Cal Poly Engineering
Cal Poly Engineering is the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, serving 6,462 students across 14 Bachelor's and 9 Master's ABET-accredited programs through a hands-on "Learn by Doing" curriculum with strong industry recruitment pipelines.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1901
- HeadquartersSan Luis Obispo, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cal Poly Engineering does
Cal Poly Engineering is the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, a public institution within the California State University system headquartered in San Luis Obispo, California. It enrolled 6,462 students in Fall 2024 across 14 ABET-accredited Bachelor's degree programs and 9 Master's degree programs spanning aerospace, architectural, biomedical, bioresource and agricultural, civil, computer, computer science, electrical, environmental, industrial, manufacturing, materials, and mechanical engineering. The college's defining methodology is "Learn by Doing" — a project- and design-centered curriculum delivered from a student's first day, supported by 90+ state-of-the-art laboratories, student-run research programs such as PolySat (12 CubeSats launched, including a 2021 Virgin Orbit air-launch carrying ExoCube2), capstone projects, and competitive teams (concrete canoe, wind power, ROTC commissioning).
The revenue model is that of a public university college: tuition and fees set according to CSU system rates for in-state and out-of-state students, supplemented by state appropriations, research grants, and endowment income. Distribution is through the CSU admissions application, the Jump Start transfer pathway from California community colleges, and direct industry recruitment pipelines that send graduates to employers including Lockheed Martin, Google, Boeing, Cisco, Apple, Tesla Motors, Northrop Grumman, and NASA — companies that also fund endowed professorships and co-develop project work (notably the Northrop Grumman Collaboration Project, an autonomous-vehicle program) and the EPIC K-12 summer outreach program.
The college is recognized as the 6th-best undergraduate engineering program in the nation (U.S. News & World Report, 2023), with #1 specialty rankings in Civil Engineering and Computer Engineering and #2 rankings in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, and has held the "Best Public Master's-Level University in the West" designation for 30 consecutive years. It received ASEE's Bronze-level National Diversity Recognition in 2019 and has substantially expanded female enrollment from 13.3% (2006) to 26.3% (2018). In 2023 it announced the Noyce School of Applied Computing consolidating electrical engineering, computer science, software engineering, and computer engineering; in June 2026 it added a geospatial focus area to Civil Engineering and named three Lockheed Endowed Professors, with 89% of alumni employed or in graduate school within 12 months of graduation.
Cal Poly Engineering firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cal Poly Engineering
- Legal name
- California Polytechnic State University - College of Engineering
- Website
- https://ceng.calpoly.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1901
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Cal Poly Engineering is the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, serving 6,462 students across 14 Bachelor's and 9 Master's ABET-accredited programs through a hands-on "Learn by Doing" curriculum with strong industry recruitment pipelines.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cal Poly Engineering industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities (EDAHAEAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ), Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)
Keywords
Where Cal Poly Engineering is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Luis Obispo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cal Poly Engineering business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Public University Educational Services: Cal Poly Engineering is a public university college that generates revenue through student tuition and fees, state funding for public higher education, and research grants. It is part of California Polytechnic State University, a comprehensive public university.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Quarterly | Public university tuition rates |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Cal Poly Engineering product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cal Poly Engineering is the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, providing undergraduate and graduate engineering and computer science education to approximately 6,462 students through 14 Bachelor's and 9 Master's degree programs. The college delivers hands-on, project-based learning via 90+ state-of-the-art laboratories, supporting programs such as the PolySat CubeSat initiative, Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), EPIC summer camps, and CPConnect interdisciplinary projects.
Product overview
Cal Poly College of Engineering is one of the West's largest engineering colleges with approximately 6,000+ students, offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and programs centered on its Learn by Doing philosophy. The core product consists of 14 Bachelor's and 9 Master's degree programs across 13 ABET-accredited engineering and computer science disciplines. Supporting products include the PolySat CubeSat program (student-built mini satellites), EPIC summer camps (K-12 engineering outreach), CPConnect interdisciplinary projects program, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). The college also houses 90+ state-of-the-art laboratories and manages student racing teams, concrete canoe teams, and other competitive engineering clubs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs
- EPIC (Engineering Possibilities in College) Summer Camp
- PolySat CubeSat Program
- CPConnect Interdisciplinary Projects Program
- Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)
Quantifiable outcome
- 89% of Cal Poly Engineering alumni were employed or in grad school within 12 months
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Cal Poly Engineering
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cal Poly Engineering technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cal Poly Engineering partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Virgin OrbitcoreVirgin Orbit conducted the first successful air launch to space from a jumbo jet wing, carrying Cal Poly's ExoCube2 CubeSat among 10 satellites. This was Cal Poly's 12th CubeSat launch and first air launch.
- NASAcoreNASA selected and sponsored Cal Poly and others through the CubeSat Launch Initiative. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center developed the spectrometer for ExoCube2's mission to study ion density in the exosphere.
- University of WisconsinminorUniversity partners are responsible for interpreting scientific data downloaded from ExoCube2 CubeSat.
