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The average acceptance rate at Cal Poly over the past 10 years is 31.69%, and the most recent acceptance rate is 31.32%.
The average yield (enrollment rate) over the period is 28.40%, and the 2025 yield is 24.61%. Overall, the yield has decreased by 27.05% from 2015 to 2025.
The number of Cal Poly applicants increased by 7.27% (4,635 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 46.03% overall.
The current acceptance rate for the 2025 admission cycle is 31.32%, demonstrating consistent admission standards over the past decade. The stability of this rate suggests that Cal Poly maintains a predictable and steady admissions environment for prospective students.
The admission yield (the percentage of admitted students who enroll) for the 2025 academic year is 24.61%. The declining yield trend suggests that a lower percentage of admitted students are choosing to enroll at Cal Poly. This pattern may reflect increased competition from peer institutions, changing student demographics, or shifts in institutional enrollment strategy.
For the 2025 admission cycle, Cal Poly received approximately 68,371 applications, admitted 21,416 students, and enrolled 5,271 students. The rising application volume trend indicates that Cal Poly is attracting an increasing number of prospective students over time. This growth in applications typically reflects enhanced institutional visibility, improved marketing initiatives, or increasing perceived value in the higher education market.
Cal Poly 10-Year Admission Rate Summary: The acceptance rate trends at Cal Poly over the past decade show a relatively stable trend, with fluctuations in both directions. The average acceptance rate over this period is 31.69%, while the most recent rate stands at 31.32%. This data reflects the institution's evolving competitiveness in the higher education admissions landscape.
For the most recent admission cycle (2025), the acceptance rate is 31.32%. By gender, the average acceptance rate for men is 27.27% and for women is 36.33%.
The following table and chart show how acceptance rates at Cal Poly have changed over the past 10 years (2015-2025).
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 31.29% | 27.40% | 35.69% |
| 2016-17 | 29.49% -1.80% |
25.80% -1.60% |
33.60% -2.09% |
| 2017-18 | 34.61% 5.12% |
29.98% 4.18% |
39.72% 6.13% |
| 2018-19 | 30.17% -4.44% |
25.68% -4.30% |
35.03% -4.69% |
| 2019-20 | 28.42% -1.75% |
25.04% -0.64% |
32.05% -2.98% |
| 2020-21 | 38.43% 10.01% |
34.51% 9.47% |
42.50% 10.44% |
| 2021-22 | 33.00% -5.43% |
28.00% -6.51% |
38.00% -4.50% |
| 2022-23 | 30.43% -2.57% |
25.09% -2.90% |
35.85% -2.15% |
| 2023-24 | 29.75% -0.68% |
24.35% -0.75% |
35.11% -0.74% |
| 2024-25 | 31.32% 1.57% |
26.87% 2.53% |
35.71% 0.60% |
| Average | 31.69% | 27.27% | 36.33% |
Cal Poly has demonstrated a decline in admission yield over the past 10 years. The institution's yield rate has decreased from 33.74% in 2015 to 24.61% in 2025, representing a 27.05% decrease. The 10-year average yield stands at 28.40%, reflecting weakening enrollment performance.
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Cal Poly from 2015 to 2025. The admission yield has decreased by 27.05% over this period.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 33.74% | 36.26% | 31.55% |
| 2016-17 | 30.57% -3.17% |
33.32% -2.94% |
28.21% -3.34% |
| 2017-18 | 31.24% 0.67% |
33.24% -0.08% |
29.57% 1.36% |
| 2018-19 | 26.67% -4.57% |
29.43% -3.81% |
24.48% -5.09% |
| 2019-20 | 30.02% 3.35% |
32.54% 3.12% |
27.90% 3.43% |
| 2020-21 | 23.79% -6.23% |
26.26% -6.28% |
21.72% -6.18% |
| 2021-22 | 27.00% 3.21% |
31.01% 4.74% |
24.00% 2.28% |
| 2022-23 | 28.57% 1.57% |
32.46% 1.45% |
25.81% 1.81% |
| 2023-24 | 27.83% -0.74% |
30.89% -1.56% |
25.73% -0.08% |
| 2024-25 | 24.61% -3.22% |
26.66% -4.24% |
23.10% -2.63% |
| Average | 28.40% | 31.21% | 26.21% |
Over the past 10 years, The average number of applicants is 55,013, the average number of admitted is 17,393, and the average number of first-year enrolled students is 4,886.
The number of Cal Poly applicants increased by 7.27% (4,635 applicants) compared to the previous year. Over the entire 10-year period, applicants increased by 46.03% overall.
The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 46,820 | 14,651 | 4,943 |
| 2016-17 | 48,162 2.87% |
14,202 -3.06% |
4,341 -12.18% |
| 2017-18 | 48,588 0.88% |
16,817 18.41% |
5,253 21.01% |
| 2018-19 | 54,663 12.50% |
16,491 -1.94% |
4,398 -16.28% |
| 2019-20 | 54,072 -1.08% |
15,366 -6.82% |
4,613 4.89% |
| 2020-21 | 52,371 -3.15% |
20,127 30.98% |
4,789 3.82% |
| 2021-22 | 54,570 4.20% |
18,008 -10.53% |
4,862 1.52% |
| 2022-23 | 58,774 7.70% |
17,885 -0.68% |
5,110 5.10% |
| 2023-24 | 63,736 8.44% |
18,964 6.03% |
5,278 3.29% |
| 2024-25 | 68,371 7.27% |
21,416 12.93% |
5,271 -0.13% |
| Average | 55,013 | 17,393 | 4,886 |
The following table compares California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo' acceptance rate to similar schools.
| 2024 | 2025 | Change % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | 29.75% | 31.32% | 5.28% |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | 86.60% | 69.69% | 24.26% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | 32.97% | 27.78% | 18.68% |
| California State University-Northridge | 93.45% | 93.15% | 0.32% |
| University of California-Davis | 41.83% | 41.63% | 0.48% |
| University of California-Riverside | 76.39% | 63.30% | 20.68% |
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