Cal Poly’s mascot, Musty the Mustang, has evolved over time from an original papier mache horse to the live mustang Chase. The name Musty, the fight song, and the Mustang Herd are all part of the university’s history and identity. In 2013, Cal Poly alumnus Robin Baggett and his wife Michelle donated a gelding named Moonstar to Cal Poly for the purpose of bringing Musty to life at campus events.
The Mustangs, the sports teams from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, are known for participating in many sports and doing well in school. The Mustangs play in two conferences: Big West Conference and the Big West Conference. Musty, the loveable mascot, is free-roaming, fun-loving, and always up for a good time. He is also known for his love for the Mustangs, who are known for their athletic success.
Cal Poly students selected the school mascot by vote in 1925 as part of designing a school flag donated by the American Legion. The name was chosen by President Jeffrey Armstrong and a committee with members from different campus organizations. The Mustangs’ official team nickname is “Mustangs”, which was chosen in a 1925 vote by the students.
The Mustang Herd, created by Cal Poly Pomona mascot Billy Bronco, is a symbol of the spirit of the West and represents all students. The Mustang Herd has been a part of Cal Poly’s history and continues to represent the school. Environmental sciences senior Keegan Aspelund could be mistaken for Cal Poly’s own Musty the Mustang, but they are one and the same.
📹 Everything You Need to Know About the CSU Schools
In this video, I talk about everything you need to know about the California State University campuses. I cover topics such as …
Is Cal Poly SLO white?
The college sample shows that students are the most racially diverse group, with 43 identifying as non-white and 57 as white. Staff, with 68 identifying as white, followed by faculty, with 72 reporting as white. Additionally, 10 identified as international faculty and 2 as international staff, with Europe being the most common continent of origin for these faculty. This data provides a baseline for developing a more diverse workforce and student population that is more representative of California.
Faculty data breaks down into different ranks of appointment to better understand progressions in the college. Assistant and associate professor respondents were found to be more racially diverse than full professor respondents, matching the current student body. Progress has been made in diversifying faculty in the past few years of hiring, with the majority of racial diversity increasing in the last three to four years at the same time as intensified college diversity efforts. Recent gains in racial diversity are apparent in the college-wide 2017 DEI cluster hire and the university-wide DEI cluster hire in 2019.
Is Cal Poly hard to get into?
Cal Poly is a highly selective institution, unable to admit all qualified candidates due to its large applicant pool. The selection process is objective and comprehensive, going beyond the basic eligibility index used by California State University. Many CSU-eligible students are not offered admission. If a student is not selected, they can consider other university offers or consider transferring to Cal Poly as an upper-division transfer applicant. It is important to follow Cal Poly’s transfer selection criteria and work with the transfer center or counseling office to develop a plan to be competitive in the transfer admission process.
Is Cal Poly elite?
Among the seven top California schools, Cal Poly received the highest possible recognition, a five-star rating, and was the only campus within the California State University system to receive this distinction. Further information regarding Cal Poly’s 2023 U. S. News rankings can be accessed via the internet. To receive further updates, please subscribe to the Cal Poly News Recap.
Which Cal Poly is Mustangs?
The Cal Poly Mustangs are the athletic teams representing California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. The university fields twenty-two teams and competes in NCAA Division I. The Mustangs are primarily members of the Big West Conference, but also play in the Big Sky Conference, Pac-12 Conference, and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The official team nickname, “Mustangs”, was chosen in a 1925 vote by students. The Mustangs’ first sports team was fielded in 1907, with the men’s basketball team playing their first game. The university was not yet a four-year institution, but the school sponsored sports.
Is Cal Poly prestigious?
Cal Poly University has been named one of Forbes’ Top 25 Public Colleges and the best public-master’s university in California. The university also ranks 14th on the list of top public and private universities in the West. Cal Poly rose from No. 83 in 2023 to 57th among the 500 public and private not-for-profit universities in the U. S. The top five include Princeton, Stanford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale, and UC Berkeley. Cal Poly was 12th overall and seventh among public schools in the Golden State, behind the University of California campuses at Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Davis.
The university rose four spots from its 18th ranking among Western schools in 2023. Cal Poly President Jeffrey D. Armstrong praised the university’s success in providing a world-class education and preparing future leaders to meet the critical demands of the state, nation, and world.
Is Cal Poly a top tier school?
