How to get into Cal Poly SLO
What 274 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 470 Cal Poly SLO results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Cal Poly SLO? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Cal Poly SLO admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.96
Middle half 3.87 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,510
Middle half 1,460 to 1,550
Median ACT
34
Middle half 33 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.40
Middle half 4.25 to 4.54
Results posted: 274 admitted, 130 rejected, 66 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Cal Poly SLO acceptance rate; the official rate is in Cal Poly SLO’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.96 | 3.85 |
| SAT | 1,510 | 1,495 |
| ACT | 34 | 34 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Cal Poly SLO admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service67%
- Tutoring/Teaching49%
- Athletics48%
- Internship38%
- STEM club/competition37%
- Work/Job35%
- Music34%
- Research27%
Held a leadership role
85%
Founded something
40%
National or intl. award
59%
Did research
27%
Intended majors of Cal Poly SLO admits
- Computer Science22%
- Engineering17%
- Biology7%
- Business5%
- Political Science5%
- Economics4%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 15% first-generation, 16% low income, 12% underrepresented minority, 8% legacy, 2% recruited athlete and 3% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 9% chose Cal Poly SLO.
Three recent Cal Poly SLO admits
2027 cycle · Chemistry
STEM outreach leader across Science Olympiad, WiSTEM, and teaching programs for younger students.
GPA 3.85 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2026 cycle · Computer Science
CS student with robotics, ML research, game-dev leadership, and a personal family-responsibility story.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
2026 cycle · Biology
Pre-med biology student with CAR T-cell cancer research, medical club leadership, and Science Olympiad success.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1470 · Original post
Where else Cal Poly SLO admits got in
Cal Poly SLO admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Cal Poly SLO?
- Among 274 applicants who posted a Cal Poly SLO admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.96 and the middle half reported 3.87 to 4.00 (259 reported a GPA). Cal Poly SLO sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Cal Poly SLO?
- Among 274 applicants who posted a Cal Poly SLO admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,510 and the middle half scored 1,460 to 1,550 (180 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- What extracurriculars do Cal Poly SLO admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (67%), tutoring/teaching (49%), athletics (48%), internship (38%). 85% held at least one leadership role and 59% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Cal Poly SLO acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Cal Poly SLO in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Cal Poly SLO?
A Specialist who got into a school like Cal Poly SLO can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Cal Poly SLO. All colleges