Cal Poly SAT Scores and GPA

What are Cal Poly's average SAT scores and GPA? In this guide, we'll discuss what scores are needed for you to get admitted into Cal Poly. You'll also get to calculate your own chances with our admissions calculator.

Location: San Luis Obispo, CA

This school is also known as: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly Admissions Statistics

There are three critical numbers when considering your admissions chances: SAT scores, GPA, and acceptance rate. All these combine to tell you what you scores are required to get into California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Average SAT: 1335

The average SAT score composite at Cal Poly is a 1335.

Cal Poly SAT Score Analysis

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1260, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1450.

In other words, a 1260 places you below average, while a 1450 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Cal Poly, but they really want to see at least a 1260 to have a chance at being considered.

Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:

Section	Average	25th Percentile	75th Percentile
Math	675	620	750
Reading + Writing	660	620	720
Composite	1335	1260	1450

Average GPA: 4

The average GPA at Cal Poly is 4. This makes Cal Poly Extremely Competitive for GPAs.

(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.

With a GPA of 4, Cal Poly requires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. You should also have taken plenty of AP or IB classes to show your ability to excel in academic challenge.

If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 4, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics. This will help you compete effectively with other applicants.

Admissions Rate: 30.3%

The acceptance rate at Cal Poly is 30.3%. In other words, of 100 students who apply, 30 are admitted.

This means the school is quite selective. If you have strong academic scores, you have a great shot at getting in.

Final Admissions Verdict

Because this school is quite selective, strong academic scores are critical to improving your chances of admission. If you're able to score a 1450 SAT or above, you'll have a very strong chance at getting in. But if you get a 1260 SAT or below, it'll be a steep uphill battle for you to get admitted.

Admissions Calculator

Other Schools For You

If you're interested in Cal Poly, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to Cal Poly.

Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into

These schools are have higher average SAT scores than Cal Poly. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	1435	33
University of California, Berkeley	Berkeley, CA	1415	31
University of California, Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	1405	31
Stony Brook University	Stony Brook, NY	1396	31
Villanova University	Villanova, PA	1395	33
University of Miami	Coral Gables, FL	1384	31
Binghamton University	Binghamton, NY	1375	31

Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into

If you're competitive for Cal Poly, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of California, Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, CA	1355	29
University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	1355	30
Rochester Institute of Technology	Rochester, NY	1352	31
University of Washington	Seattle, WA	1340	30
United States Military Academy	West Point, NY	1331	30
American University	Washington, DC	1329	30
University of Connecticut	Storrs, CT	1315	29

Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into

If you're currently competitive for Cal Poly, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If Cal Poly is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.

School Name	Location	SAT Avg	ACT Avg
University of Texas at Dallas	Richardson, TX	1291	28
Drexel University	Philadelphia, PA	1290	28
Penn State University Park	University Park, PA	1265	28
Hofstra University	Hempstead, NY	1246	27
Temple University	Philadelphia, PA	1241	28
University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, AL	1225	26
University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, OH	1223	26

Data on this page is sourced from Peterson's Databases © 2023 (Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.) as well as additional publicly available sources.