A personal finance website has conducted a comprehensive evaluation of 745 academic institutions across the United States, employing six distinct ranking criteria. Cal Poly emerged as the top-performing institution in this assessment. The rankings include 53 other universities that are members of the Ivy League, which includes Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and Columbia. The institution provides an educational opportunity based on the “Learn by Doing” approach, which has contributed to its popularity as a destination for campus tours during the summer and spring.
Is Cal Poly respected?
Cal Poly, one of 15 public and private California colleges and universities, has been awarded five-star recognition by Money magazine, a personal finance website. The ranking, which was introduced in 2023, uses six rankings from two to five stars to identify the 745 schools across the nation where tuition and time are likely to pay off. Cal Poly, along with 53 other schools, is known for its Learn by Doing educational opportunity, which is popular during the summer and spring.
Why is Cal Poly famous?
Cal Poly SLO, a public version of the California Institute of Technology, is known for its strong STEM programs and rigorous academics. Established in 1901, it has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21, 497 and a campus size of 9, 178 acres. The university uses a quarter-based academic calendar and ranks Regional Universities West, 1 in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges. Graduate students can pursue nearly 40 degrees, including those in the Orfalea College of Business.
Undergraduate students can choose from almost 70 majors, with engineering being the most popular choice. Cal Poly has over 80 state-of-the-art laboratories and 50 clubs dedicated specifically to the College of Engineering. Students can also get involved with 300 student organizations, including Rose Float, which allows students to conceptualize and create a float for the New Year’s Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.
For student athletes, Cal Poly offers dozens of intramural and club sports, including the nearly 20 Cal Poly Mustangs varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Big West and Great West conferences. Notable alumni include retired pro football coach John Madden and comedic musician “Weird Al” Yankovic.
What is Cal Poly’s mascot?
Cal Poly, a public university in San Luis Obispo, California, is the oldest of three polytechnic universities within the California State University system. Established in 1901, it emphasizes a “learn by doing” philosophy, integrating hands-on practical experiences into its curriculum. As of Fall 2022, Cal Poly had approximately 21, 000 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. The university is well-regarded for its undergraduate programs, ranking 1st among Regional Universities in the Western US in the 2025 U.
S. News and World Report rankings. Cal Poly is home to several nationally recognized programs, particularly in engineering, architecture, and business, with the College of Engineering and the Orfalea College of Business standing out for their academic excellence and industry connections. Most of the university’s athletic teams participate in the Big West Conference. Cal Poly was founded in 1901 as the California Polytechnic School, offering three-year secondary-level courses.
What is Cal Poly baseball mascot?
Cal Poly’s mascot, Musty, is a free-roaming, fun-loving creature who is often seen at athletic events like football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball. He enjoys hanging out and socializing, and his Instagram page is a great place to see him. To request Musty for an event, send a formal request via email with details of the event, including time and purpose. Off-campus appearances may have a fee and are based on availability.
What is the hardest Cal Poly to get into?
The university offers a number of challenging majors, including marine sciences, software engineering, biological sciences, aerospace engineering, chemistry, microbial biology, and political science.
📹 Cal Poly | Campus Virtual Tour | San Luis Obispo
00:00-01:13 Introduction 01:13-02:15 University Union 02:15-03:38 Housing 03:38-04:29 Academics Introduction 04:29-05:07 …
Excellent article! I am on path to become a transfer student at Cal State San Bernardino, a school I’ve had my eye on for years. Since I am going into Computer Science, CSU San Bernardino has a great computer engineering program alongside Cal State Long Beach, San Jose State, and the Poly’s. Compared to every other state in the US, I personally think California has the best state-wide public school system in the nation, since they make it extremely affordable and also accessible in big cities to small towns, like where I’m from.
Hi! I currently serve as the 2020-2022 Student Trustee for the CSU system. I went to CSUBakersfield and had the honor to visit each campus during my entire educational system. I really had to work hard to understand financial aid as a first generation student and am graduating without debt. I would love to collaborate on a future vid with you if you’d like some tips and tricks on getting students to afford a CSU education.
In public “perception”, it is 1. CP-SLO (essentially a mid-tier UC like UCD, UCI or UCSB… UCSD-like level for engineering, UCLA/Cal-like level for architecture) 2. CP-Pomona (a mid-tier UC for architecture and engineering), 3. SDSU (a mid-tier UC for business, and liberal arts), (“4.” Maritime, very small and niche, but reputable as a state-level Maritime Academy), 4. Long Beach, Fullerton, San Jose (low-tier UCs like UCR, UCSC), 5. Sonoma, Monterey Bay and Stanislaus (low tier UCs for liberal arts), all other CSUs go by programs. For example, all are great for nursing. Humboldt has great forestry.
