Is UC San Diego or Cal Poly generally harder to get into for undergraduate admission?

UC San Diego is generally viewed as somewhat more selective overall for undergraduate admission. That said, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo can be just as difficult, or harder, for applicants to certain high-demand majors.

As a UC campus, it uses a comprehensive review process that considers academic preparation, course rigor, achievements, and personal context rather than test scores.

Cal Poly SLO is especially challenging for students applying to capacity-constrained programs such as architecture, engineering, computer science, business, and some design-related fields. Its admissions process is highly major-focused. A student who looks competitive for UC San Diego overall may still face a very steep Cal Poly admission process in one of those majors.

For a California junior, it is most accurate to treat both as selective reaches unless your academic record is notably above the typical level for your intended major. UC San Diego is the more selective institution in the broad overall sense, while Cal Poly’s most popular majors can produce an equally restrictive, and sometimes more difficult, admissions outcome.