Paying for Cal Poly
Undergraduate Tuition & Fees
$33,230 ($12,161)
Graduate Tuition & Fees
$23,765 ($13,685)
On-campus Living Costs
$21,861
Off-campus Living Costs
$23,097
Undergraduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$280
Graduate Tuition per Credit Hour
$280
The 2025 tuition & fees of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are $12,161 for California residents and $33,230 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $13,685 for California residents and $23,765 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 $26,738.
The average living cost of the school is $21,861 when a student lives in on-campus housing. When a student lives off-campus, the average living cost is $23,097.
*Data Source: 2024-2025 Tuition & Fees - NCES (Last Update: 6/05/2025)
2025 Tuition and Comparison Chart
The following chart visualizes the Cal Poly's 2025 tuition & fees and compares to similar schools by school type, level, and location.
2025 Tuition & fees
The 2025 undergraduate tuition & fees at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo are $12,161 for California residents and $33,230 for out-of-state students. The undergraduate tuition & fees have increased by 7.21% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition & fees are $13,685 for California residents and $23,765 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition & fees have increased by 7.96% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition & fees and the tuition trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Residents | Out-of-State | California Residents | Out-of-State | |
| 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 |
| 2024 | $11,075 | $30,995 | $12,509 | $22,013 |
| 2025 | $12,161 | $33,230 | $13,685 | $23,765 |
Living Costs
The 2025 average on-campus living costs is $21,861 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 $23,097.
The living cost at the school has increased by 8.45% 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 | |
| 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 |
| 2024 | $17,220 | $2,937 | $18,042 | $2,937 |
| 2025 | $18,792 | $3,069 | $19,155 | $3,942 |
Books & Supplies Costs Trends Chart
The 2025 average cost for purchasing books & supplies is $1,119 at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. The books & supplies cost has increased by 2.75% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 books & supplies costs and the trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Books & Supplies Costs |
|---|---|
| 2021 | $888 |
| 2022 | $909 |
| 2023 | $906 |
| 2024 | $1,089 |
| 2025 | $1,119 |
Tuition Per Credit Hour
The 2025 undergraduate tuition per credit hour at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is $280 on average over undergraduate programs. The undergraduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 6.06% from last year.
The 2025 graduate tuition per credit hour is $280 on average. The graduate tuition per credit hour has increased by 6.06% from last year.
The following table and chart show the 2025 tuition per credit hour and its trends over the last 5 years.
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $264 | $264 |
| 2022 | $264 | $264 |
| 2023 | $264 | $264 |
| 2024 | $264 | $264 |
| 2025 | $280 | $280 |