Cal Poly Acceptance Rate By Major

The acceptance rates for various majors at Cal Poly SLO can be a crucial factor for prospective students when deciding which program to apply to. With acceptance rates as low as 4% for popular majors like Marine Sciences, Aerospace Engineering, and Biological Sciences, competition for a spot in these programs can be intense. However, there are a few majors with higher acceptance rates, such as bioresource and agricultural engineering, which boasts a 36% acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for incoming freshmen.

For students interested in applying to the bioresource and agricultural engineering program at Cal Poly SLO, there are basic admission requirements that must be met. These may include a strong academic record with coursework in math and science, letters of recommendation, and standardized test scores. Additionally, applicants may be required to submit a personal statement or essay explaining their interest in the field and career goals related to bioresource and agricultural engineering.

In order to navigate the admission process at Cal Poly SLO, prospective students should carefully review the specific requirements for the program they are interested in applying to. It is important to submit all required materials by the deadline, including transcripts, test scores, and any supplemental materials like essays or portfolios. The university’s admissions office will then review each application and make decisions based on a combination of factors, such as academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and demonstrated interest in the chosen major.

Program	Total Applications	Percentage of Applicant Spaces Available
Marine Sciences	653	4%
Aerospace Engineering	2,095	4%
Biological Sciences	4,336	4%
Biomedical Engineering	1,990	5%
Bioresource and Agricultural Engineering	169	36%

CAL Poly 2021 Admission Requirements

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo admissions is more selective with an acceptance rate of 39% as stated earlier. Majority of the applicants admitted to California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo have an SAT score between 1270 and 1470 or an ACT score of 27 and 33.

The application is open to first-year, Transfer, Graduate, and International students. The deadline for application is November 30th annually, and the application fee at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $70 per campus.

First Year Student Admission Requirement

You are considered a first-year student if you are currently in high school (with or without any completed college classes) or you are a high school graduate who has not attended any college after high school, prior to entering Cal Poly.

Cal Poly picks some of the best and brightest students from California and around the world to join their institution each academic year. Undergraduate applications are open from October 1 – December 15. You can process your application through Cal State Apply, for all CSU campuses.

How to Apply

• Choose a major on your application. Explore the available majors and choose your program of study with their Major Finder.
• Review the selection criteria to ensure you are maximizing your opportunity for selection as well as placing the correct information on your application.
• Gather all the necessary application materials to complete your application. Make sure you have a copy of your transcripts, current and planned class schedules, test scores (not applicable for fall 2021), household annual income, and social security number (if available).
• Make your applications online through Cal State Apply from October 1 – December 15. Review your application carefully before you submit it, as there are very few changes that can be made once you do. Late applications are not accepted.
• Get tips by looking through the application resources on how to complete the application.
• Pay the $70 application fee per campus at the time you apply, unless you qualify for an application fee waiver. The application will notify you automatically whether or not you qualify for a fee waiver at the time of submittal.
• Always keep in touch by adding admissions@calpoly.edu to your contact list. Email is the University’s primary form of communication and how they will keep in contact with you throughout the admissions process. You will be contacted if they need any additional supporting documents such as transcripts or portfolios.

Selection Criteria

• Cal Poly requires you to declare a major when submitting your application. The selection process considers many factors for admission in an objective format in which applicants compete against other applicants within the same major. When your application is reviewed, they consider the following:
• Your Intended Program of Study is evaluated as they admit students by their major. Admission is competitive in all majors.
• They look at the college-prep coursework you have taken during high school, including the courses you have in progress or planned during 12th grade. The selection process is based on your self-reported information. Please do not send official transcripts unless they request them.
• Your 9th-11th grade GPA will be weighted for the purpose of your application. That number is calculated from college-prep coursework as designated on your application. Weight is granted for courses designated as “honors,” “college-level,” “advanced placement” or “international baccalaureate” for up to eight semesters.
• Standardized Test scores for Fall 2021 admission decisions will NOT be considered. Only ACT or SAT 1 scores are used in the selection process. You may send as many ACT and SAT 1 score taken before November 30 as you’d like and the best score for each area will be applied.
• Cal Poly takes activities such as work experience, internships, volunteer programs, and extracurricular activities into consideration. They are also interested in any leadership roles you may have held in these activities.
• Furthermore, all candidates are objectively evaluated by the cognitive and non-cognitive variables under the faculty-mandated Multi-Criteria Admission (MCA) process. Students are encouraged to apply to the program they feel best fits their academic and professional goals.

Application Filing Dates and Deadlines

• Cal Poly’s application is open from October 1 – December 15. You must submit your application and fees (or fee waivers) through Cal State Apply by 11:59 p.m. PT. Late applications are not accepted.
• Both the FAFSA and California Dream Act applications open on October 1. We recommend submitting your application as early as possible in order to maximize your potential aid opportunities. The deadline for priority filing for both applications is March 2.
• The last day to request a change to your application is January 15. Applicants to Music or Art and Design must make changes by January 1. We will only accept changes to biographical information, primary or alternate majors, and new test scores.
• All applicants will be notified of their admission status by April 1.
• Students who have been admitted to Cal Poly will receive details of their Financial Aid awards by April 1. Scholarships are awarded from April through August.
• Decision Day
• The offer of admission must be accepted or declined on your My Cal Poly Portal by May 1.

The Application Process for Transfer Applicants, Graduate Applicants, and International Students are almost the same. They only have minor differences in requirements.

Cal Poly Acceptance Rate Out Of-State

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Cal Poly had an acceptance rate of 28%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 28 were admitted, making Cal Poly’s admissions process very competitive.

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 top 20% nationally 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.https://0234e85fc4e0006cf2d55d1ba41d16ad.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html

Requirements

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.

ACT Scores and 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.

Requirements

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.

GPA

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.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

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.

Admissions Chances

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.