How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona serves a student body that reflects the diversity and ambition of Southern California. 46.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and 49.3% are first-generation college students — figures that place Cal Poly Pomona among the more access-oriented institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. The university admits 75.2% of applicants, and transfer students make up 38.3% of incoming enrollment, reflecting the institution's deep integration with California's community college pipeline. Financial aid is available through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, which administers work-study alongside institutional grants and scholarships, per the financial aid page. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Pomona #73 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. What happens to students after they enroll is where Cal Poly Pomona's story becomes particularly meaningful. The six-year graduation rate is 68.4%, with 71.6% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window — a signal that the institution's broad access does not come at the cost of student success. Freshman retention stands at 87.4%, indicating that most students who begin at Cal Poly Pomona continue through their second year. For graduates from low-income backgrounds, median earnings reach $57,300 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 85.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a meaningful outcome given that more than a third of the student body comes from Pell-eligible households. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Pomona #14 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-mobility dynamic at Cal Poly Pomona reflects an institution that opens its doors broadly and converts that access into durable economic progress for a large share of its graduates.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona serves a student body that reflects the diversity and ambition of Southern California. 46.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and 49.3% are first-generation college students — figures that place Cal Poly Pomona among the more access-oriented institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. The university admits 75.2% of applicants, and transfer students make up 38.3% of incoming enrollment, reflecting the institution's deep integration with California's community college pipeline. Financial aid is available through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, which administers work-study alongside institutional grants and scholarships, per the financial aid page. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Pomona #73 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. What happens to students after they enroll is where Cal Poly Pomona's story becomes particularly meaningful. The is 68.4%, with 71.6% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window — a signal that the institution's broad access does not come at the cost of student success. Freshman retention stands at 87.4%, indicating that most students who begin at Cal Poly Pomona continue through their second year. For graduates from low-income backgrounds, median earnings reach $57,300 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 85.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a meaningful outcome given that more than a third of the student body comes from Pell-eligible households. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Pomona #14 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The at Cal Poly Pomona reflects an institution that opens its doors broadly and converts that access into durable economic progress for a large share of its graduates.
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona serves a student body that reflects the diversity and ambition of Southern California. 46.3% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and 49.3% are first-generation college students — figures that place Cal Poly Pomona among the more access-oriented institutions in the Azimuth coverage set. The university admits 75.2% of applicants, and transfer students make up 38.3% of incoming enrollment, reflecting the institution's deep integration with California's community college pipeline. Financial aid is available through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, which administers work-study alongside institutional grants and scholarships, per the financial aid page. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Pomona #73 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. What happens to students after they enroll is where Cal Poly Pomona's story becomes particularly meaningful. The six-year graduation rate is 68.4%, with 71.6% of Pell-eligible students completing within that window — a signal that the institution's broad access does not come at the cost of student success. Freshman retention stands at 87.4%, indicating that most students who begin at Cal Poly Pomona continue through their second year. For graduates from low-income backgrounds, median earnings reach $57,300 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 85.7 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a meaningful outcome given that more than a third of the student body comes from Pell-eligible households. Azimuth ranks California State Polytechnic University-Pomona #14 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access-versus-mobility dynamic at Cal Poly Pomona reflects an institution that opens its doors broadly and converts that access into durable economic progress for a large share of its graduates.