Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is often treated as a safer choice than the University of California. By major, that is not always true. In fall 2025, Cal Poly admitted 13% of mechanical engineering applicants and 12% of aerospace engineering applicants, a lower rate than UC San Diego (19%), UC Santa Barbara (21%) or UC Davis (39%) admitted across all of engineering. Cal Poly computer science (27%), on the other hand, admitted a larger share than UC San Diego (20%) or UC Davis (19%).
Fall 2025 freshman admit rates: Cal Poly major vs UC major area
| Cal Poly major | Cal Poly | UC comparison area | Berkeley | UCLA | San Diego | Davis | Irvine | Santa Barbara |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 27% | computer science | 6.5% | 7.3% | 20% | 19% | 28% | 34% |
| Mechanical Engineering | 13% | engineering (all majors) | 7.1% | 6.7% | 19% | 39% | 27% | 21% |
| Aerospace Engineering | 12% | engineering (all majors) | 7.1% | 6.7% | 19% | 39% | 27% | 21% |
| Electrical Engineering | 36% | engineering (all majors) | 7.1% | 6.7% | 19% | 39% | 27% | 21% |
| Business Administration | 27% | business | 4.5% | 8.7% | 21% | 26% | 16% | 42% |
| Architecture | 19% | architecture | 7.7% | — | 31% | 25% | — | — |
| Biology | 25% | life sciences | 16% | 13% | 33% | 50% | 30% | 42% |
Read this before comparing
- Cal Poly rates are by individual major; UC rates are by broad area. UC does not publish freshman admit rates for single majors such as mechanical engineering.
- The two systems count applications differently. CSU includes applications that were withdrawn or never completed, which pulls Cal Poly’s rates down somewhat.
- The applicant pools differ. Many students apply to both, but UC applicants include more out-of-state and international students, and each UC uses its own comprehensive review.
- Grades count differently. Cal Poly uses a 9th–11th grade weighted GPA; UC uses 10th–11th grade a-g courses.
What it means
If you are applying to engineering, treat Cal Poly as a reach for its most popular majors, not a safety. For other majors, Cal Poly can be easier than the most selective UCs: biology admitted 25% at Cal Poly, compared with 13% for life sciences at UCLA and 16% at Berkeley. Check your own major on our Cal Poly page and the UC by-major pages.
Sources: California State University, Applications and Admissions Dashboard by Discipline; University of California, UC Information Center, admissions by discipline; fall 2025. ScoreCalc is independent and not affiliated with the CSU or UC. Admit rates describe past applicants, not any individual student’s chances.
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