Cal Poly, Hancock College announce partnership to offer bachelor’s degrees in Santa Maria
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Cal Poly and Allan Hancock College announced a historic partnership Monday morning that will provide students with the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in Santa Maria.
Beginning in fall 2026, Cal Poly will begin to offer classes on Hancock's Santa Maria campus which will allow students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
The two schools also announced two additional bachelor's degree programs will be offered in 2028 and 2030.
The program will be set up so that qualified students who complete their education at Hancock will be able to transfer to Cal Poly, but instead of having to travel to San Luis Obispo, they will be remain in Santa Maria where they can take Cal Poly classes with Cal Poly faculty on the Hancock campus.
Once students complete the necessary coursework, they will earn a Cal Poly diploma in their chosen major.
"This is a game changer for students in our region who want to continue their education but face barriers to relocating," said Allan Hancock President/Superintendent Kevin Walthers. "President (Jeffrey) Armstrong and his team at Cal Poly are really stepping up for students and our local workforce."
The partnership expands on a previously created program that started in fall 2024 between the two schools that now offers a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology on the Santa Maria campus.
"We are pleased to be able to open the doors to a Cal Poly education for even more residents in our local area," said Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong. "These programs illustrate Cal Poly's broader commitment to fostering strong partnerships with our nearby community colleges and providing greater opportunity and access to academically qualified local and transfer students."
According to Armstrong, the two schools will work together to determine which degrees will be offered in the future.
"We're committed to adding at least two more by 2030," said Armstrong. "We want to do where the demands are. We want to look at the data and we'll look at it. There may be some agriculture areas, and some other things that we're going to talk about, but again, it's going to be based on the needs of the community and Cal Poly is committed."
