Impaction

The California State University (CSU) considers Cal Poly impacted at the campus level as well as for all undergraduate programs. This means that we receive more applications from qualified applicants than the number of spaces available.  It also means that meeting the minimum CSU requirements does not guarantee admission to Cal Poly. This includes applicants from local high schools and community colleges.

Cal Poly gives preference in the competitive admission process to local applicants. You are considered local if you graduate(d) from a high school in San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County and southern Monterey County.

All applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to an alternative campus that offers your preferred major.

Impaction Criteria for First-Year Students

Our selection process for first-year students is based on a multivariable selection system that combines academic factors with other objective values to comprehensively review candidates and systematically select them for admission within each major.

Impaction Criteria for Transfers

Our selection process for CSU eligible transfer applicants is based on a multivariable selection strategy that combines academic factors with other objective values to comprehensively review candidates and systematically select them for admission within each major.

Choose Your Major Carefully

It is important to understand that though all majors are impacted, the admission threshold for each major varies, depending on the capacity of the major to take new students, and the number of students applying for that major in that term.

We encourage you to apply for the major in which you intend to earn a degree. Change of major is prohibited after the application change deadline. After you are admitted, we can’t guarantee that you will be able to change your major.

Alternate Majors

As a first-year applicant, you are encouraged to enter an alternate major on the application. If you are not selected to your first choice major, you may be considered in your alternate major if space is available.