I loved my undergrad at CSU Dominguez Hills, after touring other CSUs I was accepted to I felt I could thrive the most in Dominguez hills. After graduating I landed a great position with the university and now in my masters at CSU LB. Biggest takeaway from this article for applicants – CSU is such a rich and diverse entity in higher ed. If you want to flourish, you will, better to build relationships with peers, mentors, and professors. IT IS WORTH IT & just apply!
The rankings are based on completely different criteria. Rankings don’t mean anything unless you explain what the criteria they are based on. San Diego State is the only CSU that has multiple PHD programs (they have to be joint degrees affiliate with a PHD granting UC school) so US News puts it in the National University category which are research universities. The CSU’s were originally established for Bachelors and Masters granting for CA high school students with GPA’s in the top 1/3 of their class and UC’s were the research universities for Bachelors, Master and PHD’s for CA students in the top 12% of high school GPAs.
as someone who’s in CPP majoring in VCD, best campus, major diversity, and spoke with many alumnus about how much opportunities they got from there department. I’m taking 15 units with two part time jobs on campus as a graphic designer for the cultural centers and also a student fundraiser and I’m on a scholarship, so literally it may be hell for me, but the people around me make it the best moments. look into each cal state & see scholarship opportunities and look into research as well!!
I attended a research-based university, a big mistake! What they taught was totally irrelevant to the real world. They often talked about the theses and journal papers written by them. Very boring and useless. Reading the books written by Soros or Peter Lynch is much better. I should have chosen a career-based university.
hi idk if you’ll response but I need advice. So I live in Indoensia now I’m graduating from high school next year and I really really wanna get into a college in LA majoring in dance. And I eventually wanna work and live in LA. But I’m still lost whether I wanna go to CC or one of the cal state. Bcs money is the problem here. So which one is cheaper and has at least ok quality? + more international students friendly (dorms, acceptance rate,etc)
I graduated from Cal Poly SLO back in the early 1980’s with a Bachelor of Architecture degree. Although the professors in the Architecture and Engineering departments were top notch, I had some instructors in General Ed courses who were not very good. Before transferring into Cal Poly, I went to Pasadena City College, which back then, was the second best rated community college in the state. Many of the instructors I had for General Ed courses and others like math and science courses, were far superior to those at Cal Poly. Fortunately, I had completed the majority of my General Ed courses at Pasadena City College. PCC also had a good architecture department, so when applying to transfer to Cal Poly SLO school of Architecture, I did not have to submit a portfolio of my work like those from other community colleges due to the architecture program at Cal Poly being impacted at that time. I think to this day, the program is still impacted and it is difficult to get accepted to the program.
I have a gpa of 2.55 I had a good gpa in grade 9 back in my home country but I messed up my grade 10 first semester because I was new to the country and failed miserably then started to get good grades from the second semester but only managed to get it up to 2.55 now I am in my junior year and I have to apply after this summer do U think I have a chance to get accepted in CSU Sacramento, San Francisco or east bay because I live in Bay Area ?
lol CSU’s are trash and are made for kids with no skill. UCs are much better. If you can’t get into a UC like Berkeley UCLA UCSD or at least UCI, try to attend community college first instead of CSU’s because it’s a lot easier to transfer from Community college. College prestige matters to a certain degree, because people from a top college usually come out with lot of more skills and knowledges, where in CSU ur just trying to pass classes and a lot of times you don’t learn anything special.
Very comprehensive tour. So much has changed since I was there: I took my masters degree in engineering. I had a great time and SLO and California’s Central Coast are terrific places to relax and explore. The only place I truly dislike is “bubblegum alley” (I personally find it repulsive). Overall, a great intro to the real CalPoly!
Do you guys do FAFSA scholarships for students who decide to pay for their Room and board fee after they have got an acceptance letter from the college? Room and Board fees are so expensive if you’re out-of-state & not in-state-tuition. Room And Board expenses plus transportation is getting so expensive, especially if you are trying to live on campus instead of home/renting an apartment. room and board, does seem like a nightmare in today’s economy. 💔💔
This all sounds so great until you realize they don’t have enough professors, and you’ll never get the classes you want until you’re a 6th year. That’s only if you’re lucky, their course catalog is filled with classes that rarely, if ever, get offered. So if you see a cool class, don’t get your hopes up. They don’t care about students at all. They only care about getting as many through as possible. (after 5 or 6 years of tuition)