Caltech Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 (Latest)

Caltech admitted 2.6% of applicants for the Class of 2028, continuing a sharp decline from the 6.6% acceptance rate for the Class of 2022. While Class of 2030 figures are not out yet, the latest cycle shows exactly 356 students were accepted out of 13,856 applications. Yield has also increased over this period to 61.2%, meaning more admitted students are choosing to enroll.

Caltech Acceptance Rate: Class of 2028

Official Class of 2030 figures are not public yet. The most recent cycle with Common Data Set numbers is the Class of 2028, when Caltech admitted 356 of 13,856 applicants, an acceptance rate of 2.6%.[1] This page is updated as soon as the Class of 2030 figures are published.

Caltech Acceptance Rate by Year

Across the 7 cycles with official figures, the acceptance rate has fallen from 6.6% (Class of 2022) to 2.6% (Class of 2028).[1]

Class	Applied	Admitted	Acceptance rate
2028	13,856	356	2.6%
2027	13,107	412	3.1%
2026	16,626	448	2.7%
2025	13,026	510	3.9%
2024	8,007	536	6.7%
2023	8,367	537	6.4%
2022	8,208	543	6.6%

Caltech Waitlist Statistics

For the Class of 2028, Caltech offered a waitlist place to 206 applicants, of whom 171 accepted it, and 41 were ultimately admitted.[1] That is a 24.0% admit rate among students who stayed on the list.

Class	Offered a place	Accepted a place	Admitted off the waitlist
2028	206	171	41
2027	213	199	0
2026	195	167	15
2025	268	213	0
2024	312	235	10
2023	501	394	5
2022	634	512	6

Admitted Student Test Scores (Class of 2024)

The middle 50% of enrolled students scored:[1]

• SAT (combined mid-50%): 1530–1580 (EBRW 740–780, Math 790–800)
• ACT composite (mid-50%): 35–36

The combined SAT range is the sum of the two section ranges, not a true composite percentile.

Caltech Yield Rate

Of the 356 students admitted to the Class of 2028, 218 enrolled, a yield rate of 61.2%.[1] Yield is what the university is really managing when it sets an admit rate, so it moves the acceptance rate more than application volume does.

Class	Admitted	Enrolled	Yield
2028	356	218	61.2%
2027	412	266	64.6%
2026	448	224	50.0%
2025	510	270	52.9%
2024	536	225	42.0%
2023	537	236	43.9%
2022	543	231	42.5%

What to Expect for the Class of 2030

Over the three most recent official classes (2026–2028) the acceptance rate at Caltech has sat between 2.6%–3.1%.

That band is what the school has actually done recently, not a prediction. A single cycle can break it: a change to testing policy, a new direct-admission program, or a jump in application volume moves the rate more than any trend would.

What This Means for Your Application

• Perfect your math: Successful applicants present exceptional test scores with the mid-50% achieving a Math SAT score between 790 and 800.
• Forget the waitlist: Getting admitted from the waitlist is exceedingly rare and resulted in 0 acceptances for the Class of 2025 and Class of 2027.
• Prepare for volume: The total number of applications surged from 8,007 for the Class of 2024 to an overwhelming 13,856 for the Class of 2028.
• Target limited spots: The university only admitted 356 students for the Class of 2028 to maintain its famously small incoming class size.