How to get into California Institute of Technology

How to get into Caltech: small, brutal, and uncompromising on stats

2.6%

Acceptance rate

$65,898

In-state cost

What makes California Institute of Technology admissions different

Caltech admits roughly 250 students per class. Average admit has an SAT math of 800 and is in the top 1% of their class — Caltech is one of the few schools where stats are genuinely a floor, not a soft preference. The school is small (under 1,000 undergrads), grade-deflated, and unapologetically STEM-focused. If you don't already love math and physics for their own sake, Caltech isn't your school.

What an actually competitive application looks like

  1. 1.

    Reach the math/science benchmark: SAT math 790-800, top-5% rank, multivariable calculus or beyond by senior year, AP scores of 5 in calc + at least one science.

  2. 2.

    Show genuine STEM passion that exists outside school requirements: research, competitions (AMC, AIME, USAMO, USACO, IPhO, Olympiad), independent projects.

  3. 3.

    Submit the optional 'why STEM' supplement seriously. Caltech wants intellectual fit, not just credentials.

  4. 4.

    Get teacher recs from a math or science teacher who knows your work in depth.

  5. 5.

    Apply Early Action — non-binding, small acceptance bump.

Common mistakes that hurt applicants here

  • ✕

    Treating Caltech as MIT-but-smaller. The cultures are different; Caltech is more theoretical, more academically intense, and far less hands-on.

  • ✕

    Skipping the optional supplement. With Caltech's small class, every signal matters.

  • ✕

    Underestimating the stat floor. Below SAT math 750 with no national-level STEM achievement, the odds are very long.

If you're on the bubble

Caltech is one of the few schools where 'genuinely loves math' is the strongest hook. If you've done national-level math/science competition work or you've published research, Caltech reads that more seriously than any peer school. Pure-stats applicants without genuine STEM curiosity rarely get in.

Next steps

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Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.

KidToCollege is free to use and editorially independent. Data sourced from public records including IPEDS, Common Data Sets, College Board and FAFSA.gov. Always verify deadlines and requirements directly with institutions. Not a guarantee of admission or financial aid.