Cal Poly Pomona vs. Cal Poly SLO: Which College is Right for You?

What’s Covered:

• A Quick Overview
• A Closer Look
• How to Decide Between Cal Poly Pomona vs. Cal Poly SLO
• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

 

Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly SLO) are two of three polytechnic universities in the California State University system. While both schools feature an academic approach based on learning by doing philosophy, there are a number of differences between the two institutions, from education to experience.

 

Keep reading to learn more about Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly and which one is a better fit for you.

 

Learn more about Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly SLO and see your chances of acceptance.

 

Cal Poly Pomona vs. Cal Poly SLO: A Quick Overview

 

	Cal Poly Pomona	Cal Poly SLO
Location	Pomona, CA	San Luis Obispo, CA
Campus Type	Suburban	Suburban
Undergraduate Enrollment	15,255	21,947
Acceptance Rate	74%	31%
CollegeVine Ranking	#233	#132
Middle 50% SAT	N/A	1240-1420
Middle 50% ACT	N/A	28-33
Sticker Price	$34,828 (resident) $48,148 (non-resident)	$38,607-$39,609 (resident) $60,573-$61,575 (non-resident)
Need-blind, no-loan, or meets 100% demonstrated need	No	Need-blind

 

Cal Poly Pomona vs. Cal Poly SLO: A Closer Look

 

Location and Weather

 

While both schools are in California, there are major differences between their campuses in terms of culture and climate.

 

Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, CA, which is just 30 miles east of Los Angeles. While the campus itself is isolated, Pomona has a population of nearly 150,000 people and is located near campus. Being less than an hour’s drive from Los Angeles, students at Cal Poly Pomona have access to a major metropolitan hub with nearly endless activities to do and sites to see.

 

That being said, Cal Poly Pomona’s campus and surrounding area could be considered lacking in terms of student life, and the school is primarily known as a “commuter school,” signifying most students will either commute to and from class during the day or just go home on the weekends.

 

Cal Poly Pomona students who attend Pomona can also expect a much drier climate year-round, with summers inching close to 100 degrees.

 

Cal Poly SLO, on the other hand, is located far from any major city, basically being perfectly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on California’s central coast. The school is only 10 minutes away from the Pacific Ocean and is located in the sprawling and lively town of San Luis Obispo.

 

Cal Poly has an all-around great reputation, with its natural beauty, restaurant scene, and small-town feel of just under 50,000—many of those being students—it’s no surprise that the city has been nicknamed the “happiest place on Earth” as well as being called “America’s Happiest City” on the Oprah Show. It’s more regarded as a college town, being frequently ranked in lists of the best college cities and towns.

 

Cal Poly’s coastal location offers temperate and generally mild weather throughout the year.

Size

 

Cal Poly Pomona is home to 25,255 undergraduate students and 1,941 graduate students, and maintains a 26:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

 

Cal Poly SLO has 21,947 undergraduates, 895 graduate students, and features a lower 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio.

 

In the end, both schools are primarily focused on undergraduates.

 

Academics

 

Both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly are polytechnic schools, meaning that there is a greater focus on applied learning, or learning that’s more hands-on, than traditional colleges. Consequently, there are a lot of similarities and overlaps between the two schools.

 

Cal Poly Pomona is home to eight schools and colleges:

 

• Don B. Huntley College of Architecture
• College of Business Administration
• College of Education and Integrative Studies
• College of Engineering
• College of Environmental Design
• Collins College of Hospitality Management
• College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
• College of Science

 

Of these schools, Cal Poly Pomona’s undergraduate engineering program is commonly considered among the best in the nation—it’s also notable for its strong environmental design and architecture programs. One standout program is the Collins College of Hospitality Management—CEOWORLD Magazine ranks it as the 10th best hospitality and hotel management school in the world.

 

As you would expect from a college with a reputation as a commuter school, engagement in study abroad is low. While the school offers more than 100 study abroad programs in over 60 countries, only about 1% of students engage in study abroad.

 

Cal Poly SLO shares many of the same programs as Cal Poly Pomona, and is split into six colleges:

 

• College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
• College of Architecture and Environmental Design
• College of Engineering
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Science and Mathematics
• Orfalea College of Business

 

While Cal Poly SLO doesn’t offer as many majors—roughly 60, compared to over 100 at Cal Poly Pomona—Cal Poly SLO’s programs are more prestigious and rigorous. Cal Poly SLO’s engineering, agricultural, and architecture programs all routinely earn high marks.

 

Study abroad is popular at Cal Poly SLO—last year, more than 1,300 students studied in 75 countries. In fact, Cal Poly SLO has one of the highest study abroad percentages (23%) in the CSU system.

 

Housing

 

The housing experiences at Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly SLO are vastly different.

 

Cal Poly Pomona is often referred to as a “commuter school,” meaning that most students choose to drive to and from the school every day rather than living on or around campus. Just 34% of first-time first-year students (and 17% of undergraduates) live on campus in one of the school’s dorms, residential suites, or university apartments.

