California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Renowned for its practical approach to education, California Polytechnic State University-Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona) is one of two polytechnic institutions in the 23-member California State University system and has a student population of around 24,000, making it the second-largest polytechnic institution in the country.

The university was originally a branch of the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, and opened as an all-male institute in 1938 on the site of the former Voorhis School for Boys. However, when breakfast cereal pioneer W.K. Kellogg donated 813 acres of land for a new campus the university could not refuse such an offer, and in 1956 Cal Poly Pomona moved to the site where it now stands today.

Cal Poly Pomona separated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1966 and was granted university status in 1972. Today the university campus is 1,438 acres, making it the second largest in area in the whole University of California system.

There are eight major academic colleges teaching agriculture, business administration, education, engineering, environmental design, hospitality management, arts and social sciences, and science, as well as the College of the Extended University which provides community access to traditional extension programs.

The Cal Poly Pomona sports teams are known as the Broncos and compete at the NCAA’s Division II level in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Cal Poly Pomona has won 14 NCAA National Championships, making the Broncos the most successful sports team in the CCAA.

Notable former students include actor Forest Whitaker, former US Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, and American BMX star Dave Mirra.