Special Report

CALTech Is the Hardest College to Get In to in America

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: January 21, 2023 8:01 am

Colleges around the country have recently sent acceptance letters to applicants. Many colleges and universities admit over half the applicants, even more. Among America’ elite universities, however, the acceptance rate is around 20% or less. Considering SAT scores as well, the hardest college to get into in America is the California Institute of Technology.

Only 3.9% of applicants were admitted to the higher-education institute in the 2020-2021 academic year, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics, and the median SAT scores of those admitted in fall 2020 was 1545 out of 1600.

The California Institute of Technology, also known as Caltech, is not as famous as other elite colleges and universities like Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. Harvard and Princeton are almost as hard to get into as Caltech. They also have admission rates of less than 5%, according to NCES, but the median SAT scores of those admitted was lower in Harvard, Princeton, or Yale, also based on NCES data. (Here is where America’s 25 richest billionaires went to college.)

Caltech’s primary goal is to train scientists and engineers like its East Coast rival Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which is the second hardest college to get into in America. MIT admitted only 4.1% of applicants, and the median SAT score among those admitted was 1540.

Alumni and faculty at Caltech have won 47 won Nobel Prizes, primarily in physics, chemistry, physics, and medicine. (Find out if any of the universities mentioned are also among the most expensive colleges in the United States.)

Caltech boasts an impressive student-to-teacher ratio. It has a faculty of 300 against 1,000 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students. The primary goal of this faculty, Caltech says, “We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.”

The impotence of a degree from one of America’s top colleges or universities cannot be overstated. Earning a bachelor’s degree from one of these not only opens the door to different employment opportunities, but it also increases earning potential and improves job security.

See 24/7 Wall St.’s list of the hardest colleges to get into.