Cal Poly, SLO Reviews

Good school. Our daughter graduated there. Food Science. Engineering and Agricultural programs are strongest. The campus is to notch. We call it Club Med. The Outrageous extravagence of wealth in our university campuses in this nation is a bit obscene. As the whole racket goes Poly is not too expensive. The party culture can be avoided and there is a presence of religion available in clubs on campus too so your kids can be hooked up with some good influence if they are interested. The best place to see on campus is the Arboretum! It is free and lovely. Take a picnic.

Very prestigious University, engineering program is phenomenal

Lack of support for the students is ridiculous. Students should be allowed to enroll in the classes they need. Cal Poly needs to hire more professors so students can graduate on time. This is an issue that needs to be addressed. An issue, that is long over due.

There is something special about this University. The town, the hills, the trees, the buildings, the students and teachers all combine to give this place a very special feeling.

Haters are gonna Hate.....To be honest, I fell in love with the place by only seeing a few pictures of the campus and the surroundings......but even as i browsed through its course structure and teaching methodology, that love only saw greater heights.....I really wish I got into this school!....I swear, seeing a rejection from them is like the worst feeling of them all.....Great place....an even greater school! Must visit and Apply

Had to pay a $200 fee just to apply for the VISIT programm, made a $300 english test, just to hear that there is a minimum grade requirement I unfortunately not achieve. Never heard of this requirement before.

I think cal poly slo is not so good univ because tuition of it is relatively expensive compared with other csu. I decided not to go to cal poly

I agree with Oprah; San Luis Obispo is the happiest place on earth.

Most of my students who go to this college end up loving their experience.

Amazing university, excellent professors and teaching programs.

California Polytechnic State University (also known as California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, or Cal Poly) is a public university in San Luis Obispo, California. It is one of two polytechnics in the California State University system.

Absolutely beautiful. Everyone is very happy, friendly, and willing to help out. From the students to the staff they are willing to go out of their way to help you.
Some of the housing is older and looks a rundown on the exterior, but the interior is well kept. The campus is compact enough where you can easierly walk from one end to the other, but has enough space that it doesn't feel crowded. Great dining options for dietary needs, gluten free, vegan, and any other allergies.
They are constantly updating and remodeling, taking surveys from students to see what they want on campus. A great place!

Buildings are spread out with rolling hills and the beach nearby.

-Clean campus
-nearby hiking trail has scenic views
-highly rated education amongst other cal state campuses

If you are interested in visiting some of the on campus eats, come on the weekends for free parking. You can get eats at the Campus Market, which stocks Cal-Poly student made goods...or get good fresh Bagels at Einstein Bagel shop. If you have a handicapped placard, you first need to get a day pass for weekdays. There are some other places on campus, like Cal Poly Meats which have their own hours on Sat & Friday. It is located off Hwy #1.

I grew up in SLO and attended Poly as a Liberal Arts major. My father was also a Liberal Arts Professor there. As with any school, it is difficult to get your classes. You must be on the ball, get up early, and get through the process. I did that, and never was delayed by not getting my classes. My friends did the same thing and never had issues. If you procrastinate, don't plan, etc, you will be screwed. Be an adult, take responsibility, you will be fine. Excellent town, school, staff, campus, clubs. Love it! My kids will attend as 3rd generation Poly students!

Cal Poly is the bee's knees. Quite possibly the all around best school on the planet. Couldn't have asked for a better place to enjoy my college experience!

Hands-on projects are what make the students from here stand out.

I really do not know how to explain the university that trains an immigrant student enabling her go to Harvard School of Design, in less than 3 years. Outstanding performance for that school

Famous school but buildings are getting old (at least for electrical engineering). There are a lot of teachers in this same department that have no idea on how to teach, and I am quite sure the department has received our reviews, and even so, these teachers are still here.

Parking services what is you dooooinnnn. Great school though.

Good school. Great opportunities for success. Close to the beach. Would be 4 or 5 stars if the WiFi wasn't so awful.

Nice facility
Campus tour went well!

Great place to go to school. Classes are of a reasonable size, professors are great and the surrounding area is a wonderful place to live and explore.

Cal Poly has much to offer..excellent professors, small(er) classes, and reasonable costs. Engineering students are able to begin technical classes in their first year of school, which provides opportunities for summer jobs in the technical field related to their studies. At first I was skeptical because my wife and I are paying out-of-state tuition, but I am now sold!

Great location, near the beaches and the coastline, incredible views, marvelous weather with 300 plus days of sunshine, motivated students in Engineering, Agriculture, Computers, Math, Business, and Architecture fields, very low crime rate, job fairs for qualified students, good overall educational programs for the non-technical student who is not in polytechnic fields, outstanding School of Agriculture, over 50 foreign countries represented on campus, fairly reasonable tuition rates compared to the rest of the nation for a top class university, outstanding public recognition in many majors, low student to teacher ratio, lots of fun locations ( restaurants, bars, San Simeon Hearst Castle, Big Sur, State Parks and Beaches, etc.) for fun and brief visits for a quick local vacation break. Read the other reviews and hear how the other students brag about Cal Poly and it's great overall situation and location, and as a 4 year university education available to the qualified and motivated student.

