Cal Poly SLO does not have Transfer Admission Guarantee (TAG) programs with any California community college, including Cuesta. Our students compete on the same playing field as all other transfer students in Cal Poly SLO’s selection process.
One of the most important statistics when considering transferring to a university is acceptance rates (the percentage of students that were actually accepted out of those who applied). Although Cal Poly SLO’s acceptance rates have been on an overall decline since Fall 2012 (meaning it’s been getting more competitive and tougher to get in), acceptance rates to Cal Poly SLO for Cuesta students have remained among the highest in the state and substantially higher than the statewide average. Here are the numbers for 2012-2021.
| Term | Cuesta Acceptance Rate | Transfer Average |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 50% | 17% |
| Fall 2022 | 55% | 18% |
| Fall 2021 | 50% | 18% |
| Fall 2020 | 52% | 19% |
| Fall 2019 | 36% | 14% |
| Fall 2018 | 36% | 15% |
| Fall 2017 | 47% | 21% |
| Fall 2016 | 47% | 19% |
| Fall 2015 | 47% | 19% |
| Fall 2014 | 39% | 17% |
| Fall 2013 | 51% | 24% |
| Fall 2012 | 36% | 19% |
The other impressive fact about Cuesta students transferring to Cal Poly SLO is that every year literally hundreds more students are accepted to Cal Poly SLO from Cuesta than any other community college in the state.
A few reasons explain why Cuesta students do so well in the Cal Poly selection process:
- Cuesta students are highly motivated and many are focused on transferring to Cal Poly SLO so they prepare themselves very well.
- Cuesta has more comprehensive course articulation with Cal Poly than most other community colleges, especially in majors such as Agriculture, Architecture, and Engineering. This means that students can complete all of the required/desired courses for admission while at Cuesta.
- Our counselors are kept up-to-dateon the transfer selection process and the Cal Poly admission point system so they advise our students effectively.
Check out the Cal Poly Transfer Selection Criteria. There you’ll find a more detailed picture of what a particular major is looking for in an applicant.
Also, visit www.assist.org for course equivalency information from the community colleges to UC or CSU universities. For example, first choose Cal Poly, then choose Cuesta College, then choose your transfer major. This will show you which classes from Cuesta will transfer over to Cal Poly SLO.
