Cal Poly vs Dartmouth

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and Dartmouth College stand as two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique educational experiences. Cal Poly, a public polytechnic university, boasts an acceptance rate of 31%, while Dartmouth, a private Ivy League research university, maintains a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 8%. Cal Poly's student body is predominantly composed of California residents, reflecting its strong regional ties, while Dartmouth attracts a diverse student population from across the nation and the world. Both universities excel in different academic areas; Cal Poly is renowned for its engineering, agriculture, and business programs, while Dartmouth is known for its strengths in the liberal arts, social sciences, and engineering. With Cal Poly's focus on hands-on learning and Dartmouth's emphasis on critical thinking and intellectual exploration, prospective students are encouraged to explore the detailed comparison table to discover which institution best aligns with their academic aspirations and personal preferences.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo logo

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Dartmouth College logo

Dartmouth College

Overview

Location San Luis Obispo, California Hanover, New Hampshire
Campus setting Suburb: Small Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 95.0% 98.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 33.0% 6.2%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $80

Graduate: $50
SAT range N/A 1440 - 1560
ACT range N/A 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 47.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0%
Total number of applicants 54,570 28,356
Total number of admissions given out 18,008 1,750
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,884 1,221
Yield rate 27.1% 69.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $29,680

Out of state: $47,590
$81,501
Average net price $20,708 $24,078
Tuition
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
$58,953
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,642

Meal plan: $6,138
Room/dormitory: $10,569

Meal plan: $6,792
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

55.0%
Average amount $5,988
48.0%
Average amount $56,106
Students receiving federal student loan 24.0%
Average amount $5,023
20.0%
Average amount $5,066
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $22,714
37.0%
Average amount $5,335

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 21,128
Men 51.2% Women 48.8%
4,556
Men 50.7% Women 49.3%
Graduate students 1,103
Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
2,205
Men 50.4% Women 49.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 20.6% 97.3%
International students 2.3% 17.0%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Small Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 8,147 3,733
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Washington Colorado Oregon Texas California New York Mississippi New Jersey Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Architecture
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 21:1 7:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 85.4% 93.6%
Dropout rate 12.5% 4.9%
Transferred out 1.2% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,197
  • Year 2: $120,462
  • Year 3: $143,849
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,015
  • Year 2: $101,964
  • Year 3: $116,606
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,493
  • Year 2: $93,964
  • Year 3: $106,798
Fire Protection (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $103,907
Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,656
  • Year 2: $82,780
  • Year 3: $96,152
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $72,643
  • Year 2: $73,562
  • Year 3: $90,242
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,873
  • Year 2: $78,971
  • Year 3: $90,194
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,220
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $89,378
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,920
  • Year 2: $70,886
  • Year 3: $87,984
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $79,454
  • Year 2: $79,647
  • Year 3: $87,345
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $160,724
  • Year 2: $167,295
  • Year 3: $180,970
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,259
  • Year 2: $113,015
  • Year 3: $128,856
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,069
  • Year 2: $87,604
  • Year 3: $98,252
Public Health (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $77,715
  • Year 3: $88,684
Engineering Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,341
  • Year 2: $78,343
  • Year 3: $81,883
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,277
  • Year 2: $64,990
  • Year 3: $81,813
Area Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,302
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $80,946
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,095
  • Year 2: $62,192
  • Year 3: $75,463
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,013
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $71,100
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,996
  • Year 2: $61,728
  • Year 3: $70,914

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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