Public · University

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, California · Large suburb

75.2%
Admit rate
$11,531
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$71,902
Median earnings

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Pomona, California (large suburb setting), enrolling 25,042 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

PublicLarge · 25,042 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 75% admitNCAA Division II without football

About Pomona, California

Pomona is a city in the San Gabriel Valley of eastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the time Spanish conquistadors first arrived in California, the Tongva people inhabited what is now Pomona and the LA Basin. The swap meet (for car parts and accessories) is part of the car show, which is a single-day event held seven times throughout the year. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
27 miles
Nearest airport
13 miles to Ontario (ONT) · major hub

How California State Polytechnic University-Pomona compares

View 110 more ranking appearances
#30 · Large Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #93 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #90 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Highest Retention Rates #57 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Student Debt #30 · Colleges Admitting at Least 50% of Applicants with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #50 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #34 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Highest Retention Rates #69 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Net Price #34 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Student Debt #12 · Colleges Admitting at Least 75% of Applicants with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #22 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #36 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Graduation Rates #34 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Highest Retention Rates #77 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Student Debt #42 · Colleges with Average Net Price at or Below $15,000 with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #26 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #33 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates #18 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates #68 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Net Price #60 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt #33 · Hispanic-Serving Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #71 · Public Universities with the Highest Retention Rates #68 · Public Universities with the Lowest Student Debt #45 · Public Universities with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #25 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings #40 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates #18 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates #34 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Net Price #46 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt #24 · Test-Blind Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #93 · Colleges with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #63 · Colleges with the Most First-Generation Students #67 · Largest Campus-Based Universities #74 · College Campuses with the Least Annual Precipitation #26 · College Campuses with the Least Snowfall #48 · Public Universities with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price #35 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings in California #14 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in California #38 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in California #25 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in California #31 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in California #40 · Best Colleges in the West #24 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the West #59 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the West #38 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the West #37 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the West #19 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the West #14 · Best Public Universities in the West #36 · Best Colleges on the West Coast #16 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price on the West Coast #49 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates on the West Coast #32 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates on the West Coast #28 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt on the West Coast #18 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price on the West Coast #13 · Best Public Universities on the West Coast #36 · Best Colleges in the Pacific Region #18 · Colleges with the Lowest Net Price in the Pacific Region #49 · Colleges with the Highest Graduation Rates in the Pacific Region #32 · Colleges with the Highest Retention Rates in the Pacific Region #30 · Colleges with the Lowest Student Debt in the Pacific Region #18 · Colleges with the Highest Earnings Relative to Net Price in the Pacific Region #13 · Best Public Universities in the Pacific Region #17 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near Los Angeles, CA #13 · Colleges with the Highest Former-Student Earnings Near Riverside, CA #11 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #23 · Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #55 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #51 · Bachelor's Business Administration, Management and Operations Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #31 · Bachelor's Psychology, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #98 · Bachelor's Biology, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #15 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #11 · Bachelor's Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #22 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #26 · Bachelor's Communication and Media Studies Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #44 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #50 · Bachelor's Computer Science Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #38 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #86 · Bachelor's Political Science and Government Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #11 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #37 · Bachelor's Economics Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #70 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #31 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #28 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #28 · Bachelor's Mechanical Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #42 · Bachelor's Design and Applied Arts Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #56 · Bachelor's Design and Applied Arts Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #20 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #22 · Bachelor's Sociology Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #5 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #25 · Bachelor's English Language and Literature, General Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #29 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #27 · Bachelor's History Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #30 · Bachelor's Mathematics Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #40 · Bachelor's Mathematics Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #20 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #43 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #21 · Bachelor's Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #43 · Bachelor's Music Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #24 · Bachelor's Music Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #11 · Bachelor's Music Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #71 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #52 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #36 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #31 · Bachelor's Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #16 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings #16 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Highest Five-Year Earnings #19 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Student Debt #15 · Bachelor's Civil Engineering Programs with the Lowest Debt Relative to Earnings #98 · Bachelor's Chemistry Programs with the Highest First-Year Earnings
Selectivity75.2%

More selective than 55% · #53 most selective of 107 in California

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 75% · #50 of 122 in California

First-year retention87%

Higher than 82%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$71,902

Higher than 85% · #48 of 130 in California

Average net price$11,531

Cheaper than 86% · #18 cheapest of 118 in California

Median debt at graduation$16,000

Lower than 88%

Student–faculty ratio25 : 1

Lower than 4%

Undergraduate enrollment25,042

Larger than 96%

Percentiles compare California State Polytechnic University-Pomona with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in California.

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

27,423students
  • Undergraduate25,04291%
  • Graduate2,3819%

Undergraduates by gender

25,042undergrads
  • Women12,38849%
  • Men12,65451%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White13%
  • Black2.4%
  • Hispanic55%
  • Asian22%
  • Other or multiracial7.7%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
25,042
Graduate enrollment
2,381
Student–faculty ratio
25 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
46%
First-generation students
49%
Students over 25
16%
Median family income
$29,032
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$116,487
Endowment
$187,532,916

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 4,311 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From California98%
  • Other U.S. states1.1%
  • International0.6%

Most first-years stay in state — California State Polytechnic University-Pomona draws overwhelmingly from California.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
75.2%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
—
SAT average
—
SAT reading
—
SAT math
—
ACT composite
—

Cost

In-state tuition
$7,780
Out-of-state tuition
$20,380
Room & board
$16,682
Books & supplies
$1,036
Total cost of attendance
$23,955
Average net price
$11,531

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
34%
First-year retention
87%
Transferred to another college
2%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$54,466
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$71,902
Median debt at graduation
$16,000
Students with federal loans
25%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
67%

About 35% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
34%
Low-income (Pell)
63%
First-generation
62%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
4,149
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
17%
Housing charge (year)
$10,980
Meal plan (year)
$5,702
Application fee
$70
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
359 (158 men · 201 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (5)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)203
Soccer69
Baseball35
Basketball31
Volleyball21

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
21
Property offenses (2022–2024)
134

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (27,636 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

52reported offenses a year
7.0 violent a year45 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
23
Motor vehicle theft
22
Rape
4.0
Fondling
1.3
Robbery
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.7
Statutory rape
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$7,851
$30–48k
$8,433
$48–75k
$10,734
$75–110k
$13,894
$110k+
$20,716

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$51,117

$10,734/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

45%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,664
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 45% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,664. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 3,576 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$71,902
Typical debt at graduation
$16,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
22%
Out-earn a HS grad
69%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$63,903
Men
$80,158

Men out-earn women by $16,255 (25%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
92°F
Winter low
42°F
Annual rain
14.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Pomona/Fairplex, CA US station (3.6 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare California State Polytechnic University-Pomona side by side →

Colleges near California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.