California Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate
Pasadena, California · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 13,107
- Admitted
- 412
- Yield
- 64.6%
- Test policy
- Test-blind
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, California Institute of Technology's acceptance rate has fallen from 8.8% in 2014–15 to 3.1% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 6,525 to 13,107 (+101%) over that period.
Its 3.1% rate makes California Institute of Technology more selective than about 99% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 84 tracked California schools, it is more selective than about 99%.
California Institute of Technology has been test-blind (scores not considered) since 2022–23. Of admitted students, 64.6% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 6,525 | 576 | 8.8% | 226 |
| 2015–16 | 6,506 | 573 | 8.8% | 241 |
| 2016–17 | 6,855 | 553 | 8.1% | 235 |
| 2017–18 | 7,339 | 568 | 7.7% | 235 |
| 2018–19 | 8,208 | 543 | 6.6% | 231 |
| 2019–20 | 8,367 | 537 | 6.4% | 235 |
| 2020–21 | 8,007 | 536 | 6.7% | 225 |
| 2021–22 | 13,026 | 510 | 3.9% | 270 |
| 2022–23 | 16,626 | 448 | 2.7% | 224 |
| 2023–24 | 13,107 | 412 | 3.1% | 266 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 4,134 | 182 | 4.4% |
| Men | 8,973 | 230 | 2.6% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-blind (not considered).
How California Institute of compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is California Institute of Technology's acceptance rate?
California Institute of Technology's acceptance rate is 3.1% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (412 admitted of 13,107 applicants).
Is California Institute of Technology test optional?
California Institute of Technology is test-blind: SAT/ACT scores are not considered in admission.
How many people apply to California Institute of Technology?
California Institute of Technology received 13,107 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 412.
Is California Institute of Technology getting harder to get into?
California Institute of Technology has become harder to get into: its acceptance rate went from 8.8% in 2014–15 to 3.1% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.caltech.edu/.