Excellent university for engineering! Beautiful campus and city. About 10 minutes from the beach. So many beautiful places to hike!

Amazing school and a great attitude towards learning.

Great school with a large campus. I love the culture here because it's near the beach and the town is so education focused. Lots of great nature opportunities like hikes or the beach.

Best public college in CA. Learn by doing philosophy actually prepares students for real world.

Great education and it doesn't kill the pocket book.

The Amtrak Bust Stop has been moved to across the street and is on the side of the Main Street.

Can't compare the quality of the hands-on education anywhere else, and throw in the awesome surroundings-top notch experience.

This is a top notch learning environment with top notch tail.

I ve been buying my tomatoes here for years. They have an excellent selection of very healthy plants. They also provide plant summaries so you can choose wisely for your needs and get nice variety. I always get many colors: purple, yellow, orange, black and red. An especially nice feature is they have plants which do well in our cool climates.

Nice town, nice school. Couldn't pick a better area to spend your college years. Great teachers, and the generally small class sizes contribute to an atmosphere of a very caring university.

Cool campus that blends itself right into the town of slo. I go for the smash club, find slo smash on fb!

As an alum I am very disappointed in the administration and could never reccomend this school. The education is okay, but it is very evident the administration just exists to sap money and happiness from students.

Thank you to the parents who send their friendly, happy, respectful children to CalPoly. For the most part they are good for the town and neighborhoods. I miss them in the summer, and welcome the excitement when they return in the fall. This, of course only applies to the friendly, happy, respectful students!!

good academics, but do not care about or provide enough resources for transfer students

Most of the faculty is apathetic, and the few professors who genuinely care about their students and their subject don't seem to last long. The administration is the worst of any school I've ever been to; they constantly lose records, and never respond to requests in a timely manner. CalPoly also has a history of raising tuition rates AFTER classes have started, and then threatening to kick out students who don't pay the balance. It's basically extortion.
Don't be fooled by the relatively low price tag; it's nearly impossible to get the classes you need to graduate, and they change their graduation requirements every quarter. Expect to be there a minimum of five years for a bachelor's degree, and to be required to take a bunch of classes that turn out to be unnecessary.
AVOID THIS SCHOOL.

Beautiful campus. We always have a pleasant experience every time to visit the campus. From students to staffs are so friendly and courteous.

I challenge you to find a single student with a complaint about their school. The overall experience I've observed turns these kids into leaders and go getters. The positive stigma of achieving a degree at Cal Poly SLO is comparable to any of our nations best universities.

The California Polytechnic State University is a beautiful campus with nice staff. The trails that go off of the campus such as Poly Canyon are gorgeous and fun to hike, bike, or run. On campus activities such as WOW week, the rodeo, and sports games are very fun. The college has a large gymnasium for volleyball, basketball, and other sports which is fun to view games in. Beautiful college

Probably one of the best places in all of California.

Great looking campus and friendly staff. Graduation ceremonies flowed exceptionally well and water bottles were provided. Parking is a tad inadequate and classes are often located across campus and back again. I wonder if a transit system could be implemented to help provide a way for students to get across campus between classes.

Learned By Doing! I want to go back for another degree.

Learn by Doing. Best Architecture on the West Coast. My five years at this school was truly a gainful experience. Poly has Impeccable professors, great peers, and positive learning energy. Everywhere I walked throughout the campus, i just saw students with a big smile on their faces. All my professors are friendly, humble and resourceful. I can't appreciated more for the knowledges i have gained through my poly years. Maybe some would say It is not a big name school, like the ivy leagues or other expensive private funded school, but it is a school that would help you to build your solid foundation for you future.

Best years of my life! Excellent education, professors, peers, and activities. I would not trade this experience or the education I received there for anything. It truly shaped my character and changed my life in the best way. I can not say enough positive things about Cal Poly!

Thanks for the memoir. Met great people here. Friends colleagues etc

Bs fs&n

Great tours! Friendly and knowledgeable staff and students! Beautiful campus located near great hiking and mountain biking trails. 10 minutes from beach. Quaint downtown with a variety of restaurants for everyone's taste buds. We didn't take a tour of dorms, but there are new dorms for freshman. Overall great experience!

