Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Housing Costs

$2,937 Other Living Expenses Typical Cost

Living Expenses and How They Compare at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo?

Do you know how much it will cost to live on campus? Check out how much extra living expenses are at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

On this page you will find:

Living Expenses Outline
Room & Board Trends and Total Expenses
Meal Plans and Housing Requirements
References

Living Expenses at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Housing and meal plans are priced out separately here. The standard student paid $11,589 in 2026, and the cost of a typical dining plan was $7,823. All in all, an on-campus student at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo faced a yearly bill of about $25,917 in 2026 for room, board, books and other living costs combined.

The table below shows the expected costs of on-campus and off-campus housing and dining plans for California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Expense	On Campus	Off Campus
Room and Board	$21,861	$23,097
— Housing	$11,589
— Meals	$7,823
Other Living Expenses	$2,937	$2,937
Books and Supplies	$1,119	$1,119
Total	$25,917	$27,153

Room & Board Over Four Years? Estimated Four-Year Cost: $117,335

Room and board is a moving target: it tends to creep up every year you are enrolled. A forward look helps you avoid sticker shock later in your degree.

Over four years you could pay about $117,335 in room, board and other essentials.

Below is how room and board has changed across recent reported years — and where current trends point — at California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.

Year	Room & Board
Three Years Ago	$18,576
Two Years Ago	$18,693
One Year Ago	$20,157
Most Recent Year (2026)	$21,861
One Year From Now *	$23,149
Two Years From Now *	$24,514
Three Years From Now *	$25,959
Four Years From Now *	$27,489

* estimated

On-campus room and board has trended up an average of 5.9% a year over the last three years. At the same pace next year, the total would be roughly $27,205 in their first year.

At this pace, a senior would spend approximately $31,545 for a bachelor’s program; a two-year student would see about $28,570 for the last year of an associate degree.

Over the entire degree (assuming you graduate on time), the total comes to about $117,335 for a bachelor’s, while two years would run about $55,775 for a two-year stay.