Cal Poly's National Honors, Rankings and Recognition:
A Constantly Growing List
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly is a nationally-ranked university nestled between coastal mountains, wine country and the Pacific Ocean in San Luis Obispo, halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The university has a constantly growing list of national and international honors, rankings and accomplishments. Scroll down to see the most recent.
Cal Poly’s Engineers Without Borders Named the Nation’s Premiere Student Chapter
The Cal Poly student chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) was recently named National Premier Student Chapter. Founded in 2005 by a handful of students dedicated to making a global impact, the Cal Poly chapter now includes almost 200 members who are working with communities in India, Thailand and Nicaragua to implement sustainable engineering projects.
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Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business Among Bloomberg Businessweek’s Top B-Schools for Fourth Year Running
For the fourth consecutive year, Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business has been named to Bloomberg Businessweek magazine’s list of the nation’s top undergraduate business colleges. This year, Cal Poly ranked 69th and was one of only three public universities in California on the list.
More on Cal Poly's Bloomberg ranking
Cal Poly Honored by White House as a Top School to Retain and Graduate Engineering Students
Cal Poly was honored by President Barack Obama as a leading school in the retention and graduation of engineering students. Engineering Dean Debra Larson represented Cal Poly at the Feb. 8 event held at the White House. She was one of roughly 40 engineering deans whose colleges do well in student retention, as determined by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).
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Cal Poly Journalism Professors Win Best Paper Award at International Conference
Cal Poly journalism professors Bill Loving and Brady Teufel won the Best Paper Award for a paper they co-authored and presented at the recent Organization of Social Science and Behavioral Research International Conference held in Las Vegas, Nev.
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Cal Poly Named Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars
Interim Director of International Education and Programs Also Recognized
The Institute of International Education and the Fulbright Program have named Cal Poly as one of this year’s Fulbright Scholarship Top Producer of U.S. Fulbright Scholars and acknowledged the excellent work of Raymond Zeuschner, interim director of International Education and Programs.
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Cal Poly Architecture, Design Programs Earn Top Honors Again from DesignIntelligence
Cal Poly continues to lead the nation’s architecture and design programs in an annual survey by the monthly journal DesignIntelligence. DesignIntelligence ranks Cal Poly’s landscape architecture program first in the Western region and third in national undergraduate programs in preparing students for success. Cal Poly tied with Purdue University and Texas A&M. Louisiana State and Penn State ranked first and second, respectively. The landscape architecture program also earned top honors in the category of cross-disciplinary teamwork.
More on the DesignIntelligence award
Cal Poly Makes Forbes Best Colleges List for Fourth Straight Year
For the fourth year in a row, Cal Poly ranks on the Forbes magazine list of the country’s best colleges and universities Cal Poly ranks No. 9 among California’s public universities and, just as last year, is the top-ranked California State University campus on the list. Cal Poly appears at No. 28 among the 50 private and public universities and at No. 230 overall among the 610 U.S. campuses on the list. It is the fourth year Forbes has produced the list, with Cal Poly appearing each year.
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Cal Poly Named Best in the West by U.S. News & World Report for 19th Straight Year
For the 19th straight year, Cal Poly has been rated the best public-master’s university in the West in U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 America’s Best Colleges guidebook.
More on the U.S. News & World Report rankings
Cal Poly Professor Receives Award for Special Education Achievements
Cal Poly School of Education Professor Michael Ruef has received the 2011 Thomas Haring Award in recognition of his efforts on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. The award is given annually by the UC Santa Barbara Gervitz School of Education.
Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program Honored with 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award
The Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture program received the California Exposition and State Fair’s 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award for the university’s enduring contributions to the advancement of the California wine industry.
Cal Poly's City and Regional Planning Ranked No. 1 in Nation
Planetizen, the only national ranking organization for planning programs, has ranked the Cal Poly City and Regional Planning Department’s graduate program (MCRP) No. 1 nationally of all programs without a Ph.D.
Cal Poly Earns Innovation Award at Shell Eco-Marathon
The Cal Poly Urban Concept Car Team drove off with the Southwest Research Institute Technical Innovation Award and a third-place finish in the urban concept car category at the 2011 Shell Eco-Marathon. The Cal Poly engineering students focused on the Urban Concept competition, which focuses on more “roadworthy,” fuel-efficient vehicles as opposed to the Prototype category with sleek, wind tunnel-tested cars that get astonishing fuel mileage.
Architectural Engineering Students Take Two First Place Finishes in Building Design Competition
Cal Poly architectural engineering students were awarded two first place and two runner-up finishes in the second annual Architectural Engineering Student Competition sponsored by the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Charles Pankow Foundation. The winners were announced at the 2011 Architectural Engineering Conference in Oakland on March 31.
Cal Poly’s Mustang Daily Captures Third Consecutive College Newspaper of the Year Honor
Cal Poly’s student newspaper, the Mustang Daily, was named College Newspaper of the Year at the College Newspaper Business and Advertising Manager (CNBAM) National Convention on April 2 in Nashville, Tenn. It’s the third consecutive year the paper has earned this title, which goes to the school with the most points, earned by placing first, second or third in the annual contest’s categories.
Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business Again Named to Bloomberg BusinessWeek’s List of Top B-Schools
For the third consecutive year, Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business has been named to Bloomberg Business Week magazine’s list of the nation’s top undergraduate business colleges. This year, Cal Poly was ranked no. 73 and was one of only three public universities in California to be included on the list.
