California Polytechnic State University or California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, also known as Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. Founded in 1901 as a vocational high school, it is currently one of only two polytechnic universities in the 23-member California State University system. Comprising six distinct colleges, the university offers 64 bachelor's degrees, 32 master's degrees, and 7 teaching credentials. The university does not currently grant doctoral degrees.
Cal Poly is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Cal Poly is known for its "learn by doing" educational philosophy that encourages students to solve real-world problems by combining classroom theory with experiential laboratory exercise. The most prevalent major at Cal Poly is Business Administration, followed by Mechanical Engineering and Biological Sciences. Cal Poly is one of four California State Universities that participate in the Big West Conference in athletics.