How to Apply to Computer Science at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo: Cal State Apply, Admission by Major and Campus-Wide Impaction, with Requirements and Timeline for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is part of the California State University (CSU) system. Undergraduate computer science is the BS in Computer Science in the College of Engineering. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Cal Poly’s website, for students at high schools in China (including A-level and IB students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver) and transfer students.

1. The degree and curriculum

• Degree: BS in Computer Science, accredited by the ABET Computing Accreditation Commission. The 2026-2028 catalog lists 120 total units, including 23 units for the General Curriculum or a concentration and 27 units of general education, plus university requirements such as 40 upper-division units and a 2.0 GPA.
• Major core: Computing Majors Orientation, Fundamentals of Computer Science (with lab), Introduction to Computing, Data Structures (with lab), System Software Mechanics, Introduction to Computer Systems, Modern Application Development, Software Engineering, Introduction to Computer Security, Programming Languages, Algorithms and Complexity, and Introduction to Operating Systems.
• Support courses: Calculus I and II (or Calculus for Data Science I and II), Linear Algebra, Transition to Advanced Mathematics, Engineering Statistics, Ethics, Science and Technology, a chemistry or physics course, a life science course and others.
• Concentrations: students who do not declare one follow the General Curriculum. The catalog lists five concentrations: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Data Engineering, Game Development, Graphics, and Privacy and Security, each at least 23 units. The major page also describes a Computing for Interactive Arts concentration that is not in the catalog list; we report both and the catalog should be treated as authoritative.
• Senior project: completed in the final year, individually or in a team.
• Blended BS/MS: eligible after 20 units of CSC courses beyond CPE 203, with a GPA of at least 3.0.

2. Cal State Apply and impaction

• Application: Cal Poly uses Cal State Apply, the application for all CSU campuses; the fee is US$70 per campus.
• Filing period: 1 October to 30 November 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT); late applications are not accepted. The last day to request changes is 31 January; all applicants are notified by 1 April; you must accept or decline by 1 May.
• Admission by major: you must choose a major, and you compete against applicants to the same major.
• Impaction: the CSU treats Cal Poly as impacted at the campus level and in all undergraduate programs, so meeting CSU minimums does not guarantee admission. Thresholds vary by major. Local applicants (high schools in San Luis Obispo County, northern Santa Barbara County and southern Monterey County) get preference. Cal Poly encourages applying to another campus that offers your major.
• Alternate major: first-year applicants may list one; it is considered only if space is available.
• Changing major: not allowed after the application change deadline, and after admission Cal Poly says it cannot guarantee a change of major. The conditions for moving into Computer Science were not on the pages we read; ask College of Engineering advising.

3. How first-year applicants are reviewed

• GPA: weighted GPA from 9th–11th grade college-prep courses, with extra weight for honors, college-level, AP and IB courses (up to eight semesters), based on self-reported information. Do not send transcripts unless asked.
• Other factors: activities, work and internships, and leadership, all evaluated through the faculty-mandated Multi-Criteria Admission (MCA) process.
• High school maths: CSU requires three years (two of algebra, one of geometry), five recommended; Cal Poly recommends two years of advanced maths such as trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus or statistics.
• SAT/ACT: the Cal Poly admissions pages we read do not mention the SAT or ACT.

4. International requirements

• Educated outside the US: meet the country-based entry requirements and minimum English scores.
• Dates: the same 1 October–30 November filing period; all supporting documents by 15 February; applicants who complete their file on time hear by 1 April.
• English minimums: TOEFL 80 (4.5 for tests from 21 January 2026), IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115, within two years. Applicants educated for at least three years in English-medium schools may request a waiver.
• Financial means: Cal Poly does not provide financial aid to international students, so you must show you or a sponsor can pay.

5. Students at high schools in China

• Entry requirement: the country table lists China as “Required: Senior Middle School Diploma; Preferred: Gaokao”. No Gaokao score is published.
• A-levels: the UK entry is “GCE A levels or AS levels”. Separate IB Diploma requirements were not on the pages we read.
• English: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo is normally required (section 4).

6. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Entry requirement: a provincial 12th-grade high school graduation diploma; for Quebec, 11th-grade graduation plus at least two years of pre-university education. No BC grade requirement is published.
• English waiver: the automatic waiver list is by country of citizenship and includes “Canada (except Quebec)”. Non-citizens with three years at English-medium schools can request a waiver (section 4).

7. Transfer students

• Units: most majors require at least 60 transferable semester units (90 quarter units).
• Golden Four: critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, oral communication and written communication, each C- or better (some engineering majors are exempt from critical thinking). Full GE completion is not expected.
• GPA: the CSU minimum is 2.00, but Cal Poly admits typically have higher GPAs.
• Computer Science transfer courses (fall 2027): required: English communication, oral communication, composition, and critical thinking and composition; Calculus I and II and Linear Algebra I; General Physics I or Fundamentals of Chemical Structure and Properties; Fundamentals of Computer Science and Data Structures. Desired: Introduction to Computer Organization. Complete them by the spring before fall entry.
• Out-of-state and four-year students: compare your course descriptions with Cal Poly’s catalog yourself; Cal Poly cannot evaluate transcripts before selection.
• Dates: the same 1 October–30 November filing period; in January you update Cal State Apply with fall grades and spring plans.

8. Costs (US$)

• 2026-27 estimate for new students: College of Engineering tuition and fees 15,720; non-residents add non-resident tuition 14,130 (30 units at 471) and a non-resident opportunity fee of 8,804; international students add a 900 international student fee and 1,533 mandatory health insurance. The estimate for an international College of Engineering student is 69,511 in both the on-campus and off-campus columns.
• Semesters vs quarters: the cost page assumes 30 units a year, while the international tuition page still describes fall, winter and spring quarters with 45 units a year. The two differ; the cost page and the semester-based catalog are the more current.
• 2027-28 costs have not been published.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Submit Cal State Apply between 1 October and 30 November 2026, choosing Computer Science, with an alternate major if you wish
• Senior Middle School Diploma, Gaokao preferred; IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 4.5 (new scale)
• Complete all documents by 15 February

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Apply with your 12th-grade diploma; Canadian citizens (except Quebec) are automatically exempt from English tests
• Take advanced maths; Cal Poly recommends at least two years

Transfer students:

• 60 semester units, the Golden Four, Calculus I and II, Linear Algebra, physics or chemistry, Fundamentals of Computer Science and Data Structures before transfer
• Out-of-state students should match courses against Cal Poly’s catalog

Sources: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Computer Science major; 2026-2028 Catalog: Computer Science (BS); First-year selection criteria; High school course requirements; First-year dates and deadlines; How to apply (first-year); Impaction; International selection criteria; Country-based entry requirements; English exam requirements; International dates and deadlines; International tuition and fees; Transfer selection criteria; Transfer course criteria: Computer Science; Transfer dates and deadlines; Undergraduate costs 2026-27; Cal State Apply. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs for students entering in 2026-27). Check Cal Poly’s website for the latest.