Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or San Diego State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly or San Diego State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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USD UCSD Caltech UC Riverside UCSB Cal State Fullerton UCSC Cal State Long Beach San Francisco State ASU UC Davis UW-SeattleCalifornia Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo | San Diego State University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
Location | San Luis Obispo, CA | San Diego, CA | ||
Setting | Small Suburban | Large City | ||
Enrollment | 22,000 | 37,402 | ||
Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
National Ranking | #155 | #337 | ||
Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
Website | calpoly.edu | sdsu.edu | ||
Team Colors |
Costs |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
Tuition (In State) | $5,742 | $5,742 | ||
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Tuition (Out of State) | $17,622 | $17,622 | ||
Room & Board | $16,449 | $19,714 | ||
Avg Net Price | $19,184 | $13,017 | ||
Avg Grant Aid | $10,065 | $9,934 | ||
% Receiving Grant Aid | 42% | 43% |
Admission |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
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Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
Applied | 58,774 | 77,250 | ||
Admitted | 17,885 | 30,331 | ||
Acceptance Rate | 30.4% | 39.3% | ||
Enrolled % | 28.6% | 21.7% | ||
Avg High School GPA | 4.0 | 3.82 | ||
Typical High School Grades | A/A+ | A- | ||
Admissions Standards | Very High | Challenging | ||
Applicant Competition | High | High | ||
ACT Range | 26/32 | 22/29 | ||
SAT Range | 1220/1410 | 1090/1300 | ||
Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | ||
Application Deadline | Nov 30, 2024 | Nov 30, 2024 |
Academics |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
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Student to Faculty Ratio | 20:1 | 25:1 | ||
Popular Majors |
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Outcomes |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
Graduation Rate | 75% | 66% | ||
Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $69,400 | $53,400 | ||
Making Student Loan Payments | 85% | 65% | ||
Median Student Loan Debt | $18,666 | $15,349 | ||
Median Loan Payment | $193 | $158 |
Diversity |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
% Men | 51% | 42% | ||
% Women | 49% | 58% | ||
Racial Diversity | High | Very High | ||
HBCU | No | No | ||
% White | 57% | 34% | ||
% Black | 1% | 4% | ||
% Hispanic | 16% | 31% | ||
% Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
% Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
% Two or More Races | 7% | 7% | ||
% International | 2% | 6% | ||
% Unknown Race | 5% | 4% |
Students |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
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% In-State | 83% | 77% | ||
% Out-of-State | 16% | 21% | ||
Campus |
Cal Poly | San Diego State | ||
Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
Learn More | Details | Details |
Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or San Diego State?
Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or San Diego State? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between San Diego State or Cal Poly .
Which is better, Cal Poly or San Diego State? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between San Diego State and Cal Poly.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/