California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

As one of only nine universities nationwide primarily devoted to the instruction of technical arts and applied sciences, California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a public polytechnic institution within the 23-member California State University system. Situated on a vast 1,438-acre urban campus, Cal Poly Pomona is strategically positioned on the eastern edge of the San Gabriel Valley around 30 miles east of the downtown hub of Los Angeles within the lush rolling hills of Pomona. Home to more than 22,000 students, Cal Poly Pomona is designated as the second largest polytechnic university in the entire United States.

While the school initially began as the southern branch of the California Polytechnic School, a completely equipped institution and farm in the city of San Dimas was donated by Charles Voorhis and his son Jerry Voordhis in 1938. The satellite campus grew exponentially larger in 1949 when a horse ranch owned by Will Keith Kellogg in the neighboring city of Pomona was acquired by the University of California. Quickly becoming known as Cal Poly Kellogg-Voorhis, the university operated under a unified administrative control with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo until each of the universities became independent institutions in 1966.

With an outstanding reputation for academic excellence in the region, California State Polytechnic University Pomona is currently ranked as the 33rd best college and 6th top public school in the West by the U.S. News and World Report. Fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Cal Poly Pomona awards 94 bachelor's degree, 39 master's degree, one doctoral, and 13 teaching credential programs across nine distinct academic divisions. Cal Poly Pomona is well-known for having the oldest and largest hospitality management college in the state, the largest civil engineering population in the nation, and the only agricultural degree programs in southern California.

Besides academics, students can have fun and build long-lasting professional or personal connections by joining some of the more than 250 recognized student clubs on campus, including the award-winning pep band. With 10 high-achieving intercollegiate varsity teams for competition in the NCAA Division II, the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos are currently the most successful athletic program in the California Collegiate Athletic Association with 60 CCAA and 14 NCAA championships. Some of the most notable alumni include film star Forest Whitaker, U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, Olympic gold medalist Kim Rhode, and Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis.