Cal Poly Quick Facts
Cal Poly in Spring
Photo by Cal Poly alumnus Gregg Erickson
(M.S., 2006, Industrial and Technical Studies)
Basics
Full name: California Polytechnic State University
Usually referred to as: Cal Poly
Location: At San Luis Obispo - about 230 miles
south of San Francisco, 200 miles north of Los Angeles,
10 miles from the Pacific Ocean
Affiliation: Part of the 23-campus California State University system
Emphasis: Comprehensive undergraduate education, combining technical and professional curricula with the arts and humanities
Guiding philosophy: Learn by Doing
President: Jeffrey D. Armstrong
Stats
Student body: Roughly 19,325 (Fall 2009)
Faculty (including part-time): 1,047 (Fall 2009)
Staff (approx., including part-time, hourly and management, Fall 2009): State, 1,383; Corporation, 445; ASI, 84
Student-to-Faculty Ratio (Fall 2009) 19:1
Campus size:
Main Campus: 1,321acres, of which 155 are the campus core
San Luis Creek Ranches, adjacent to campus: 1,614 acres
Western Ranches, not contiguous to campus: 3,043 acres
Swanton Pacific Ranch, Santa Cruz County: 3,200 acres
Valencia Property, Santa Cruz County: 500 acres
Total: 9,678 acres.
Cal Poly is the second largest land-holding university in California, second only to UC Berkeley, and one of the largest land-holding universities in the nation. Cal Poly, however, uses all of its land holdings in active support of the education of its students.
Browse this page for more Quick Facts or Skip to Sections On:
Academics | History | Student Body | Graduates & Careers | Annual Events | Sports | Buildings & Facilities
Academics
Programs offered: 68 bachelor's, 29 master's, one doctorate of education in association with UC Santa Barbara, 68 minors, 14 credentials
Total bachelor's degrees (1942-2003): 105,078
Total master's degrees (1951-2003): 9,468
Terms: Four 11-week quarters per year
Accredited/recognized programs: 24
2009-10 Estimated annual fee average for students (California residents):
Undergraduates: $5,826; Graduate $6,606
Click Here for specific fee college fee information
Out-of-state tuition (2009-10): $226 per quarter unit in addition to regular tuition fees
Room & Board: $3,282 per quarter (includes a choice of three meal plans )
For more information on total Cost of Attendance at Cal Poly, Click Here
History
Founded as: Vocational high school
Founding legislation signed: March 8, 1901
First day of class: Oct. 1, 1903
First bachelor's degree: May 28,1942
Names:
1901 -37: California Polytechnic School
1937-47: California State Polytechnic School
1947-72: California State Polytechnic College
1972- Present: California Polytechnic State University
Visit the Kennedy Library Web Archive of Cal Poly History
Student Body
Fall 2009
Men: 10,837 (56%)
Women: 8,488 (44%)
Average age: 20.8
Geographic Origin of Freshmen:
San Francisco Bay Area: 31%
Central Coast (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Monterey counties): 9%
Los Angeles area: 23%
San Joaquin Valley:8.5%
San Diego area: 8%
Sacramento area: 7%
Other California: 5.5%
Other states: 6.8%
International Students: 0.4%
Annual Applications for approximately 4,000 freshman seats: 37,999+ (Fall 2009)
Enrolled: 3,908 first time freshmen (fall 2009), 716 transfer (Fall 2009)
First-time freshmen students' average high school GPA: 3.81 (Fall 2009)
Transfer students' average GPA: 3.32
First-time freshmen students' average ACT score: 26.3 (fall 2009)
First-time freshmen students' average SAT 1 Reading score: 579 (Fall 2009)
First-time freshmen students' average SAT 1 Math score: 623 (Fall 2009)
| College | Undergrad | Postbacc/Grad | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ag, Food & Environmental Sciences | 3,778 | 120 | 3,898 |
| Architecture & Environmental Design | 1,818 | 63 | 1,881 |
| Engineering | 5,187 | 322 | 5,509 |
| Liberal Arts | 2,695 | 162 | 2,587 |
| Orfalea Business | 2,327 | 60 | 2,387 |
| Science & Math | 2,418 | 282 | 2,700 | Other* | 79 | 14 | 93 |
| University Total | 18,302 | 1023 | 19,325 |
*Cuesta College agriculture students, high school students, senior citizens, Cal Poly faculty and staff members, and others taking classes
Click here for more information about the Student Body from Cal Poly's Institutional Planning and Analysis Office
Graduates - Careers & Grad School (2007-2008 Graduates)
Employed full-time or in graduate school within one year of graduation: 89%
Graduates employed full time within year after graduation: 70%
Employed part time: 4%
Attending graduate school:19%
Median starting salary: $52,000
*based on most recent survey data
Visit the Cal Poly Career Services Web site for more information on Graduates and Career Placement
Annual Events
Week of Welcome and Fall Conference (start of the academic year): September
Homecoming: October or November www.homecoming.calpoly.edu
Commencement: December and June
Open House (formerly Poly Royal): mid- April
Visit the Cal Poly Events & Entertainment Calendar of public events | Visit the Campus Master Calendar
Sports
Mascot: Mustangs
University colors: Green and gold
Men's NCAA Div. l: Baseball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field (all Big West Conference); wrestling (Pac-10), football (Great West Conference)
Women's NCAA Div. l: Basketball, cross country, golf, indoor track, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball (all Big West Conference)
Intramurals: About 2,300 students participate in about 320 teams in 14 sports, 2 tournaments annually
Club Sports: About 20 recreational and competitive sport clubs
Click here for more information about Cal Poly NCAA Sports | Click Here for Details about Club & Rec Sports (ASI Web Site)
Buildings & Facilities
Space: 3.5 million sq. ft. in more than 100 major buildings with a replacement value of $500 million
On-campus student housing: 6,000+ spaces in 13 residence halls , and two apartment-style complexes: Cerro Vista, with space for 800 students, and Poly Canyon Village, with space for 2,700 students. Cal Poply housed 34.6 percent of Fall 2009 undergraduates on campus, and 95.5 percent of fall 2009 first-time freshmen on campus.
Food Service outlets: 20
Notable Facilities Include:
Robert E. Kennedy Library: 203,605 sq. ft.
Julian A. McPhee University Union: 106,000 sq. ft., including Chumash Auditorium (seats 940)
Galleries: University Union Gallery; University Art Gallery, Dexter Building; Kennedy Library's Photo Option Gallery
Performing Arts Center - Cal Poly Theatre: 497 seats; Christopher Cohan Center - Harman Hall seats 1,298
ASI Recreation Center: 91,559 sq. ft. (main hall seats 4,000)
Mustang Stadium: 11,000+ seats
Robert A. Mott Gym: 3,032 seats
Parking: About 7,785 spaces
Outdoor Favorites: Poly Canyon, agriculture units, Cal Poly Organic Farm, Cal Poly U-Pick Orchards
Click here for more information about Cal Poly Facilities