Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside

California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo vs. University of California Riverside comparison

	California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo	University of California Riverside	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Cal Poly	UC Riverside
Location	San Luis Obispo, CA	Riverside, CA
Setting	Small Suburban	Large City
Enrollment	22,485	26,426
Type	Public 4 Year	Public 4 Year
National Ranking	#146	#265
Religious Affiliation	-	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	calpoly.edu	ucr.edu
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Comparable Facts

• University of California Riverside is larger than than Cal Poly based on total student enrollment (26,426 students vs. 22,485 students)

Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or UC Riverside?

• University of California Riverside is 106.1% more expensive to attend than Cal Poly for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $5,742.00)
• Out of state tuition is 141.8% higher at UC Riverside than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($42,611.00 vs. $17,622.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than Cal Poly ($13,533 vs. $16,888)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo are 12.9% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($17,220 vs. $19,433)
• More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (70% vs. 48%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 69.7% larger than aid received California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($21,566 vs. $12,707)

Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (1259) is 140 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
• Incoming Cal Poly students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UC Riverside (26)
• Accepted freshman Cal Poly students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UC Riverside (3.84)
• UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (63.3%) than Cal Poly (29.8%)

Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal Poly or UC Riverside? 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 UC Riverside and Cal Poly.

• The graduation rate at Cal Poly is higher than University of California Riverside (75% vs. 67%)
• Graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn on average $17,200 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($69,400 vs. $52,200)
• California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo students graduate with a $443 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($18,666 vs. $19,109)
• Cal Poly graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($193 vs. $197)
• More Cal Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 65%)

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