California Polytechnic State University — Attraction in San Luis Obispo

I went to Poly for a masters in Electrical Engineering and MBA. First I should point out that it silly to do public ratings for colleges. I can rate a burger joint, because I have been to dozens and everyone goes for the same thing. But colleges? I have attended 3, which is more than most, but I can't reliably compare this place to a UC or Stanford or SDSU. And anyway, the experience/education will be different for each college, for grad vs undergrad vs transfers, for people that want to have fun vs people that want a good career vs people who want to do research.... So anyway, this was exactly the school I wanted. I did all my partying, having fun during and after high school. Then i got a BS in Computer Engineering at a Cal State. This was enough to get job offers in technical fields, even in the recession, but I wanted a deeper understanding of computer hardware, and to learn practical theory that I could take to a really cutting-edge career. I chose Poly for grad school because all their engineers get tons of hands on education, especially compared to more research focused schools, like many of the UCs. Most Poly EEs you meet has spent countless hours in the lab buying parts, interpreting datasheet specs, doing PCB layout and orders, soldering, testing, debugging, all the hands on stuff that the school is known for. And the other engineer colleges do cool stuff too. The MEs, CS, Aero, and Architecture people all do cool projects that make you think wow i kinda want to change majors, that look cool. So you leave with some cool projects in your portfolio. Other engineers who went to UCs tell me about the awesome research they got to take part in, and I am a little jealous of them. So that is a tradeoff: You can go to a UC and it will be easier to get your name on a paper. But at Poly you learn how to use the fancy tech to do applications. And at Poly, you aren't taught by a TA or some professor who thinks of classes as a distraction from his research. The professors are there to teach. Like some of the other reviews from disgruntled liberal arts students say, the focus on campus is really Engineering, Agriculture/Ag business, Architecture. So if you are interested in English, business, or art, you might feel left out. But there are perks for those people: the location is beautiful, the weather is perfect, there is so much to do if you like the outdoors, and if you are into women, then you will find that while all the engineers are in classes with 10% or less female students, and have no night life, you are surrounded by beautiful girls, and you are different from the nerdy, scruffy engineers that keep hitting on them. (Let me point out that the Poly administration, like other schools, is trying to find ways to get more women into engineering. In fact the faculty in EE was around 50% female, so they are making an effort). I would like to mention that one of the best things that Poly does for its students is that they host a really well attended career fair every quarter. Tons of big tech and engineering companies set up there, making it really easy for students to get a paid internship for a summer, which is the best way to start a career. So, this is a great school to go to in California to start an awesome career in a field that requires real technical skills, like ag, engineering, coding, or building, and have fun while getting there. I gave it only 4 stars though, because come on, its not Caltech or MIT. But its awesome nonetheless, and...

This school almost never seems to have the students' best interests at heart. This is likely due to poor administration. I am an Electrical Engineering student so it should be known that this is a review from the engineering side of the school. Regardless, they have very few professors who actually do their job well, and they never seem to get rid of the professors who continually get deplorable reviews from the students. The whole "learn by doing" motto is mostly a sham, there isn't really any more hands-on experience provided by the classes than any other technical school (except maybe engineers from Berkeley, who have next to no lab sessions) and the lab teachers are mostly unhelpful anyway. I am a senior now and feel like I have not been able to gain any real practical knowledge yet from any of the labs.

Now as for the School in general, the food is terrible and overpriced, especially for freshman on the meal plan, the department chairs and pretty much anyone in a high authority position have no interest in helping students. If you ever need a question answered or information that you can't just look up online, you'll be stuck calling people for the whole day as they transfer you around and around since no one wants to help you, even though you know they could if they tried. I needed credit transferred from a study abroad program, and they refused to help me since they were too lazy to get in contact with the other university. I needed to get work space for a club, and the department chair just kind of waved me away like I wasn't worth his time. Additionally, I had to miss two days of classes for an internship, and the two of the professors simply never responded when I asked them to make sure it was okay, and since they were lab sessions, and since they were lab TAs who didn't actually have an office, I was just dropped from the two lab sessions because they never bothered to read my email, and when I contacted the department chair, he also simply ignored me.

This school has been a pretty crappy experience overall, and honestly, I would tell any engineer to go...

If you’re debating between Cal Poly SLO and UC Davis, I’ve experienced both systems — and the difference is night and day.

At Cal Poly, you get what UC Davis only markets: real education, real outcomes, and real support. Professors actually teach. The “Learn by Doing” motto isn’t a gimmick — it’s how the school runs. Students graduate with skills, not just debt.

Meanwhile at UC Davis, I dealt with theory-heavy lectures, checked-out advisors, and endless bureaucracy. Career prep felt more like a brochure bullet point than a real priority.

Cal Poly grads leave with portfolios, internships, and job offers. UC Davis grads? Many leave with disillusionment and $58k median income after 10 years. at UC Davis, it felt like Temple Run: nonstop dodging of politics, egos, backroom games, and performative campus culture. Speak your mind the wrong way? You’re out. Need help? Get in line behind the branding team.

The culture here is grounded, focused, and non-performative. At Davis, it was groupthink, theatrical activism, and optics over outcome.

If you’re serious about learning, building, and getting hired — Cal Poly...