The 11 California community colleges that own dormitories, organized by Cal Poly SLO transfer pipeline strength. Each card surfaces the Cal Poly relationship, housing, cost, distinguishing programs, athletics, and distance from Aptos.
California's top two Cal Poly SLO feeders are commuter campuses with no own housing — Cuesta College (#1, ~286 admits/yr, 56% admit rate) and Allan Hancock College (#2, ~250 admits/yr, 69% admit rate — highest in CA for 13+ consecutive years).
Among the 11 CA CCs that own dormitories: only Sierra College has a notable engineering transfer presence (no formal partnership, no published numbers), and only Coalinga College has a named Cal Poly partnership (the veterans-focused Ag Warriors Program).
If Cal Poly is the goal, a CC's on-campus housing is unlikely to be the deciding factor — the structural advantage lies with the commuter feeders.
No own housing — but if Cal Poly transfer is the goal, this is where students go.
San Luis Obispo, CA · CCCAA Cougars (Western State Conf.)
Cal Poly path: Strongest CA articulation w/ Cal Poly: ag · architecture · engineering · viticulture (Paso). NEW Fall 2026: Cal Poly 2+2 Liberal Studies on Cuesta campus.
Housing: NO own housing — commuter campus
Cost: $46/unit · ~$1,350/yr T+F · SLO rents add $25–32K/yr
Santa Maria, CA · CCCAA Bulldogs
Cal Poly path: Cal Poly 2+2 BA Sociology (since fall 2024) · NEW Fall 2026: Cal Poly 2+2 BS Business Administration. Earn Cal Poly degree without commuting to SLO.
Housing: NO own housing · BUT runs an active off-campus Housing Board through the Basic Needs Center (Building N, Santa Maria Campus) — free landlord listings (homes, apartments, studios, rooms) + roommate matching. Contact (805) 922-6966 ext. 3927.
Cost: $46/unit · ~$1,350/yr T+F · Santa Maria rents ~$1,800/mo 1BR · per-bed shared $700–$1,200/mo (cheaper than SLO)
Rocklin, CA · CCCAA Wolverines
Programs: Lower-division engineering (chem · civil · electrical · mechanical) — all Cal Poly transfer-feasible. Largest of the 11 housing-CCs by enrollment.
Housing: On-campus housing (Hines Hall + adjacent)
Cost: $46/unit · ~$1,350/yr T+F · housing varies
Coalinga, CA · CCCAA Falcons (Central Valley Conf.)
Cal Poly tie: Ag Warriors Program — Cal Poly + Fresno State + College of the Sequoias + West Hills Coalinga (veterans-focused agricultural training, the ONLY named Cal Poly partnership in this 11-CC set). Ag courses 'designed to parallel Cal Poly.'
Housing: Gordon + Ivans Halls · ~169 beds · mandatory meal plan · $7,660–$8,354/yr
Cost: $46/unit · ~$1,350/yr T+F · room+board $7,660+
ASSIST articulation only · no formal Cal Poly partnership · no published transfer numbers.
Sonora, CA · Yosemite-adjacent
Housing: 192 beds · apartment-style · no mandatory meal plan · $7,450–$12,300/yr
Programs: Fire Technology / Fire Academy (own on-campus fire station — rare in CCC system) · Forestry & Natural Resources
Distance: 155 mi from Aptos · 2 hr 45 min drive
ASSIST articulation only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Quincy, CA · 3,432 ft · Plumas NF
Housing: 238 beds across 3 properties · no meal plan · $5,000–$5,400/yr
Programs: B.S. Equine & Ranch Management (CCC-baccalaureate pioneer, 2016) · B.S. Ecosystem Restoration & Applied Fire Management · NIRA rodeo since 2002
Distance: 310 mi from Aptos · 5 hr 15 min drive
Rural-CCC group · ASSIST only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Eureka, CA · North Coast
Housing: On-campus housing (limited)
Programs: Forestry · marine technology · regional transfer feeder to Cal Poly Humboldt (NOT SLO)
Distance: 350 mi from Aptos · 6 hr drive
Closer to Cal Poly Humboldt · no SLO pipeline
Weed, CA · Mt Shasta
Housing: On-campus housing
Programs: Fire science · forestry · outdoor recreation · environmental
Distance: 440 mi from Aptos · 7 hr drive
ASSIST only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Ridgecrest, CA · East Sierra
Housing: On-campus housing
Programs: Industrial maintenance · administration of justice · STEM transfer prep
Distance: 335 mi from Aptos · 5.5 hr drive
ASSIST only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Susanville, CA · NE California
Housing: On-campus housing · limited
Programs: Agriculture · forestry · administration of justice · rural transfer base
Distance: 330 mi from Aptos · 5.5 hr drive
Rural-CCC group · ASSIST only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Reedley, CA · Central Valley
Housing: On-campus housing
Programs: Strong agriculture program · agricultural business · plant science · ASSIST articulation only (no formal Cal Poly partnership despite ag overlap)
Distance: 180 mi from Aptos · 3 hr drive
Strong ag · ASSIST only · no formal Cal Poly partnership
Redding, CA · Far North
Housing: On-campus housing
Programs: Agriculture · forestry · transfer prep · health occupations
Distance: 300 mi from Aptos · 5 hr drive
ASSIST only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Taft, CA · S Central Valley
Housing: On-campus residence hall · ~250 beds · mandatory meal plan
Programs: Business · administration of justice · STEM transfer · early childhood ed
Distance: 245 mi from Aptos · 4 hr drive
ASSIST only · no Cal Poly pipeline
Cal Poly does NOT offer a Transfer Admission Guarantee with any community college. This is explicitly confirmed by Cuesta's own transfer page. UC TAGs (3.4 GPA, 60 units) do not apply to Cal Poly — that's a CSU.
Students earn full Cal Poly degrees on the partner CC campus while paying Cal Poly tuition. Currently only at Cuesta (NEW Fall 2026: Liberal Studies) and Allan Hancock (BA Sociology since fall 2024 · BS Business Admin Fall 2026).
Cal Poly admitted 2,040 of 10,432 transfer applicants in fall 2024 (~20%). Mid-50% transfer GPA: 3.38–3.90 (fall 2023). ADT priority gives a small boost but no guarantee.
CSU Transfer Success Pathway: dual-admission for first-time CC enrollees committing to transfer in 3 years. Cal Poly participates but adds GPA minimums beyond standard CSU criteria due to demand.
Summer bridge program for newly admitted ME and CS/SE transfers. Cal Poly's CENG offers this to smooth the on-campus transition for engineering transfers from any CCC.
Cuesta (in SLO) and Allan Hancock (Santa Maria, 30 min south) are physically adjacent to Cal Poly. Faculty know each other, articulation is mature, and 2+2 programs put Cal Poly courses on those campuses. None of the 11 housing-CCs have that proximity advantage.
Sources: Cal Poly UCM — partners with Cuesta + Hancock · Cuesta Cal Poly transfer page · Allan Hancock Cal Poly resources · Cal Poly Transfer Center · Ag Warriors Program / West Hills Coalinga · CCCCO College Dormitories list.