Tuition, Fees, Living Costs, and Cost of Attendance (COA)
Undergraduate Program Tuition & Fees
For the academic year 2023-2024, the undergraduate tuition & fees at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $11,075 for California residents and $30,995 for out-of-state students. It has been risen by 7.33% for California residents and increased by 9.80% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year. Its in-state undergraduate tuition & fees is a little bit higher than the average amount ($9,606) and its out-of-state undergraduate tuition & fees is much higher than the average amount for similar schools' tuition of $19,209.
The 2025 estimated undergraduate tuition & fees of Cal Poly is $11,886 for California residents and $34,032 for out-of-state students, a 9.8% increase compared to 2024's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | On Campus Room & Board, Other Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | $10,319 | $28,229 | $18,693 |
| 2023-2024 | $11,075 | $30,995 | $20,157 |
| Change % 2023-2024 | 7.33% | 9.80% | 7.83% |
| 2024-2025 | $11,886 | $34,032 | $21,736 |
Graduate Program Tuition & Fees
For graduate programs, the in-state graduate tuition & fees is $12,509 and out-of-state tuition & fees is $22,013. Its in-state graduate tuition & fees is a little bit higher than the average amount ($10,220) and its out-of-state graduate tuition & fees is higher than the average amount for similar schools' tuition of $17,479.
The 2025 estimated tuition & fees at Cal Poly is $13,314 for California residents and $22,796 for out-of-state students , a 3.6% increase compared to 2024's rate.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | On Campus Room & Board, Other Expenses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | $11,753 | $21,257 | $18,693 |
| 2023-2024 | $12,509 | $22,013 | $20,157 |
| Change % 2023-2024 | 6.43% | 3.56% | 7.83% |
| 2024-2025 | $13,314 | $22,796 | $21,736 |
Cost Per Credit Hour
The below table describes the cost per credit hour for part-time students and/or full-time students who take additional courses more than regular credit hours at Cal Poly. The undergraduate cost per credit hour is $0 for California residents and $290 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $0 for California residents and $273 for out-of-state students.
| Year | In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate | 2022-2023 | $0 | $264 |
| 2023-2024 | $0 | $290 | |
| 2024-2025 | - | $319 | |
| Graduate | 2022-2023 | - | $264 |
| 2023-2024 | - | $273 | |
| 2024-2025 | - | $282 |
Cost of Attendance with Living Costs and Books & Supplies
The living costs including for room, board, transpiration, and other personal expenses is $20,157 for year 2024. The on-campus living costs increased by 7.83% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 12.23% compared to the previous year.
The Cal Poly's 2024 on-campus COA is $32,321 for state residents and $52,241 for out-of-state students. The off-campus COA is $33,143 for state residents and $53,063 for out-of-state students.
| On-Campus | Off Campus | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition & Fees (In-State) | $11,075 | |
| Tuition & Fees (Out-of-State) | $30,995 | |
| Room & Board | $17,220 | $18,042 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,937 | $2,937 |
| Books & Supplies | $1,089 | |
| COA (In-State) | $32,321 | $33,143 |
| COA (Out-of-State) | $52,241 | $53,063 |
Data source: IPEDS (integrated Postsecondary Education Dta System)
Updated with 2023-2024 tuition (Last update: 03/01/2024)
Cost estimates for 2024-2025 are based on last year's rate of change.
Cal Poly Tuition Charts
The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at Cal Poly. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.
4-Years Costs of Attendance
How Much is the tuition for 4 years at Cal Poly?
For the entering class 2024, the estimated tuition for 4 years at Cal Poly is $46,868 for California residents and $137,059 for out-of-state students.
The estimation excludes the book, supplies, and living costs before receiving any financial aid. See the other tabs for estimating 4-year total costs of attendance and after financial aid. The next table shows the estimated 4-years tuition & fees for the next 5 admission years. The estimation is based on 4-years changes in tuition & fees at the school.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2028 (Entering Fall 2024) | In-State | $11,326 | $11,583 | $11,845 | $12,114 | $46,868 |
| Out-of-State | $32,251 | $33,558 | $34,918 | $36,333 | $137,059 | |
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $11,583 | $11,845 | $12,114 | $12,388 | $47,930 |
| Out-of-State | $33,558 | $34,918 | $36,333 | $37,805 | $142,613 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $11,845 | $12,114 | $12,388 | $12,669 | $49,016 |
| Out-of-State | $34,918 | $36,333 | $37,805 | $39,337 | $148,392 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $12,114 | $12,388 | $12,669 | $12,956 | $50,127 |
| Out-of-State | $36,333 | $37,805 | $39,337 | $40,931 | $154,406 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $12,388 | $12,669 | $12,956 | $13,250 | $51,263 |
| Out-of-State | $37,805 | $39,337 | $40,931 | $42,590 | $160,663 |
COA including Books, Living Costs and Personal Expenses
The table shows the 4-years estimation of total costs of attendance (COA). It includes the tuition & fees, books & supplies costs, room & board charges, and other living expenses.
