What were the least competitive majors at Cal Poly this year? See the top 10
All of the majors at Cal Poly were impacted this year — but some programs were easier to get accepted into than others.
Recent data shows that agricultural communications, landscape architecture and agricultural science were among the least competitive majors for both freshman and transfer applicants this year, based on the number of students who applied compared to the number of seats available in each program.
In contrast, psychology topped the list of most competitive majors for freshmen this year with room for less than 3% of applicants. Public health was the most competitive for transfer applicants with room for a mere 1.42%, according to the data.
Even though some majors were less competitive than others, that doesn’t mean acceptance was easy.
For freshmen, the least competitive major — bioresource and agricultural engineering — still only had room for 29.7% of students, or 60 of the 202 who applied.
Meanwhile, the least competitive major for transfer students — agricultural systems management — had room for 50% of applicants, but only because a total of six students actually applied. The program had just three transfer spots available for fall of 2025.
Overall, the least competitive college for both groups was the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, which had seats available for 16.5% of freshman applicants and 14.7% of transfer applicants.
Additionally, over 40% of freshman applicants were accepted to the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science. The acceptance rates for the other colleges hovered between 27% and 31%.
However, the same wasn’t the case for transfer students.
Though the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science was the least competitive based on transfer applicants versus seats available, the College of Business actually accepted a higher percentage of applicants.
The College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science accepted 26.6% of transfers, compared to 28% in the business college, The Tribune analysis showed.
Cal Poly accepts more students than there are seats available in a program. As of Monday morning, Cal Poly had not yet provided data for acceptances broken down by majors.
Here’s a look at the 10 least competitive majors for freshmen, based on applicants versus seats available:
- Bioresource and agricultural engineering: 202 applicants, 60 seats available — 29.7%
- Wine and viticulture: 243 applicants, 69 seats available — 28.4%
- Agricultural communications: 202 applicants, 53 seats available — 26.2%
- Landscape architecture: 176 applicants, 45 seats available — 25.5%
- Manufacturing engineering: 117 applicants, 28 seats available — 23.9%
- Plant sciences: 260 applicants, 62 seats available — 23.8%
- Agricultural science: 191 applicants, 44 seats available — 23%
- Food science: 263 applicants, 58 seats available — 22%
- City and regional planning: 183 applicants, 40 seats available — 21.8%
- Dairy science: 70 applicants, 15 seats available — 21.4%
And here’s a list of the least competitive majors for transfer applicants:
- Agricultural systems management: 6 applicants, 3 seats available — 50%
- Industrial technology and packaging: 13 applicants, 4 seats available — 30.7%
- Plant sciences: 54 applicants, 16 seats available — 29.6%
- Landscape architecture: 42 applicants, 11 seats available — 26.1%
- Agricultural communications: 27 applicants, 6 seats available — 22.2%
- Agricultural science: 43 applicants, 9 seats available — 20.9%
- Interdisciplinary studies: 30 applicants, 6 seats available — 20%
- Recreation, parks and tourism administration: 47 applicants, 9 seats available — 19.1%
- City and regional planning: 42 applicants, 8 seats available — 19%
- History: 96 applicants, 18 seats available — 18.7%
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