Institutional Accreditation by WSCUC
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo is fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). WSCUC is an institutional accrediting agency that is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding, including student access to federal financial aid. WSCUC accreditation is meant to aid institutions in developing and sustaining effective educational programs, and to assure the educational community and the general public that an accredited institution has met high standards of quality and effectiveness.
During the process of reaffirming its accreditation, Cal Poly first completes a self-study and an institutional report and then undergoes a review by a WSCUC visiting team representing institutional peers. Then, the Commission makes an official decision about our accreditation status.
2022 TPR Site Visit
In February 2022, Cal Poly submitted an Institutional Report for the WSCUC Thematic Pathway for Reaffirmation (TPR), subtitled, "Promoting the Success of All Cal Poly Students While Achieving the Goals of the CSU's Graduation Initiative 2025." It is available here.
In April 2022, Cal Poly hosted a site visit by a WSCUC team that evaluated the institution under the 2013 Standards of Accreditation. Their report is available here.
In July 2022, WSCUC President Jamienne Studley sent a Commission Action Letter to Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong. This letter reaffirmed Cal Poly's WSCUC accreditation for a period of ten years, and is available here.
2026 Special Visit, Solano Campus
Cal Poly is currently preparing for a WSCUC Special Visit as called for in two WSCUC Commission Action Letters from 2025.
Following the November 2024 CSU Board of Trustees approval of the integration of Cal Poly and the CSU Maritime Academy, a Commission Action Letter dated May 2, 2025, included the following action:
Require a Special Visit in fall 2026 to Cal Poly’s planned Solano Campus to address the following topics:
a. Leadership structure of the Solano Campus and the integration of academic programs at that location with existing Cal Poly structures.
b. Financial sustainability of Cal Poly and support of the Solano Campus.
Then, a Commission Action Letter dated June 19, 2025, included the following action:
Include in the Special Visit scheduled for fall 2026 a review of progress to ensure success for all students at the San Luis Obispo campus.
A Special Visit Report was submitted to WSCUC in September 2026 in advance of the Special Visit to take place at the Solano Campus on December 3-4, 2026. That report is available here.
WSCUC Resources
WSCUC's institutional page for Cal Poly is here.
WSCUC's Key Indicators Dashboard (KID) is an interactive data visualization available to the public that presents detailed trend and comparative information on WSCUC-accredited undergraduate institutions. KID displays information from federal data sets to present integrated, accessible data on institution size and context, student completion, student finances, institution finances, and post-graduation outcomes.
Updated 10/14/2026