Cal Poly Pomona: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona is a public university with an acceptance rate of 55%. Cal Poly Pomona's 1,438-acre campus sits on the eastern edge of Los Angeles Country. The school is one of the 23 universities that make up the California State University system, and it frequently ranks as one of the country's top undergraduate engineering colleges. Cal Poly Pomona is made up of eight academic colleges with business and engineering being the most popular programs among undergraduates. The guiding principle of Cal Poly Pomona's curriculum is that students learn by doing, and the university emphasizes problem solving, student research, internships, and service learning. With over 300 clubs and organizations, students at Cal Poly Pomona are highly engaged in campus life. In athletics, the Broncos compete at the NCAA Division II level in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

Considering applying to Cal Poly Pomona? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Cal Poly Pomona had an acceptance rate of 55%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 55 students were admitted, making Cal Poly Pomona's admissions process somewhat competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Cal Poly Pomona requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 91% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Cal Poly Pomona's admitted students fall within the top 35% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Cal Poly Pomona scored between 510 and 620, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 620. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 510 and 640, while 25% scored below 510 and 25% scored above 640. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1260 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Cal Poly Pomona.

Read More

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

By Allen Grove

Requirements

Cal Poly Pomona does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that Cal Poly Pomona will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. SAT Subject test scores are not required, but if the score meets a benchmark, it may be used to fulfill certain core course requirements.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Cal Poly Pomona requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 25% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Cal Poly Pomona's admitted students fall within the bottom 46% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Cal Poly Pomona received a composite ACT score between 19 and 27, while 25% scored above 27 and 25% scored below 19.

Requirements

Note that Cal Poly Pomona does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Cal Poly Pomona does not require the optional ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA for Cal Poly Pomona's incoming freshmen class was 3.83. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Cal Poly Pomona have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Cal Poly Pomona. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Cal Poly Pomona, which accepts over half of applicants, has a somewhat selective admissions process. In the graph above, the green and blue dots represent accepted students. The majority of students who got in had GPAs of 3.0 or higher, SAT scores (ERW+M) of 1000 or higher, and ACT scores of 20 or higher. However, note that there are some red dots (rejected students) hidden behind the blue and green. Some students with grades and test scores on target for Cal Poly Pomona still get rejected.

What makes the difference between an acceptance and a rejection? Unlike the University of California System, the California State University admission process is not holistic. Except for EOP (Educational Opportunity Program) students, applicants do not need to submit letters of recommendation or an application essay, and extracurricular involvement is not part of the standard application. Instead admissions is based primarily on GPA and test scores. Minimum high school course requirements include two years of history and social science, four years of college prep English, three years of math, two years of laboratory science, one year of visual or performing arts, and one year of a college preparatory elective. The reasons why an applicant with adequate scores and grades would be rejected tends to come down to factors such as insufficient college preparatory classes, high school classes that weren't challenging, or an incomplete application.

Be aware that California State Polytechnic University, Pomona designates some majors as impacted because it receive more applications than can be accommodated. For those majors, there may be additional criteria that must be met for eligibility. Cal Poly Pomona recommends that you meet with an admission counselor to help you select a major and understand the admission process and requirements during high school. They can help you map out the best courses to take to fulfill the admissions requirements. Your school's career center or college guidance office can find out when they may be visiting your area, or you can meet with them at Cal Poly Pomona.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Undergraduate Admissions Office.