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The real 4-year cost of California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo in California
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo went from $5,043 to $14,682, an average of 4.5% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $14,682New-student 2026-27 tuition and fees for College of Science and Math, Business, or Liberal Arts. Colleges of Engineering, Architecture, or Agriculture pay a higher tier: $15,720 in-state / $38,654 out-of-state. Non-resident adds $471/unit x 30 units plus $8,804 Non-CA Resident Opportunity Fee.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition drop or reset, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $5,043 | – | – |
| 2009 | $6,498 | – | – |
| 2010 | $6,480 | – | – |
| 2011 | $7,911 | – | – |
| 2012 | $8,507 | – | – |
| 2013 | $8,724 | – | – |
| 2014 | $8,918 | – | – |
| 2015 | $9,001 | – | – |
| 2016 | $9,075 | – | – |
| 2017 | $9,432 | – | – |
| 2018 | $9,816 | – | – |
| 2019 | $9,943 | – | – |
| 2020 | $10,071 | – | – |
| 2021 | $10,195 | – | – |
| 2022 | $10,319 | – | – |
| 2023 | $11,075 | – | – |
| 2026 | $14,682 | $14,682 | – |
| 2027 | – | $15,350 | $14,180–$16,520 |
| 2028 | – | $16,048 | $13,695–$18,587 |
| 2029 | – | $16,778 | $13,227–$20,914 |
| 2030 | – | $17,541 | $12,774–$23,531 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $14,682 |
| Year 2 | $15,350 |
| Year 3 | $16,048 |
| Year 4 | $16,778 |
| 4-year total | $62,857 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $22,857
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $46,563
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $20,338/ yr
- rising 4.9% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $87,537
School’s own published rateHousing $12,682 + meals $7,656, students living on campus.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here is rising faster than tuition.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
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Use this data
Published figures for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.