- University of IllinoisminorUniversity partners are responsible for interpreting scientific data downloaded from ExoCube2 CubeSat.
- Northrop GrummancoreThe Northrop Grumman Collaboration Project (NGCP) is an interdisciplinary autonomous vehicle project where teams work alongside Northrop Grumman engineers and executives. Many members receive internship and full-time employment from Northrop Grumman. Includes teams for VTOL aircraft, UGV, and Ground Control Systems.
- Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryminorCal Poly alumni who became NASA engineers (like Jose Hernandez) previously worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on radar imaging and medical physics projects.
- American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)coreASEE's National Diversity Recognition Program rated Cal Poly at the Bronze level for inclusive excellence. The college signed the ASEE Deans Diversity Pledge in 2017 with over 220 members.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cal Poly Engineering competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Engineering: Georgia Tech is a large public polytechnic-style engineering college with similar Learn-by-Doing / hands-on / project-based DNA, strong industry placement, and ABET-accredited programs. It is the closest peer and the gold-standard public engineering college competitor for top STEM talent.
- Purdue University - College of Engineering: Purdue's College of Engineering is a large public engineering college with ABET-accredited programs, strong industry recruitment (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon), and a similar land-grant / polytechnic heritage. Overlaps with Cal Poly on aerospace, mechanical, civil, and computer engineering rankings.
- Virginia Tech - College of Engineering: Virginia Tech is a large public polytechnic-style engineering school with strong industry placement and ABET-accredited programs across similar disciplines. Comparable in scale (~6,000+ engineering students), focus on hands-on learning, and corporate recruiting intensity.
- Texas A&M University - College of Engineering: Texas A&M is a large public engineering college with strong industry recruiting (oil & gas, defense, NASA), extensive lab infrastructure, and similar scale to Cal Poly's College of Engineering. Comparable program mix and similar hands-on project culture.
- Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology: Rose-Hulman is a small private polytechnic engineering school renowned for hands-on undergraduate education — directly analogous to Cal Poly's Learn by Doing model at smaller scale. Useful peer for pedagogy comparison though materially smaller in enrollment.
Broad incumbents
- UC Berkeley - College of Engineering: UC Berkeley is a top-ranked public engineering college within the same California public system as Cal Poly. It is a broader incumbent with R1 doctoral programs and stronger research prestige, but competes for the same California resident applicant pool and the same California-based recruiters (Google, Apple, Lockheed).
- UCLA Samueli School of Engineering: UCLA Samueli is a top public engineering college within California's public university ecosystem (UC system vs. Cal Poly's CSU system). Direct competitor for California-resident applicants, faculty hires, and employer recruitment in Southern California, with a broader research mandate.
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Grainger College of Engineering: UIUC Grainger is a top-ranked public engineering college of similar scale with strong ABET-accredited programs and industry placement. Comparable program mix (CS, EE, ME, CEE) and similar recruitment footprint to FAANG/defense primes, with a stronger research portfolio.
- Carnegie Mellon University - College of Engineering: Carnegie Mellon's College of Engineering is a private R1 institution with particular strength in computer science and software engineering — directly comparable to Cal Poly's Noyce School of Applied Computing. Competes for the same top CS talent and Silicon Valley recruiters.
- University of Michigan - College of Engineering: U-M's College of Engineering is a top-ranked public engineering college with similar large enrollment, industry placement strength, and ABET-accredited programs across overlapping disciplines. Recruits from and places into the same employer base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cal Poly Engineering social profiles
Digital presenceCal Poly Engineering compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Cal Poly Engineering financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cal Poly Engineering leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Cal Poly Engineering funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cal Poly Engineering M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cal Poly Engineering
What does Cal Poly Engineering do?
Cal Poly Engineering is the College of Engineering at California Polytechnic State University, providing undergraduate and graduate engineering and computer science education to approximately 6,462 students through 14 Bachelor's and 9 Master's degree programs. The college delivers hands-on, project-based learning via 90+ state-of-the-art laboratories, supporting programs such as the PolySat CubeSat initiative, Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP), EPIC summer camps, and CPConnect interdisciplinary projects.
Is Cal Poly Engineering a public or private company?
Cal Poly Engineering is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Cal Poly Engineering founded?
Cal Poly Engineering was founded in 1901. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Cal Poly Engineering based?
Cal Poly Engineering is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cal Poly Engineering make money?
One revenue line is on record: public University Educational Services.
Who are Cal Poly Engineering's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Georgia Institute of Technology - College of Engineering, Purdue University - College of Engineering, Virginia Tech - College of Engineering, Texas A&M University - College of Engineering and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. Broad incumbents are UC Berkeley - College of Engineering, UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign - Grainger College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University - College of Engineering and University of Michigan - College of Engineering.
Does Cal Poly Engineering have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cal Poly Engineering.
What industry is Cal Poly Engineering in?
Cal Poly Engineering's product category is Engineering Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAEAB, Polytechnic & Applied Sciences Universities, with a secondary code of EDAHAEAJ, Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering. Its NAICS code is 6113.