California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly SLO is on a 6,000-acre campus in the suburban setting of San Luis Obispo, California.

Cal Poly SLO Student Activities

There are many activities and organizations for Cal Poly SLO students to join – including band, chorus, theater groups, a campus newspaper, a radio station and more.

Interested in Greek life? Cal Poly SLO has fraternities and sororities.

Cal Poly SLO Housing

This table offers information on housing at Cal Poly SLO.

Cal Poly SLO offers housing for students. Students are required to live on campus through freshman year. First year students are given no special consideration for on-campus housing.

Most Cal Poly SLO students live off campus. In 2022, 38% of undergrads at Cal Poly SLO lived in some kind of on-campus housing and 62% of students lived off-campus or commuted to Cal Poly SLO. First year students are allowed to park a car on campus.

Cal Poly SLO offers coed housing and housing for students with disabilities.

Cal Poly SLO Athletics

At Cal Poly SLO there are a variety of athletic options for students interested in joining a sports program.

Intercollegiate sports are the highest tier of college sports and can be very competitive. Intercollegiate teams are regulated by the NCAA, funded by the university, and compete against teams from other universities. The division of a sports team depends on the size of the university, funding, and competition level. An intercollegiate school team will be Division I, II or III, with Division I being the highest level.

Club sports are not regulated by the NCAA and are a great option for students not interested in trying out for an intercollegiate team. Club sports are usually student run but can also be funded by the university.

Intramural sports are the most casual and informal. Intramural sports are often free and require very little time commitment.

Let's take a look at the athletic options available at Cal Poly SLO:

Is Cal Poly SLO Safe?

College is like a home away from home. Whether you're walking to class or coming back from late-night studying (or partying!), it's important to feel safe on campus.

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is patroled 24 hours a day by trained security. The Cal Poly SLO campus has emergency telephones or alarms for students to use anytime of day or night. The school also has student security patrols.

Cal Poly SLO offers late-night transportation or safety escorts for students.

Plan a Visit to Cal Poly SLO

Visiting colleges is one of the best ways to get a sense of the campus and student body. If you'd like to visit Cal Poly SLO, take U.S. Highway 101 to San Luis Obispo, CA. If you need to fly, book your flight to San Luis Obispo County Regional airport.

While you're planning, check out other schools in California you may want to visit too. Click the heart at the top of each school's page to save it to your college list.

Want to visit but can't make the trip? Explore Cal Poly SLO's campus without leaving home by taking a virtual campus tour

Keep Reading About Cal Poly SLO

Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.

Overview

Admissions

Academics

Tuition & Aid

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