95 More than 22,000 students, nationally-renown courses of study and the top-ranked public master’s university in the western United States ... all 11 miles from the Pacific Ocean.
This is Cal Poly Located in the central California coastal town of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly comprises one of 23 campuses in the California State University, the nation’s largest four-year undergraduate university system. Each CSU campus is given considerable freedom to develop its programs and each institution boasts its own qualities and strengths. Cal Poly’s Learn by Doing principle of instruction prepares undergraduates for careers in applied technical and professional fields. From computers to crops, Cal Poly holds that the best preparation for any endeavor is derived through practical application. This ideal has set Cal Poly apart from other schools and been the school’s driving philosophy since its 1901 founding. Courses at Cal Poly emphasize a high proportion of lab work, fieldwork and special assignments, culminating with a senior project. Unique on-campus opportunities – such as an organic farm and a student-run daily newspaper and majors of study ranging from aerospace engineering to wine and viticulture – make hands-on learning a daily reality at Cal Poly. In total, Cal Poly confers bachelor's degrees in 66 separate areas of study (37 master’s programs). Nine of those degrees are exclusive to the San Luis Obispo campus (see next page). For 28 consecutive years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked Cal Poly as the top public master’s university in the western U.S. The publication also ranked Cal Poly’s computer and civil engineering programs No. 2 nationwide, College of Engineering as No. 7 and aerospace, electrical and mechanical engineering each No. 3. On-campus activities are headquartered at the renown University Union and Cal Poly’s student-run activities have earned enviable reputations across the nation. Week of Welcome offers first-quarter students a successful introduction to the collegiate experience through a team of trained student leaders and university officials, all of whom provide academic and social resources, encourage awareness and promote relationships with the campus and Central Coast community. Athletically, Cal Poly boasts one of the most successful Division I programs for an insti-
tution of its size. During the 2018-19 academic year, the athletics department – which sponsors 21 varsity programs – saw the men’s and women’s cross country and women’s volleyball and beach volleyball teams advance to the NCAA regionals and capture Big West titles as well. Katie Izzo and Miranda Daschian qualified for the NCAA Championships in cross country and joined Abibat Rahman-Davies and Brooke Tjerrild in track and field’s NCAA West Preliminary Round. Tom Lane qualified in the NCAA Wrestling Championship for the second time. Joe Protheroe and Dominic Frasch (football) along with Crissy Jones and Tia Miric (beach volleyball) earned All-America honors along with sisters Torrey and Adlee Van Winden (indoor volleyball). Pitcher Bobby Ay (ninth round, Arizona) was selected in the MLB Draft in June 2019. Named Big West athletes of the year were Daschian (women’s cross country), Jake Ritter (men’s cross country), Jones and Miric (beach volleyball) and Torrey Van Winden (indoor volleyball). As testament to Cal Poly’s athletics and academic integrity, 117 Mustangs collected conference all-academic praise during the 2019-20 school year. The Cal Poly Athletics Department also finished sixth in the 2018-19 Big West Commissioner’s Cup, an award presented to the institution with the best overall results in the conference’s 18 sponsored sports, and 10 squads posted perfect Academic Progress Rate scores during the 2018-19 academic year. Six Mustang teams posted the best scores in the conference in their sport. Internationally, Cal Poly was represented at the 2008 Summer Olympics by former Mustangs Sharon Day (United States, high jump), Jimmy Van Ostrand (Canada, baseball) and Stephanie Brown Trafton, whose gold medal for the United States in the discus competition was the first such feat by a Mustang athlete. Day (heptathlon) and Brown Trafton (discus) also qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Wrestler Boris Novachkov qualified for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro in 65-kilogram (143pound) freestyle competition.
THE CAL POLY BREAKDOWN • Affiliation: Member of the 23-campus California State University, the largest four-year public university system within the United States • Location: San Luis Obispo, approximately 220 miles south of San Francisco and 200 miles north of Los Angeles • Terms: Four 11-week quarters per year • Student Body (Fall 2019 Quarter): 21,242 • Faculty: 1,244, with a 19-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio • Accredited and Recognized Programs: 24 • Estimated 2017-18 Annual Fee Average for Students (California Residents): Undergraduates – $9,432; Graduate – $9,432 • Out-of-State Tuition and Fees (2017-18): $21,312 • Room and Board (2017-18): $13,115 per year • Other Fees (Books, Supplies, Transportation. etc.): $4,566 per year
BEST IN THE WEST
CAL POLY AN ACADEMIC DYNASTY 28 YEARS IN THE MAKING For the 28th straight year, Cal Poly was named the best public, master’s-level university in the West by U.S. News & World Report’s annual America’s Best Colleges guidebook. The 2021 guide provides data on more than 1,800 colleges and universities and rankings for more than 1,400 institutions. It lists Cal Poly in third overall in the West — up one from last year and an improvement of nine spots from 2019’s rankings. In addition, several College of Engineering programs were ranked as the best in the nation among public educational institutions, and Cal Poly was ranked as the top western school for veterans among public and private institutions that participate in federal initiatives helping veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees. “For more than a generation, we have taken pride in being recognized as one of the best universities in the nation,” said university President Jeffrey D. Armstrong. “Our goal is to produce the next generation of industry innovators and future leaders who, through Learn by Doing, graduate ready to contribute in their careers from Day One. These rankings also positively reflect on our talented and dedicated faculty and staff who devote themselves to helping students thrive and succeed in life.”
Within individual areas of study, U.S. News and World Report ranked Cal Poly’s College of Engineering No. 8 among public engineering programs for schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s (Cal Poly was bested only by the United States Military Academy and Air Force Academy). A number of College of Engineering programs ranked high in the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs in their individual specialty categories. The university’s industrial/manufacturing program was ranked No. 1; aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical engineering, computer engineering, civil engineering and electrical/electronic/communications all ranked No. 2; mechanical engineering and biomedical engineering ranked at No. 3.
The College of Engineering plaza, located on the northwest corner of the Cal Poly campus.
Athletics and Academic Excellence • www.gopoly.com