Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside

Should I go to California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo or University of California Riverside? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Cal Poly or UC Riverside 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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California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo vs. University of California Riverside comparison
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo University of California Riverside College 3 College 4
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo University of California Riverside
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Overview

Cal Poly UC Riverside
Location San Luis Obispo, CA Riverside, CA
Setting Small Suburban Large City
Enrollment 22,000 26,809
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #155 #272
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website calpoly.edu ucr.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Cal Poly UC Riverside
Tuition (In State) $5,742 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $17,622 $41,636
Room & Board $16,449 $17,333
Avg Net Price $19,184 $14,487
Avg Grant Aid $10,065 $22,042
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 75%

Admission

Cal Poly UC Riverside
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 58,774 54,683
Admitted 17,885 37,563
Acceptance Rate 30.4% 68.7%
Enrolled % 28.6% 14.8%
Avg High School GPA 4.0 3.84
Typical High School Grades A/A+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition High Low
ACT Range 26/32 22/31
SAT Range 1220/1410 1080/1280
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 UC Riverside
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 24:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (24%)
  • Business (15%)
  • Agriculture (15%)
  • Architecture (8%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)

Outcomes

Cal Poly UC Riverside
Graduation Rate 75% 67%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $69,400 $52,200
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 65%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,666 $19,109
Median Loan Payment $193 $197

Diversity

Cal Poly UC Riverside
% Men 51% 49%
% Women 49% 51%
Racial Diversity High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 57% 13%
% Black 1% 4%
% Hispanic 16% 36%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 7% 4%
% International 2% 4%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

Cal Poly UC Riverside
% In-State 83% 94%
% Out-of-State 16% 2%

Campus

Cal Poly UC Riverside
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

Comparable Facts

  • University of California Riverside is larger than than Cal Poly based on total student enrollment (26,809 students vs. 22,000 students)

Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Cal Poly or UC Riverside?

  • University of California Riverside is 101.4% more expensive to attend than Cal Poly for in-state tuition ($11,564.00 vs. $5,742.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 136.3% higher at UC Riverside than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($41,636.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than Cal Poly ($14,487 vs. $19,184)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo are 5.4% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($16,449 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Riverside than California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (75% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 119% larger than aid received California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo ($22,042 vs. $10,065)

Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Cal Poly or UC Riverside? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UC Riverside or Cal Poly .

  • The average SAT score at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo (1259) is 140 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming Cal Poly students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman Cal Poly students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at UC Riverside (3.84)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than Cal Poly (30.4%)

Cal Poly vs. UC Riverside Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Cal Poly or UC Riverside? 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 UC Riverside and Cal Poly.

  • The graduation rate at Cal Poly is higher than University of California Riverside (75% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn on average $17,200 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($69,400 vs. $52,200)
  • California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo students graduate with a $443 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($18,666 vs. $19,109)
  • Cal Poly graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($193 vs. $197)
  • More Cal Poly graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/