Paying for Cal Poly
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$28,229 ($10,319)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$21,257 ($11,753)
On-campus Living Costs
$18,693
Off-campus Living Costs
$18,693
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$265
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$266
The 2023 tuition & fees of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are $10,319 for California residents and $28,229 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $11,753 for California residents and $21,257 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 $24,767.
The average living cost of the school is $18,693 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $18,693.
*Data Source: 2022-2023 Tuition & Fees - National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
2023 Tuition and Comparison Chart
2023 Tuition & fees
The 2023 undergraduate tuition & fees at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are $10,319 for California residents and $28,229 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 0.44% from last year.
The 2023 graduate tuition & fees are $11,753 for California residents and $21,257 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 0.59% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2023 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Residents | Out-of-State | California Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 2019 | $9,816 | $21,696 | $11,250 | $20,754 |
| 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 |
2023 Living Costs
The 2023 average on-campus living costs is $18,693 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 $18,693.
The living cost at the school has increased by 0.63% 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 | |
| 2019 | $13,770 | $2,775 | $13,770 | $2,775 |
| 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 |
2023 Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2023 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $906 at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. The books & supplies cost has decreased by 1.00% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2023 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $1,941 |
| 2020 | $1,941 |
| 2021 | $888 |
| 2022 | $909 |
| 2023 | $906 |
2023 Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2023 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $265 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 0.38% from last year.
The 2023 graduate tuition per credit hour is $266 on average. The graduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 0.76% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2023 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $264 | $264 |
| 2020 | $264 | $264 |
| 2021 | $264 | $264 |
| 2022 | $264 | $264 |
| 2023 | $265 | $266 |