Cal Poly Retains Top 50 Ranking on Kiplinger List
Washington, D.C.-based business publication Kiplinger’s Personal Finance again named Cal Poly as one of its “100 Best Values in Public Colleges 2010-11” in its February magazine. Cal Poly retains its spot at No. 50 on the list of 100 public universities from around the U.S. for in-state students and moves up 14 spots to No. 33 for out-of-state students.
Cal Poly Named Best Public Undergraduate Architecture School
Cal Poly was recently ranked the top public undergraduate architecture school in the nation, alongside Virginia Tech, in an annual survey by DesignIntelligence. The university ranked fourth overall behind Cornell, Syracuse and Rice universities.
Mustang Daily Earns National Honors
The Mustang Daily, Cal Poly’s student-published daily newspaper, earned two Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker honors, which were announced at the National College Media Convention in Louisville, Ky., in October. For the second time in four years, the newspaper’s website, www.mustangdaily.net, received the Pacemaker in the large-school newspaper category.
Cal Poly Grads, Alumni Earn Top Starting Salaries
Cal Poly graduates and alumni top all other UC and CSU campuses and plenty of private universities when it comes to their median starting career salaries. At mid-career, their median salaries top all UC and CSU grads except Berkeley's and San Diego's, and are still ahead of many private university grads. But Cal Poly offers alumni — and parents — a greater 'return on investment' than private universities and UCs by delivering that earning power at much less cost. Those are among the latest findings in a growing evaluation of university costs and benefits compiled by two independent groups.
Cal Poly Named 2011 Campus Sustainability Leader
GreenReportCard.org has named Cal Poly a Campus Sustainability Leader for 2010 for its ongoing efforts in sustainable campus practices. Cal Poly received overall B+ for 2011 on the annual College Sustainability Report Card, for the second year in a row. It is the only California State University campus to earn the award this year.
Cal Poly Business, Engineering Produce the Best Hires
In the Nation,
According to Wall St. Journal Report
Cal Poly is among the top universities in the nation at producing the best graduates to hire in business and engineering, according to recruiters polled by the Wall Street Journal as part of a special report. Cal Poly business grads are on par with Stanford, Harvard, Penn State and UC Berkeley, while engineering grads top those of UCLA, Rensselaer, Carnegie Mellon and more. The rankings are part of a Wall Street Journal report on "Paths to Professions" released earlier this fall.
See the WSJ breakout of recruiter bests 'by major'
See what recruiters told the WSJ about Cal Poly grads
Read the WSJ 'Paths to Professions' package
Cal Poly Engineering Earns National Accreditation
Cal Poly’s College of Engineering recently received accreditation for 11 of its degree programs – including a first-time accreditation for the Software Engineering established in 2003. ABET—the accreditor for university programs in computing, engineering and technology—awards the stamp of approval that assures program quality and adds value to diplomas. Getting that approval involves an ongoing process that culminates in an on-site visit by a team of evaluators every six years.
Cal Poly Graphic Communication Department Earns National Reaccreditation
After completing an extensive self-study and hosting a site visit by a three-member team of industry and education experts, the Graphic Communication Department at Cal Poly has received national re-accreditation effective Sept. 1, 2010-Aug. 31, 2016. The Accrediting Council for Collegiate Graphic Communications, Inc. awarded the academic accreditation. A formal presentation was made and a recognition plaque was given to faculty and administrative representatives from Cal Poly during the Oct. 3 annual ACCGC Board of Directors meeting in Chicago.
Cal Poly 'Best in West' 18 Years in a Row in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
For the 18th year in a row, Cal Poly has been rated the best public-master's university in the West by U.S. News & World Report, in its 2011 America 's Best Colleges guidebook. The magazine ranked Cal Poly No. 6 among all private and public universities in the West. Cal Poly is ranked in a category of universities which grant bachelor's and master's degrees. Cal Poly’s College of Engineering also moved up one spot - No. 2 public engineering program in the nation, just behind the U.S. Military Academy. Cal Poly was featured on the Aug. 17 "Today Show" video segment on the U.S. News rankings as one of the nation's "Up and Comer" universities to watch.
See the 'Today Show' segment
Cal Poly is No. 1 Spot for Aero Recruiting
Aviation Week & Space Technology recently named Cal Poly the best place in the nation to recruit for employees. Cal Poly tops Georgia Tech, Penn State, Virginia Tech and MIT
Forbes Magazine Ranks Cal Poly Among 'Best Colleges' in U.S.
Cal Poly ranks in the top third of universities in the nation on the latest Forbes magazine "Best Colleges in the U.S." rankings.
Orfalea College Up in 'Business Week' Rankings
Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business once again has been named to Business Week magazine’s list of the nation’s top undergraduate business colleges -- one of only two public universities in California to make the list.
Forbes Puts Cal Poly Among Nation's Top Colleges
Cal Poly has been named one of America’s top colleges and universities by Forbes magazine. Cal Poly is No. 27 on the list of the country's 100 best public universities.
Professionals Give Cal Poly Top Ranking for Producing Best Architecture Hires in the Nation
Cal Poly’s Architecture Department ranked third among undergraduate programs in the annual DesignIntelligence survey.
Architecture, Ag Among Nation's Best
Cal Poly is among the Top 10 schools in the nation in granting degrees to Hispanic, Asian and other minority students in agriculture, architecture and engineering.
More about Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo, California 93407