learn by Doing

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Experience is our kind of education.

At Cal Poly, Learn by Doing isn’t just a saying — it’s our philosophy. Every student, regardless of major, gets the opportunity to get on-the-ground experience, preparing them to excel on campus and in their careers. 

Nothing beats the original

Since 1901, our mission has been to help every Mustang thrive—and it starts the moment they step on campus.

#1 in the west

Most Innovative

U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News & World Report

Best in the West

#1 for 31 years

Money Magazine's

5-star ranking

for Best Colleges in America

Three students working on antennae on a rooftop

Obstacles are inevitable.
so is

overcoming them.

When your education is as hands-on as ours, there’s bound to be a few setbacks. So at Cal Poly, we welcome failure. Experiment didn’t go as planned? Try again. Your hypothesis didn't hold up? Good. Not your best performance? Happens to the best of us. Here, you can always try again. That’s where the real learning happens.

Explore Our Programs

An Education You’ll Value in a Place You’ll Love

A beautiful city to learn in? Check. A degree that will carry you for a lifetime? Double check. At Cal Poly, you’ll love your environment just as much as your education. And oftentimes, they’ll intertwine.

An arial view of the Cal Poly campus

Experience Campus

There's something special about our San Luis Obispo campus, but to really understand it, you have to experience it for yourself.

Students talking at a networking event

Gear Up For Success

Approximately 86% of our students are employed even before graduation.

Two students sitting in an airplane

Get Out There

Internships play a huge role in the Learn by Doing education model. Roughly 95% of students find jobs related to their major.

A community that supportS you.
A degree that prepares you.

Experiential learning thrives in community, which is why we’ve partnered with organizations in our backyard and throughout California.

RESTORING THE DUNES

Environmental science students partnered with the California State Parks and its employees to preserve the ecology of the Oceano Dunes.

Learn More

SUCCESS STARTS WITH ONE STEP

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Be Part of a Community on the Coast

Our students are making changes throughout campus and beyond. Stay up-to-date with our most recent findings, accomplishments and events. 

Anthropology students working in a lab

Society, Arts and Culture

Anthropology Students Work with Artifacts They Excavated — and They’ll Be on Display Soon

Corpse flower in bloom

Environment and Sustainability

Small Stature, Strong Smell: Another Corpse Flower Blooms on Campus

Aerial view of a valley

The Built Environment

Student Revolutionizes the Poly Canyon Experience Through New App