I went to Poly for a masters in Electrical Engineering and MBA. First I should point out that it silly to do public ratings for colleges. I can rate a burger joint, because I have been to dozens and everyone goes for the same thing. But colleges? I have attended 3, which is more than most, but I can't reliably compare this place to a UC or Stanford or SDSU. And anyway, the experience/education will be different for each college, for grad vs undergrad vs transfers, for people that want to have fun vs people that want a good career vs people who want to do research....
So anyway, this was exactly the school I wanted. I did all my partying, having fun during and after high school. Then i got a BS in Computer Engineering at a Cal State. This was enough to get job offers in technical fields, even in the recession, but I wanted a deeper understanding of computer hardware, and to learn practical theory that I could take to a really cutting-edge career.
I chose Poly for grad school because all their engineers get tons of hands on education, especially compared to more research focused schools, like many of the UCs. Most Poly EEs you meet has spent countless hours in the lab buying parts, interpreting datasheet specs, doing PCB layout and orders, soldering, testing, debugging, all the hands on stuff that the school is known for. And the other engineer colleges do cool stuff too. The MEs, CS, Aero, and Architecture people all do cool projects that make you think wow i kinda want to change majors, that look cool. So you leave with some cool projects in your portfolio.
Other engineers who went to UCs tell me about the awesome research they got to take part in, and I am a little jealous of them. So that is a tradeoff: You can go to a UC and it will be easier to get your name on a paper. But at Poly you learn how to use the fancy tech to do applications. And at Poly, you aren't taught by a TA or some professor who thinks of classes as a distraction from his research. The professors are there to teach.
Like some of the other reviews from disgruntled liberal arts students say, the focus on campus is really Engineering, Agriculture/Ag business, Architecture. So if you are interested in English, business, or art, you might feel left out. But there are perks for those people: the location is beautiful, the weather is perfect, there is so much to do if you like the outdoors, and if you are into women, then you will find that while all the engineers are in classes with 10% or less female students, and have no night life, you are surrounded by beautiful girls, and you are different from the nerdy, scruffy engineers that keep hitting on them. (Let me point out that the Poly administration, like other schools, is trying to find ways to get more women into engineering. In fact the faculty in EE was around 50% female, so they are making an effort).
I would like to mention that one of the best things that Poly does for its students is that they host a really well attended career fair every quarter. Tons of big tech and engineering companies set up there, making it really easy for students to get a paid internship for a summer, which is the best way to start a career.
So, this is a great school to go to in California to start an awesome career in a field that requires real technical skills, like ag, engineering, coding, or building, and have fun while getting there.
I gave it only 4 stars though, because come on, its not Caltech or MIT. But its awesome nonetheless, and much cheaper.

This school almost never seems to have the students' best interests at heart. This is likely due to poor administration. I am an Electrical Engineering student so it should be known that this is a review from the engineering side of the school. Regardless, they have very few professors who actually do their job well, and they never seem to get rid of the professors who continually get deplorable reviews from the students. The whole "learn by doing" motto is mostly a sham, there isn't really any more hands-on experience provided by the classes than any other technical school (except maybe engineers from Berkeley, who have next to no lab sessions) and the lab teachers are mostly unhelpful anyway. I am a senior now and feel like I have not been able to gain any real practical knowledge yet from any of the labs.

Now as for the School in general, the food is terrible and overpriced, especially for freshman on the meal plan, the department chairs and pretty much anyone in a high authority position have no interest in helping students. If you ever need a question answered or information that you can't just look up online, you'll be stuck calling people for the whole day as they transfer you around and around since no one wants to help you, even though you know they could if they tried. I needed credit transferred from a study abroad program, and they refused to help me since they were too lazy to get in contact with the other university. I needed to get work space for a club, and the department chair just kind of waved me away like I wasn't worth his time. Additionally, I had to miss two days of classes for an internship, and the two of the professors simply never responded when I asked them to make sure it was okay, and since they were lab sessions, and since they were lab TAs who didn't actually have an office, I was just dropped from the two lab sessions because they never bothered to read my email, and when I contacted the department chair, he also simply ignored me.

This school has been a pretty crappy experience overall, and honestly, I would tell any engineer to go somewhere else first.

Currently a junior in highschool and an aspiring engineer, I decided to visit CAl Poly San Luis Obispo the past Spring break and had a great time. I took both a general campus tour and an engineering tour. While the general campus tour was quite a bore, I was mesmerized by the great engineering facilities that were present there. For a once fairly small and not competitive college, I can easily see why it is so more competitive to be accepted for an engineering degree.

Remember when this place was going up.. me and one of my buddies were doing the acoustical ceiling wires just us and the iron workers. Great environment I really miss this place.. GREAT TIMES

This university offers a great education at the expense of raising rents for the locals due to the college not being able to provide housing for the students.

Can only comment on how it was over 20 years ago. The science and engineering side of the school: great. The rest, not so much. Very closed-minded. College is a place to look at things from a variety of perspectives.

Beautiful campus. Amazing scenes. Love the greenery.