Southern california institute of technology acceptance rate

The California Institute of Technology, Caltech, is one of the most selective colleges in the country. With an acceptance rate of 6.4%, students will need to have well above average grades and test scores to be competitive.

Caltech accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition Application. The Institute requires scores from the SAT or ACT, academic transcripts, teacher recommendations, an application essay, and several short-answer essays.

Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores of admitted students.

Why Caltech?

• Location: Pasadena, California
• Campus Features: The small school of just 938 undergraduates sits on a 124-acre campus that is a short distance from Los Angeles and the Pacific Ocean.
• Student/Faculty Ratio: 3:1
• Athletics: The Caltech Beavers compete in the NCAA Division III SCIAC, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
• Highlights: Caltech typically vies with MIT for the top position among the nation's best engineering schools. Students can choose from 28 academic programs, and 95% of undergraduates participate in research.

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Caltech had an acceptance rate of 6.4%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 6 students were admitted, making Caltech's admissions process highly competitive.

SAT Scores and Requirements

Caltech requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 79% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Caltech's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Caltech scored between 740 and 780, while 25% scored below 740 and 25% scored above 780. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 790 and 800, while 25% scored below 790 and 25% scored a perfect 800. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1580 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at Caltech.

Requirements

Caltech does not require the SAT writing section. Note that Caltech participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle, Caltech no longer requires applicants to submit SAT Subject test scores.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Caltech requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 42% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

This admissions data tells us that most of Caltech's admitted students fall within the top 1% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Caltech received a composite ACT score between 35 and 36, while 25% scored a perfect 36 and 25% scored below 35.

Requirements

Note that Caltech does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. However, if you have taken the ACT more than once, Caltech will take note of differences in section scores across all ACT test dates. Caltech does not require the optional ACT writing section.

GPA

Caltech does not provide data about admitted students' high school GPAs. In 2019, 99% of admitted students who provided data indicated that they ranked in the top 10% of their high school class.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Caltech. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

As one of the nation's most selective colleges, Caltech is looking for applicants with grades and test scores that are well above average. However, Caltech has a holistic admissions policy and the admissions officers will be looking for more than good grades and high standardized test scores. They will also want to see challenging courses, glowing letters of recommendation, winning essays, and strong extracurricular involvement. Success in AP, Honors, or IB classes will be essential, but the admissions committee will also be reading every word of your application essay and short answer responses. Bear in mind that Caltech is looking for more than stellar scientists and engineers, the school wants to enroll students who will enrich the campus community in meaningful ways.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that most successful applicants had "A" averages, SAT scores (ERW+M) of about 1450 or higher, and an ACT composite score of 32 or higher. However, there are many students with high test scores and GPAs of 4.0 who don't get into Caltech.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Caltech Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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