Learn by Doing

6:00 AM - DIVE IN

Scientific diving students make a splash in the Pacific Ocean as the sun comes up.

11:00 AM - LEARNING TAKES ROOT

Students examine this season's harvest at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center.

2:00 PM - BUILDING THE FUTURE

The architecture studios buzz with activity as students draw, dream, and draft the structures of tomorrow.

8:00 PM - PREPARE FOR LAUNCH

Students test vital satellite components out in the field and the CubeSat lab.

6:00 AM - DIVE IN

Scientific diving students make a splash in the Pacific Ocean as the sun comes up.

11:00 AM - LEARNING TAKES ROOT

Students examine this season's harvest at the Cal Poly Strawberry Center.

2:00 PM - BUILDING THE FUTURE

The architecture studios buzz with activity as students draw, dream, and draft the structures of tomorrow.

8:00 PM - PREPARE FOR LAUNCH

Students test vital satellite components out in the field and the CubeSat lab.

6:00 AM
11:00 AM
2:00 PM
8:00 PM
6:00 AM
11:00 AM
2:00 PM
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Here, Everyone Majors in Doing.

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.

YOU LEARN FASTER WHEN YOU LEARN BY DOING. SIGN UP TO GET STARTED.

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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 33 years

Money Magazine's

5-star ranking

for Best Colleges in America

Build the Next Breakthrough

Every groundbreaking moment begins with an idea. Cal Poly students receive the support and guidance to transform dreams into discoveries, and go on to shape industries and communities.

From Cal Poly to the Cosmos

Victor Glover's path from learning in Cal Poly classrooms to piloting NASA's Artemis spacecraft is proof that hands-on experience can launch extraordinary missions.

See How

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.

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Immerse Yourself

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

Experience Campus
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Gear Up For Success

Approximately 91% of our students are employed or enrolled in graduate school within a year of graduation.

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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.

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Learn in real life

Experience is our kind of education.

Real work can be messy. Ideas evolve. Designs improve. Experiments lead to discoveries. That's why Cal Poly students spend less time watching and more time doing, gaining hands-on experience across more than 150 academic programs before they graduate.

Start Doing

What's possible when you Learn By Doing?

The Cal Poly community is changing the world—and how we thrive in it. Catch up with our latest and greatest breakthroughs, achievements and more.

California Impact

Cal Poly Scientists Look to Ancient Microbes to Discover the Antibiotics of the Future

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Science and Technology

Students Build Cal Poly's First Laser: ‘A Rare and Valuable Skill’

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Environment and Sustainability

Cal Poly Researchers Help Install Third Rattlesnake Research Cam in Pennsylvania

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