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2+2 Programs Will Allow Transfer Students to Earn Cal Poly Degrees at Community College Campuses

SAN LUIS OBISPO — Cal Poly has announced new 2+2 programs with Cuesta College and Allan Hancock College, designed to expand access for local high school graduates to earn a Cal Poly degree.

These partnerships enable qualified students to complete their four-year degrees on the community college campuses while bringing Cal Poly’s renowned Learn by Doing education to even more students in the region. A traditional 2+2 program allows a student to earn a bachelor’s degree by completing two years of study at a community college campus and then transferring to a four-year university for the final two years.

Starting in the current fall 2024 term, more than 20 incoming Cal Poly transfer students from Hancock College majoring in sociology will begin their final two years of study at Hancock’s campus in Santa Maria and will be eligible to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Cal Poly.

In fall 2025, Cal Poly and Cuesta College will begin a similar program for liberal studies students pursuing careers in teaching. This program will offer upper-level evening courses to accommodate working professionals and provide the flexibility to balance academic and professional commitments.

“These 2+2 programs demonstrate our commitment to fostering strong partnerships with our local community colleges," said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, Cal Poly’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “These collaborations are inherently linked to our role as a steward of place, supporting the educational and professional aspirations of students across our region.”

These new programs underscore Cal Poly’s continued focus on providing access for academically qualified local and transfer students.

“We are excited to see the continued growth of local student representation at Cal Poly,” said Terrance Harris, Cal Poly’s vice president for strategic enrollment management. “We know that admission to Cal Poly remains incredibly competitive. We also know we have some of the best and brightest students right here in our community.

“Our largest feeder schools are Cuesta College, Allan Hancock College, San Luis Obispo High School, and Arroyo Grande High School. Students who graduated from a local high school remain twice as likely to gain admission to Cal Poly than those outside our local area.”

For local high school grads trying to calculate their odds of admission to Cal Poly as transfer students, Harris offered this advice: “Local students who have completed the transfer selection criteria are very successful in gaining admission to Cal Poly. I encourage you to connect early with the counselors at Cuesta and Hancock or here at Cal Poly. They are all familiar with the selection criteria and can help get you on the right track for taking the necessary coursework to be competitive in the admissions process.”

Cal Poly is dedicated to supporting transfer students through personalized academic advising, career services, peer mentoring, new student programming, and a dedicated Transfer Center. These efforts have led to outstanding outcomes, including an overall transfer graduation rate of 89%. In 2023, Cal Poly’s transfer graduation rate was the highest in California and tied with the University of Illinois for the top spot in the nation for students receiving Title IV financial aid.

Additionally, Cal Poly has implemented several transfer-friendly initiatives to remove obstacles and help students transition smoothly into their degree programs. These include streamlining transfer selection criteria and expanding associate degrees for Transfer (ADTs) options.