Differences between University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a general overview of the high-level differences between University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) and California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo. The table below summarizes some of the most important statistics around competitiveness, costs, etc.

WARNINGS: Based on net price alone, University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is the cheaper option. However, this sticker price may not adequately represent the difference in living costs between La Jolla and San Luis Obispo. UCSD is in a Mountain and Cal Poly is in a Mountain - sometimes off campus meals and housing costs can dramatically vary between schools

Is University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) or California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Harder to get into? Which school is easier to get into?

If you’re looking at acceptance rate alone, then California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is more difficult to get into. However, each college is looking to fill its incoming class with a variety of students with different strengths, backgrounds, etc.

Therefore, the acceptance rate alone is not a good indicator that California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo is a better school or will be more difficult for you specifically to get into. On the flipside, University of California-San Diego (UC San Diego) is easier to get into based on acceptance rate alone.

You can use the below college admissions predictor to determine your likelihood of acceptance at either school.