Real costs by school · San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
At California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, families earning $75,000–$110,000 paid an average of $15,786 per year — the published cost of attendance is $32,265. (Federal College Scorecard data, July 2026 refresh.)
| Household income | Avg net price / yr | ≈ four years* |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30k | $7,529 / yr | $31,735 |
| $30–48k | $7,253 / yr | $30,571 |
| $48–75k | $9,896 / yr | $41,712 |
| $75–110k | $15,786 / yr | $66,538 |
| Over $110k | $27,772 / yr | $117,059 |
*Four-year figures grow each year's price by 3.5% — the same method College Compass uses in a family's plan. "Net price" is what families actually paid after grants and scholarships, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education — not a calculator's estimate. Federal reporting groups every income above $110k into one band; families well above it often pay closer to the full cost.
Why the sticker price is a fiction — and what families actually pay →
What are your student's real admit chances? The math, shown →
| Admit rate | 26% in-state · 62% out-of-state — the school's own Common Data Set |
|---|---|
| Merit | 18% of no-need freshmen · avg $4,121 — the school's own Common Data Set |
| Paperwork | no extra essays — school-verified Aug 2026 |
Nine questions, then California Polytechnic State University's odds for your student with the math shown — plus your income band's price and its deadlines. First three schools free.
Run California Polytechnic State University for your student →At $75,000–$110,000 of household income, the distance between California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo's published sticker price and what families in that band actually paid is $16,479 a year — a 51% discount off the number on the brochure. That ranks it 17th lowest of the 24 California schools on this site at that income. Graduates report a median $90,768 10 years out — roughly 1.4× the four-year cost at this income band.
Earnings and completion from federal reporting — not the school's own placement survey.
These are averages. Your family isn't average.
Run California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo against your student's real GPA, your income band, and your actual high school — odds with the math shown, the paperwork it requires, and its deadlines on one plan. First three schools free.
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