Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants   54,072  
Percent Admitted   28%  
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield)   30%  
SAT Scores and Requirements

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo requires all applicants to submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 78% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW   620   700  
Math   620   740  
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of Cal Poly's admitted students fall within the on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Cal Poly scored between 620 and 700, while 25% scored below 620 and 25% scored above 700. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 620 and 740, while 25% scored below 620 and 25% scored above 740. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1440 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Cal Poly.

Cal Poly does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Cal Poly participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject test scores are not required, but if the score meets a benchmark, it may be used to fulfill certain core course requirements.

Cal Poly requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 48% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English   26   34  
Math   26   32  
Composite   26   32  

This admissions data tells us that most of Cal Poly's admitted students fall within the top 18% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo received a composite ACT score between 26 and 32, while 25% scored above 32 and 25% scored below 26.

Note that Cal Poly participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all ACT test dates. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo does not require the ACT writing section.

In 2019, the average high school GPA for incoming Cal Poly freshmen was 3.99, and over 82% of incoming students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. This data suggests that most successful applicants to Cal Poly have primarily A grades.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which accepts just over one-quarter of applicants, is a selective state school. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. As the data shows, the majority of students who got into Cal Poly had at least a B+ average, an SAT score (ERW+M) above 1100, and an ACT composite score of 22 or higher. Chances of admission improve as those numbers go up. Realize that in the middle of the graph there's a lot of red hidden behind the green and blue. Some students who have grades and scores that are on target for Cal Poly still get rejected.

What makes the difference between an acceptance and a rejection? Unlike the University of California System, the California State University admission process is not holistic. Except for EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) students, applicants do not need to submit letters of recommendation or an application essay. Instead, admissions are based primarily on GPA and test scores. Cal Poly wants to see strong grades in the most challenging classes available—Advanced Placement, IB, Honors, and dual enrollment classes— the more rigorous your high school record, the better. Students who have taken more science and math than Cal Poly requires have a better chance at admission.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo-admissions-787155. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo-admissions-787155 Grove, Allen. "Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/cal-poly-san-luis-obispo-admissions-787155 (accessed August 6, 2025).