California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo Rankings by Salary Score™
Bachelor's
Master's
Salary and Debt by Major at Cal Poly
We calculated a Salary Score for each of Cal Poly's programs by comparing program-specific median alumni earnings to median alumni earnings for the same program across all schools that provide this data. This way, students can compare the relative salary strength of a specific major at Cal Poly to the same major at other schools. A school's overall score by level is based on the school's by-program performance weighted by student enrollment in each program. Data is sourced from the December 2020 release of the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and reflects median alumni debt upon graduation and median alumni earnings in the year after graduation for students who received federal financial aid. Debt and salary numbers are shown rounded to the nearest $10.
Salary Score ™ for Cal Poly Bachelor's Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering | $22,410 | $76,020 | |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $18,390 | $56,190 | |
| Agricultural Engineering | $20,000 | $63,010 | |
| Agricultural Public Services | Not Reported | $41,300 | |
| Agriculture, General | $13,000 | $49,640 | |
| Animal Sciences | $19,330 | $30,370 | |
| Architectural Engineering | $21,000 | $67,320 | |
| Architecture | $24,670 | $56,540 | |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $19,640 | $43,430 | |
| Biology, General | $20,830 | $35,060 | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $16,500 | $71,020 | |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $15,830 | $67,100 | |
| Business/Commerce, General | $18,000 | $60,620 | |
| City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning | $15,270 | $41,570 | |
| Civil Engineering | $19,000 | $72,670 | |
| Communication and Media Studies | $17,500 | $38,720 | |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $19,500 | $109,390 | |
| Computer Engineering | $21,500 | $95,030 | |
| Construction Engineering Technologies | $22,200 | $83,260 | |
| Economics | $19,090 | $47,260 | |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering | $24,000 | $78,810 | |
| English Language and Literature, General | $19,500 | $35,600 | |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | $23,160 | $67,660 | |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $16,410 | $40,900 | |
| Food Science and Technology | $24,000 | $53,780 | |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $16,500 | $28,600 | |
| Forestry | $22,500 | $36,310 | |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $20,420 | $41,890 | |
| Graphic Communications | $18,000 | $53,890 | |
| History | $17,500 | $30,770 | |
| Industrial Engineering | $21,280 | $72,080 | |
| Journalism | $17,100 | $39,370 | |
| Landscape Architecture | $25,150 | $50,270 | |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $20,500 | $44,380 | |
| Manufacturing Engineering | Not Reported | $71,960 | |
| Materials Engineering | $16,500 | $71,020 | |
| Mathematics | $20,000 | $52,110 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | $20,500 | $76,710 | |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Not Reported | $40,470 | |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not Reported | $63,750 | |
| Natural Resources Management and Policy | $15,460 | $31,310 | |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management | $18,330 | $44,930 | |
| Physics | $25,000 | $35,060 | |
| Plant Sciences | $18,000 | $50,140 | |
| Political Science and Government | $18,500 | $32,930 | |
| Psychology, General | $19,000 | $32,390 | |
| Social Sciences, Other | $16,500 | $30,230 | |
| Sociology | $17,000 | $38,290 | |
| Statistics | $20,000 | $48,040 | |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $15,870 | $33,080 | |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $22,000 | $33,280 |
Salary Score ™ for Cal Poly Master's Degrees
| Field of Study | Employment Rate | Median Debt | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | Not Reported | $71,730 | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering | Not Reported | $94,410 | |
| Agriculture, General | Not Reported | $71,580 | |
| Animal Sciences | Not Reported | $84,650 | |
| Biology, General | Not Reported | $57,320 | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Not Reported | $79,470 | |
| Business/Commerce, General | Not Reported | $67,660 | |
| City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning | Not Reported | $67,660 | |
| Civil Engineering | $23,000 | $75,380 | |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Not Reported | $137,610 | |
| Education, General | $20,000 | $51,830 | |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering | Not Reported | $104,750 | |
| Engineering, General | Not Reported | $80,020 | |
| Fire Protection | Not Reported | $93,080 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not Reported | $99,520 | |
| Psychology, General | Not Reported | $51,480 |
Reviews by Program
Most Recent Reviews
While it has been a while since I completed my undergraduate studies - I still can confidently say that Cal Poly's "Learn By Doing" motto prepared me for my career! My career unfolded in a rather unconventional manner - with one opportunity leading me to the next. I took the opportunities, learned by doing and have had a successful career as an educator and am now looking to move into Educational Administration. I loved the Kinesiology coursework and still draw on my experience in the human performance labs... Read More
I completed my bachelor's degree at CP SLO and highly recommend it. Though there are a variety of majors available, the majority seem to be studying Engineering, Architecture or Business. That being said, I think they have an excellent Child Development program and many of my friends from a variety of majors said they thought their education was crucial to their future successes. Personally, I loved the learn by doing motto and think it's helped me put into practice what I learned rather than just knowing... Read More