Cal Poly SLO partners with area community colleges
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is dedicated to expanding access for all high school graduates in the tri-county area to earn a four-year degree from the prestigious school and it proved that Sept. 23.
On that day, Cal Poly announced a new 2+2 program with local community colleges Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo and Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.
The goal of this 2+2 partnership is that it will enable qualified students to complete their four-year degrees on these community college campuses.
Typically, a 2+2 partnership would allow a student to earn a bachelor’s degree by completing two years of study at a community college campus and then transferring to a four-year university for the final two years.
But Cal Poly’s goal with this program is to bring its “Learn by Doing” mantra to more people, regardless of location. Rather the goal is to have them learn Cal Poly’s curriculum wherever is most convenient.
“These 2+2 programs demonstrate our commitment to fostering strong partnerships with our local community colleges,” Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Cal Poly’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, said in a press release.
“These collaborations are inherently linked to our role as a steward of place, supporting the educational and professional aspirations of students across our region.”
This program also allows students seeking a Cal Poly education a way of attaining one even if they are not admitted into the university.
Cal Poly admissions is selective with an acceptance rate of 30%.
Students who get into Cal Poly have an average SAT score between 1220-1410 or an average ACT score of 26-32.
“We are excited to see the continued growth of local student representation at Cal Poly. We know that admission to Cal Poly remains incredibly competitive. We also know we have some of the best and brightest students right here in our community,” Terrance Harris, Cal Poly’s vice president for strategic enrollment management, said in a press release.
The program will be starting the current fall 2024 term, with more than 20 incoming Cal Poly transfer students from Hancock College majoring in sociology, who will begin their final two years of study at Hancock’s campus in Santa Maria and will be eligible to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly.
By fall 2025, Cal Poly and Cuesta College will begin a similar program for liberal studies students pursuing careers in teaching.
This program will offer upper-level evening courses to accommodate working professionals and provide the flexibility to balance academic and professional commitments, according to a press release.
“Our largest feeder schools are Cuesta College, Allan Hancock College, San Luis Obispo High School, and Arroyo Grande High School. Students who graduated from a local high school remain twice as likely to gain admission to Cal Poly than those outside our local area,” Harris said.
Harris noted that students who maybe could not get into Cal Poly on the first try tend to succeed in getting later admittance working with these area community colleges.
Also, those who do transfer to Cal Poly tend to finish out that degree as the university said it holds an overall transfer graduation rate of 89%.
In 2023, Cal Poly’s transfer graduation rate was the highest in California and tied with the University of Illinois for the top spot in the nation for students receiving Title IV financial aid.
“I encourage you to connect early with the counselors at Cuesta and Hancock or here at Cal Poly. They are all familiar with the selection criteria and can help get you on the right track for taking the necessary coursework to be competitive in the admissions process,” Harris said.
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