For the students who were admitted in Fall 2024, the estimated 4-years COA is $138,223 for California residents and $228,415 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2028 (Entering Fall 2024) | In-State | $33,191 | $34,084 | $34,947 | $35,833 | $138,223 |
| Out-of-State | $54,116 | $56,059 | $58,075 | $60,165 | $228,415 | |
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $34,084 | $35,002 | $35,888 | $36,798 | $141,948 |
| Out-of-State | $56,059 | $58,075 | $60,165 | $62,333 | $236,632 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $35,002 | $35,946 | $36,856 | $37,789 | $145,776 |
| Out-of-State | $58,075 | $60,165 | $62,333 | $64,580 | $245,153 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $35,946 | $36,916 | $37,850 | $38,808 | $149,711 |
| Out-of-State | $60,165 | $62,333 | $64,580 | $66,912 | $253,990 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $36,916 | $37,912 | $38,871 | $39,855 | $153,755 |
| Out-of-State | $62,333 | $64,580 | $66,912 | $69,330 | $263,155 |
Actual COA after Receiving Financial Aid
Last year, 50% of enrolled undergraduate students have received grants or scholarship aid. It includes any financial aid from the federal government, state, local, institute, and other sources known by the institution. It excludes federal/private student loans.
After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $106,811 for California residents and $197,003 for out-of-state students.
| Residency | Freshmen | Sophomore | Junior | Senior | 4 Years Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class of 2028 (Entering Fall 2024) | In-State | $25,338 | $26,231 | $27,094 | $27,980 | $106,811 |
| Out-of-State | $46,263 | $48,206 | $50,222 | $52,312 | $197,003 | |
| Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025) | In-State | $26,231 | $27,149 | $28,035 | $28,945 | $110,536 |
| Out-of-State | $48,206 | $50,222 | $52,312 | $54,480 | $205,220 | |
| Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026) | In-State | $27,149 | $28,093 | $29,003 | $29,936 | $114,364 |
| Out-of-State | $50,222 | $52,312 | $54,480 | $56,727 | $213,741 | |
| Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027) | In-State | $28,093 | $29,063 | $29,997 | $30,955 | $118,299 |
| Out-of-State | $52,312 | $54,480 | $56,727 | $59,059 | $222,578 | |
| Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028) | In-State | $29,063 | $30,059 | $31,018 | $32,002 | $122,343 |
| Out-of-State | $54,480 | $56,727 | $59,059 | $61,477 | $231,743 |
Compare Tuition with Similar Colleges
The following table compares tuition & fees between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and its similar schools. The similar schools are based on academic factors such as school type, level, and rivalry schools.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $11,075 | $30,995 |
| University of Hawaii at Manoa | $12,186 | $34,218 |
| University of California-Irvine | $14,237 | $45,014 |
| California State University-Fullerton | $7,073 | $18,953 |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | $14,965 | $45,742 |
| University of California-Davis | $15,247 | $46,024 |
College Cost Explorer
The following tool gives a comprehensice way to explore tuition and other college expenses year by year. It provides the past 5 years' colleges costs so that you can check increase rate and estimate future year cost. In addition, financial aid data including grant, scholarship, and federal student loans is also available for the past five years. Use the left menu to explore the tuition and college cost at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo 2024 Costs of Attendance
| In-State | Out-of-State | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tuition & fees | Book & Supplies | Living Costs | Tuition & Fees | Book & Supplies | Living Costs | |
| Undergraduate | $11,075 | $1,089 | $20,157 | $30,995 | $1,089 | $20,157 |
| Graduate | $12,509 | $1,089 | $20,157 | $22,013 | $1,089 | $20,157 |