California State Polytechnic University--Pomona

California State Polytechnic University—Pomona is a public institution that was founded in 1938. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 25,181 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 1,438 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. California State Polytechnic University—Pomona's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Universities West, #3. Its in-state tuition and fees are $7,438; out-of-state tuition and fees are $19,318.

Located about 30 miles east of Los Angeles, California State Polytechnic University—Pomona offers numerous fields of study within eight colleges, including master’s programs in business and political science. The university, better known as Cal Poly Pomona, has one of the top ranked engineering programs, and graduates roughly 1 of every 14 engineers in the state of California. The translation of Cal Poly Pomona’s Latin motto, Instrumentum Disciplinae, is “Application of Knowledge,” which reflects the university’s learn-by-doing approach to academics. A political science major, for example, may work on a project at city hall, or a journalism student may intern at a newspaper to get hands-on experience outside the classroom.

Besides academics, students can have fun by joining some of more than 250 campus clubs or playing for the many Cal Poly Pomona Broncos varsity sports teams, which compete in the NCAA Division II California Collegiate Athletic Association. Notable alumni include Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the first Latina to serve in the U.S. cabinet.