California State Polytechnic University, Pomona College Portrait
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona3801 West Temple Avenue Pomona, CA 91768
909.869.7659
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Southern California’s Polytechnic University, enthusiastically practicing a philosophy of hands-on learning in the liberal arts, applied sciences and professional fields.
California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) offers a unique learn-by-doing approach by blending theory and practice into all of its programs. With a focus on the future, Cal Poly Pomona has brought to the forefront environmental sustainability and climate neutrality, the future demand for more professionals in science and technology, and the evolving needs of the region. Students are actively and personally engaged with their professors who maintain strong connections to their industries, giving students a direct link to innovative technology, outstanding internships and real-world experiences. Small class size, a 28:1 student-teacher ratio, and multiple opportunities for learning in and outside the classroom are all part of the learning culture. The university enrolls a diverse population of 21,000 students and ranks 7th on the list of Top Public Universities – Masters in the Western United States. Cal Poly Pomona is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system and its nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs, dynamic community and successful graduates make it a leading force in the region.
Living in the Cal Poly Pomona Community
Offering an affordable life-changing education, Cal Poly Pomona combines an historic campus setting with endless opportunities for engagement and involvement in a vibrant campus community.
Located 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, the campus offers the excitement of one of the world’s most diverse metropolitan areas while retaining the serenity of a foothill community. The campus features 1,438 acres of rolling hills and gardens as well as many historical buildings linking to its past as the winter home of one of its founders, breakfast cereal magnate, W.K. Kellogg.
Ranked 5th in student diversity among western universities, the campus celebrates the distinct perspectives and experiences of its multicultural student body. Student engagement is highly valued, and the University offers multiple opportunities, including participation in the annual Tournament of Roses Parade, 280 clubs and organizations, Greek life, cultural centers, service learning, multicultural programs, student government, nationally recognized athletics, and the performing arts. Over 3500 students enjoy the benefits of living in on-campus communities each year.
With a strong commitment to student success, the university offers several academic enrichment programs, including the Kellogg Honors College, special academic centers and institutes, study abroad, research opportunities, community service learning, the Four-year Graduation Pledge Program, Student Development and Leadership Institute as well as exceptional student support services.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2010?
| Total Students | 20,747 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 18,726 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 7,977 | 43% |
| Men | 10,749 | 57% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 57 | <1% |
| Asian | 4,809 | 26% |
| African American / Black | 611 | 3% |
| Hispanic | 6,104 | 33% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 55 | <1% |
| White | 4,574 | 24% |
| Two or More Races | 443 | 2% |
| International | 854 | 5% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 1,219 | 7% |
| Where do CPP undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| California | 97% |
| Other US States & Territories | 1% |
| Other Countries | 3% |
| Residency Unknown | <1% |
| How old are CPP undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 22 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 18% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2010)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 21 - 27 | |
| Math | 22 - 28 | 490 - 630 |
| English | 20 - 26 | |
| Critical Reading | 460 - 580 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top of graduating class Data Not Available | ||
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.41 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 100% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2009-10 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $18,749
Out-of-State & Other Costs
The cost to attend California State Polytechnic University, Pomona varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 44% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $8,988. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 26% of 2009-10 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $4,238. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2009-2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
CPP Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 28 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 35% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 87% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 503 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 41% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 36% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 76% |
More Information
Campus-based Housing
52% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
12% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
Campus safety is a university priority for California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. A professionally trained University police force, campus departments, professional staff, and campus community members actively participate in shared responsibilities and commitment to ensure that the safety and property of students, staff and faculty are protected. The university also has a well-defined campus Emergency Management Plan with several hundred trained faculty and staff members. University Police is responsible for law enforcement, security, and emergency response. The department is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Master's Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- Very high undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, higher transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Professions plus arts & sciences, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Postbaccalaureate comprehensive
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at CPP
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 96% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 63% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 21% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 83% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 14% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 42% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 45% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 10% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 96% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 94% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 63% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 62% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 94% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 53% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 70% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 90% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 71% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 60% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 59% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 63% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 81% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 82% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 81% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 3,656 |
| Master's | 403 |
| Total | 4,059 |
More Information
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2009-10 | |
|---|---|
| BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES | 27% |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 6% |
| Psychology, General | 5% |
| Civil Engineering | 5% |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 4% |
| Links to degree programs at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona |
|---|
Bachelor'sMaster's |
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 91% four-year success and progress rate means that 91% of students starting in Fall 2004 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
Counts for the Fall 2004 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 2,115 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 1,232 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2009 that returned for their second year: 91%
Student Learning at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
Cal Poly Pomona emphasizes student learning and effective teaching, and sustains a culture that views hands-on experience and classroom learning as equally critical to the overall learning environment. Assessment takes place at the University level and the program level as well as at the class level. Student success measures used as part of campus improvement initiatives include graduation and retention rates, professional accreditation, as well as students' performance on tasks that require them to think critically, reason analytically, and write clearly. The programs at Cal Poly Pomona use a variety of assessment tools to guide the development and enhancement of the undergraduate learning environment, including embedded questions in exams, portfolios of student work evaluated in capstone courses, surveys administered to seniors, alumni, and employers, and scores on exams required for post-graduate work. A recently revised assessment plan for general education has served as the basis for broad conversations about the depth and breadth of general education knowledge that a Cal Poly Pomona graduate should possess.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
- Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1111
Senior Score: 1159
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1077
Senior Score: 1077
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1182
Senior Score: 1246
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1077
Senior Score: 1077