Pasadena, CA · private · 987 undergraduates
California Institute of Technology acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
Caltech admitted 3.79% of applicants for fall 2025 and enrolled only 248 first-year students in all, from 136 men and 112 women.
Net price per year at Caltech
$18,753
Reach · admit rate 3.79%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 3.79% (1 in 26) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,550 to 1,580 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 1% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $98,622 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $18,753 |
| Share of the sticker price | 19% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: Caltech net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: Caltech Common Data Set 2025-26 (August 2026), C1: 7,772 men + 3,513 women applied; 224 + 204 admitted; 136 + 112 enrolled (unknown-sex rows blank; totals are the sums of the published lines) · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 3.79%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,550 to 1,580
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $98,622
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $431
Caltech's acceptance rate for the class that entered in fall 2025 (Class of 2029) is 3.79%: 428 admitted out of 11,285 applicants, and 248 enrolled, according to the Caltech Common Data Set 2025-26. The federal figure for the year before was 2.57%, on a larger pool. The SAT or ACT is required; Caltech reports section scores only, so the composite of 1,550 to 1,580 is an approximation from the section ranges, and the ACT range is 35 to 36. The 2026-27 cost of attendance is $98,622, health insurance aside. In 2023-24, aided families under $48,000 paid $0 on average and families between $75,001 and $110,000 paid $18,753. Most families under $100,000 now get a no-loan package covering tuition, fees, housing and food.
A freshman class of 248, and a rate that rose
Caltech's whole entering class in fall 2025 was 248 students: 136 men and 112 women. Caltech received 11,285 applications for that class and made 428 offers, an admit rate of 3.79%, above the federal 2.57% reported for the fall 2024 class. Of those admitted, 58% chose to enroll.
Restrictive Early Action, due November 1, 2026, is non-binding: admitted students have until May 1 to decide and can compare aid offers from other schools. Caltech says most of its admitted students applied in Regular Decision, which closes January 4, 2027. The waiting list is nearly closed; for fall 2025, 211 students accepted a place and 1 was admitted.
Caltech: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
59%
| Middle 50% | 1,550 to 1,580 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), sum of section percentiles (CDS 2025-26, C9 (190 SAT submitters, 55 ACT submitters)). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
Scores at the top of both scales
Enrolled students who sent the SAT had a Math range of 790 to 800 and a reading and writing range of 760 to 780; 78% reported the SAT and 22% the ACT. Applicants who took AP or IB exams are asked to send those scores as well. With about 26 applicants per offer, these ranges show what enrolled students brought, not a score that earns an offer.
Caltech: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$431
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 0% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
Full need, but loans above $100,000
Caltech meets 100% of demonstrated need and gives no merit scholarships. Its packages can include loans: under $100,000 of income with typical assets, most students get a no-loan offer covering tuition, fees, housing and food, and under $200,000 aid typically covers tuition. Domestic applicants are read need-blind, including undocumented and DACA students from US high schools; international applicants are need-aware because aid funds for them are limited. The 2026-27 budget is $68,574 of tuition, $2,655 of fees and $21,996 for housing and food, plus books and personal costs. The student health plan, $5,388 for those without comparable coverage, can be added to the aid budget on request. Compare Caltech with MIT and Stanford in the comparison tool.
From California Institute of Technology’s own documents
- Caltech is tiny: only 248 first-year students enrolled in fall 2025, from 11,285 applicants and 428 admits (3.8%). source
- Admission is need-blind for US students but need-aware for international applicants, because international aid funds are limited. source
- Families under $100,000 can expect a no-loan package covering tuition, fees, housing and food; under $200,000, aid typically covers tuition. Above that, Caltech packages can include loans, and there are no merit scholarships. source
- The 2026-27 cost of attendance is $98,622 on campus, and the Caltech Student Health Insurance Plan adds $5,388 for students without comparable coverage. source
- Restrictive Early Action is non-binding (admitted students have until May 1 and can compare aid offers), but most Caltech admits apply in Regular Decision. source
- The waiting list barely moves: 263 applicants were offered a place for fall 2025, 211 accepted and 1 was admitted. source
Net price at California Institute of Technology by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $0 | 0% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $0 | 0% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $431 | 0% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $18,753 | 22% |
| $110,001 and up | $54,157 | 62% |
| All aided students | $16,075 | 19% |
Cost of attendance at California Institute of Technology, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $68,574 | |
| Fees | $2,655 | |
| Housing and food | $21,996 | |
| Books and supplies | $1,428 | |
| Personal | $3,969 | |
| Total | $98,622 |
California Institute of Technology admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 11,285 | 428 | 248 | 3.79% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 2.57% |
SAT and ACT scores at California Institute of Technology
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), sum of section percentiles (CDS 2025-26, C9 (190 SAT submitters, 55 ACT submitters))) | 1,550 | 1,550 | 1,580 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-26, C9 (190 SAT submitters, 55 ACT submitters))) | 35 | 35 | 36 |
Outcomes at California Institute of Technology
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 94% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 97% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $128,566 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | n/a | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 987 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 18% | 2023-24 |