Paying for Cal Poly
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$30,995 ($11,075)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$22,013 ($12,509)
On-campus Living Costs
$20,157
Off-campus Living Costs
$20,979
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$264
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$264
The 2024 tuition & fees of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are $11,075 for California residents and $30,995 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $12,509 for California residents and $22,013 for out-of-state students.
Compared to Public, 4-Years Colleges in California, the undergraduate tuition & fees are expensive and the graduate tuition & fees are average.
Compared to similar schools in rankings such as Academy of Art University and California Baptist University, tuition & fees of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is average where the average tuition & fees of the schools are $25,358.
The average living cost of the school is $20,157 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $20,979.
*Data Source: 2023-2024 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 03/01/2024)
2024 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the Cal Poly's 2024 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2024 Tuition & fees
The 2024 undergraduate tuition & fees at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are $11,075 for California residents and $30,995 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 9.80% from last year.
The 2024 graduate tuition & fees are $12,509 for California residents and $22,013 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 3.56% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2024 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Residents | Out-of-State | California Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2020 | $9,943 | $23,833 | $11,377 | $20,881 |
| 2021 | $10,071 | $25,971 | $11,505 | $21,009 |
| 2022 | $10,195 | $28,105 | $11,629 | $21,133 |
| 2023 | $10,319 | $28,229 | $11,753 | $21,257 |
| 2024 | $11,075 | $30,995 | $12,509 | $22,013 |
Living Costs
The 2024 average on-campus living costs is $20,157 including room & board and other living expenses (a student lives in on-campus housing such as dormitory and school-owned apartment). For students living in off-campus housing, the average living cost is $20,979.
The living cost at the school has increased by 7.83% from last year.
The following table and chart show the living costs changes over the last 5 years.
| Year | On-Campus | Off-Campus | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Room & Board | Other Expenses | Room & Board | Other Expenses | |
| 2020 | $14,208 | $2,835 | $14,706 | $2,835 |
| 2021 | $15,694 | $2,190 | $15,694 | $2,190 |
| 2022 | $16,332 | $2,244 | $16,332 | $2,244 |
| 2023 | $16,449 | $2,244 | $16,449 | $2,244 |
| 2024 | $17,220 | $2,937 | $18,042 | $2,937 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2024 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,089 at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. The books & supplies cost has increased by 20.20% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2024 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,941 |
| 2021 | $888 |
| 2022 | $909 |
| 2023 | $906 |
| 2024 | $1,089 |
Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2024 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $264 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour stays same as last year.
The 2024 graduate tuition per credit hour is $264 on average. The graduate tuition per credit hour stays same as last year.
The following table and chart show the 2024 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $264 | $264 |
| 2021 | $264 | $264 |
| 2022 | $264 | $264 |
| 2023 | $264 | $264 |
| 2024 | $264 | $264 |