 Cal Poly Cal State LA
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Los Angeles is larger than than Cal Poly based on total student enrollment (26,460 students vs. 22,000 students)

Cal Poly vs. Cal State LA Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or Cal State LA?

  • California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo and Cal State LA cost the same to attend based on in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is the same at Cal Poly as California State University Los Angeles ($17,622.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Los Angeles than Cal Poly ($5,801 vs. $19,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo are 9.4% lower than costs at California State University Los Angeles ($16,449 vs. $17,998)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at California State University Los Angeles than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (91% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Los Angeles students is 8.4% larger than aid received California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($10,907 vs. $10,065)

Cal Poly vs. Cal State LA Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or Cal State LA? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Cal State LA or Cal Poly .

  • The average SAT score at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (1259) is 385 points higher than at Cal State LA (874)
  • Incoming Cal Poly students have a 11 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Cal State LA (18)
  • Accepted freshman Cal Poly students have a 0.69 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Cal State LA (3.31)
  • Cal State LA has a higher acceptance rate (86.9%) than Cal Poly (30.4%)

Cal Poly vs. Cal State LA Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal Poly or Cal State LA? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Cal State LA and Cal Poly.

  • The graduation rate at Cal Poly is higher than California State University Los Angeles (75% vs. 36%)
  • Graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn on average $22,500 more per year than Cal State LA graduates after ten years. ($69,400 vs. $46,900)
  • California State University Los Angeles students graduate with a $5,746 lower median federal student loan debt than Cal Poly graduates. ($12,920 vs. $18,666)
  • Cal State LA graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than Cal Poly graduates. ($133 vs. $193)
  • More Cal Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Cal State LA students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 57%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/