 

Cal Poly SLO requires all of its first-year students to live on campus—believing it instills a greater sense of community and makes students feel closer to their campus. Some programs even require their students to spend an additional year living on campus:  

 

• College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences students
• College of Architecture & Environmental Design, College of Engineering students
• Student athletes
• Cal Poly Scholars

 

Roughly 40% of Cal Poly SLO undergrads live in the school’s residence halls and apartments.

 

Financial Aid

 

Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly SLO have similar sticker prices; Cal Poly Pomona is $34,828 for in-state students and $48,148 for out-of-state students, while Cal Poly SLO is between $38,607 and $39,609 for in-state students and between $60,573 and $61,575 for out-of-state students, depending on the program.

 

Cal Poly Pomona offers a wide variety of financial aid for its students, with 70% of undergraduates receiving some form of financial aid and 44% of students being Pell Grant recipients.

 

Cal Poly SLO is often more expensive as the school tends to award less financial aid to its students. Just 43% of first-time full-time freshmen and 58% of full-time undergraduates receive financial aid. Of all the California State Universities, Cal Poly SLO enrolls the fewest number of Pell Grant recipients—just 16% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.

 

Sports and Extracurriculars

 

Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly SLO offer a wide variety of extracurricular activities, with both schools having hundreds of student clubs and organizations to join. Many popular student organizations take advantage of California’s weather and pursue adventure in the outdoors.

 

The two schools even jointly host an organization known as the Cal Poly Rose Float, which accepts submissions to design a joint float for the Rose Bowl. The effort has been a tradition since 1949, and the two schools continue to gain recognition for their work, whilst the program serves as a unique and fruitful learning experience for all involved.

 

Overall, the athletics scene at each Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly is vastly different.

 

Cal Poly Pomona is a Division II college. While the school isn’t considered an athletic powerhouse, athletics play an active role in Cal Poly Pomona’s culture. In fact, Cal Poly Pomona is home to a successful athletic program, winning Division II championships.

 

Cal Poly SLO is a Division I school that competes in the Big West Conference in most major sports, with a notable exception being football, in which it competes in the Big Sky Conference.

 

Greek life is found on the campuses of both schools.

 

Cal Poly Pomona has a smaller Greek presence than Cal Poly SLO—it’s home to 25 Greek chapters with a meager 2% of men joining fraternities and 1% of women joining sororities.

 

Cal Poly SLO is home to over 35 Greek chapters. Roughly 3% of men join fraternities and 6% of women join sororities.

 

Culture and Diversity

 

Cal Poly Pomona

 

Ethnicity	Percentage of Student Body
Hispanic/Latino	53%
Asian	22%
White	13%
Two or more races	4%
Black/African American	3%
Unknown	3%
U.S. Nonresident	2%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	< 1
American Indian/Alaskan Native	< 1

Cal Poly SLO

 

Ethnicity	Percentage of Student Body
Hispanic/Latino	20%
Asian	14%
White	53%
Two or more races	8%
Black/African American	1%
Unknown	2%
U.S. Nonresident	2%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	< 1
American Indian/Alaskan Native	< 1

 

Both Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly are generally LGBTQ-friendly, and both have 3.5 out of 5 ratings according to Campus Pride Index, a benchmarking tool for a school’s commitment to LGBTQ students, faculty, and community.

 

How to Decide Between Cal Poly Pomona vs. Cal Poly SLO

 

Cal Poly Pomona is especially strong for students who:

 

• Want to be close to a major city, in this case, the sprawling city of Los Angeles, and all it has to offer.
• Want to commute to class from home, either to save money on housing or to have a full college experience not far away from home.
• Are interested in unique programs such as hospitality, environmental studies, architecture, and more, and hope to learn in a hands-on environment.
• Are price sensitive—the school has a lower sticker price and is more generous in awarding financial aid.
• Prioritize diversity—its student body comes from a more varied ethnic and financial backgrounds.

 

Cal Poly SLO is especially strong for students who:

 

• Want a traditional college experience in a true college town—the San Luis Obispo area has restaurants, shops, and activities galore, all while maintaining a tight sense of community that students love to call home.
• Hope to study abroad at some point over the course of their education, with 23% of students choosing to do so.
• Care about Division I athletics and seeing your school compete in the national spotlight. Cal Poly is represented by the Mustangs each year in the NCAA.
• Hope to live on campus—all first-year students at Cal Poly are required to live in dorms in order to foster community.
• Want a vibrant area around their school—on top of just the surrounding college town, the region surrounding San Luis Obispo is an outdoor-lover’s paradise. Farmer’s markets, hikes, vineyards, and just 10 minutes from the Pacific Ocean, Cal Poly students reap all the benefits of California weather.

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

 

Whichever of these two California State Universities you prefer, understanding your odds of admission at these schools is valuable when building a list of prospective colleges. It’s here CollegeVine can help—our free chancing calculator uses a number of factors (such as grades, test scores, and extracurriculars) to estimate your odds of acceptance into hundreds of schools across the country, including Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly SLO.

 

It can also provide tips to improve your profile, which is particularly useful if you’re locked into attending a specific school.