The 2025 tuition & fees of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $12,161 for in-state and $33,230 for out-of-state students. Cal Poly's tuition & fees has risen more than 5% this year.
Its tuition & fees is higher than the average tuition for Master's College and University (larger programs)' tuition of $24,300 based on out-of-state tuition rate.
Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at Cal Poly is $13,353 for California residents and $35,626 for out-of-state students, a 7.2% increase compared to 2025's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | Master's College And University (larger Programs)' Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $11,075 | $30,995 | $23,694 |
| 2024-2025 | $12,161 | $33,230 | $24,300 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 9.81% | 7.21% | 2.56% |
| 2025-2026 Estimate | $13,353 | $35,626 | $24,921 |
The living costs at Cal Poly is $21,861 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 8.45% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 10.10%.
The Cal Poly's 2025 COA is $35,141 for in-state and $56,210 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $36,377 for in-state and $57,446 for out-of-state students.
52% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $12,264. It could cover 36.91% of the full tuition amount.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $22,877 for in-state and $43,946 for out-of-state students..
| On-Campus | Off-Campus | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-State | In-State | Out-State | |
| Tuition & Fees | $12,161 | $33,230 | $12,161 | $33,230 |
| Room & Board | $18,792 | $19,155 | ||
| Personal Expenses | $3,069 | $3,942 | ||
| Books & Supplies | $1,119 | $1,119 | ||
| COA | $35,141 | $56,210 | $36,377 | $57,446 |
| COA with Financial Aid | $22,877 | $43,946 | $24,113 | $45,182 |
Cal Poly's 4-years tuition is $51,420 for in-state and $138,602 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $12,433 | $12,710 | $12,994 | $13,284 | $51,420 |
| Out-of-State | $33,789 | $34,357 | $34,935 | $35,522 | $138,602 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $12,710 | $12,994 | $13,284 | $13,580 | $52,568 |
| Out-of-State | $34,357 | $34,935 | $35,522 | $36,119 | $140,933 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $12,994 | $13,284 | $13,580 | $13,884 | $53,742 |
| Out-of-State | $34,935 | $35,522 | $36,119 | $36,727 | $143,303 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $13,284 | $13,580 | $13,884 | $14,194 | $54,942 |
| Out-of-State | $35,522 | $36,119 | $36,727 | $37,344 | $145,712 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $13,580 | $13,884 | $14,194 | $14,511 | $56,168 |
| Out-of-State | $36,119 | $36,727 | $37,344 | $37,972 | $148,162 |
Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $147,760 for California residents and $234,942 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $35,846 | $36,565 | $37,292 | $38,033 | $147,760 |
| Out-of-State | $57,202 | $58,212 | $59,240 | $60,287 | $234,942 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $36,565 | $37,300 | $38,041 | $38,798 | $150,727 |
| Out-of-State | $58,212 | $59,240 | $60,287 | $61,352 | $239,091 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $37,300 | $38,049 | $38,805 | $39,578 | $153,755 |
| Out-of-State | $59,240 | $60,287 | $61,352 | $62,436 | $243,315 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $38,049 | $38,813 | $39,585 | $40,374 | $156,844 |
| Out-of-State | $60,287 | $61,352 | $62,436 | $63,540 | $247,615 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $38,813 | $39,593 | $40,381 | $41,186 | $159,997 |
| Out-of-State | $61,352 | $62,436 | $63,540 | $64,663 | $251,991 |
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $98,704 for California residents and $185,886 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $23,582 | $24,301 | $25,028 | $25,769 | $98,704 |
| Out-of-State | $44,938 | $45,948 | $46,976 | $48,023 | $185,886 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $24,301 | $25,036 | $25,777 | $26,534 | $101,671 |
| Out-of-State | $45,948 | $46,976 | $48,023 | $49,088 | $190,035 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $25,036 | $25,785 | $26,541 | $27,314 | $104,699 |
| Out-of-State | $46,976 | $48,023 | $49,088 | $50,172 | $194,259 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $25,785 | $26,549 | $27,321 | $28,110 | $107,788 |
| Out-of-State | $48,023 | $49,088 | $50,172 | $51,276 | $198,559 | |
| Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029) | In-State | $26,549 | $27,329 | $28,117 | $28,922 | $110,941 |
| Out-of-State | $49,088 | $50,172 | $51,276 | $52,399 | $202,935 |
The graduate school tuition at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $13,685 for in-state and $23,765 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at Cal Poly graduate program page.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | $12,509 | $22,013 |
| 2024-2025 | $13,685 | $23,765 |
| Change % 2024-2025 | 9.40% | 7.96% |
| 2025-2026 | $14,972 | $25,656 |
For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at Cal Poly is $0 for California residents and $280 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $0 for California residents and $280 for out-of-state students.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2023-2024 | -$1 | $264 |
| 2024-2025 | $0 | $280 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | - | $297 | |
| Graduate | 2023-2024 | - | $264 |
| 2024-2025 | - | $280 | |
| 2025-2026 (Estimate) | - | $297 |
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at Cal Poly. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
The following table compares tuition & fees between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and its similar schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $12,161 | $33,230 |
| University of California-Irvine | $14,752 | $46,640 |
| University of California-Davis | $15,804 | $47,692 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | $15,444 | $47,332 |
| California State University-Long Beach | $7,374 | $19,974 |
| California State University-Northridge | $7,458 | $20,058 |
In-State (California Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $147,760, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $13,284 per year, which would total around $51,420 over four years.
Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $234,942. The tuition and fees are around $35,522 per year, totaling about $138,602 over four years.
The in-state undergraduate tuition at Cal Poly is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($9,818 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).
The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at Cal Poly is much higher than the average for similar schools ($19,272 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).
The in-state graduate tuition at Cal Poly is higher than the average for similar schools ($10,557 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).
The out-of-state graduate tuition at Cal Poly is higher than the average for similar schools ($17,608 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).
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