The California Institute of Technology has been ranked the most competitive private doctoral university in the United States, with a paltry 2.7 percent acceptance rate.
This title was awarded to Caltech in this year’s annual edition of the Higher Education Almanac, a 128-page report that delved into a variety of statistics about colleges and universities across the country.
The Pasadena-based university, known for its contributions to science and engineering, is now officially harder to get into than Harvard University, which accepts 3.2 percent of applicants. Gate of Saint Francis reported.
The Ivy League universities on the East Coast have long been known for being private institutions, and they still are: Columbia University and Yale University accept fewer than 5 percent of the people who apply to them.
Now, high-achieving high school seniors looking for the best of the best to spend their next four years of study will almost certainly find Caltech on many online lists cataloging the most exclusive schools.
The California Institute of Technology is more selective than Harvard, Yale or Columbia, with an acceptance rate of just 2.7 percent.
Elite universities and Ivy League institutions have seen record acceptance rates over the past four years, thanks to many more students applying under more flexible guidelines.
Caltech is not alone in becoming much more selective over the past four years or so.
Most elite universities have historically low acceptance rates, and much of that can be attributed to dramatic increases in the number of students applying to them. Forbes reported last November.
This phenomenon is due in part to how accessible they have become since COVID-19, with many of them offering virtual campus tours, webinars, and other resources entirely online for prospective students.
But much of that is likely because institutions like the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton made standardized tests optional, opening the door for many more students to take them.
This began as a pandemic-era policy, but after several years of admitting students without requiring SAT or ACT scores, some colleges are considering making it permanent.
Exterior view of the Millikan Library on the Caltech campus in Los Angeles
While Caltech still requires standardized testing, it offers virtual tours, online information sessions and other opportunities to connect with admissions staff without having to visit campus.
There has been a 62 percent increase in applications from fall 2020 to fall 2024.
Caltech’s annual tuition is $58,479, which may sound like a lot, but it pales in comparison to the salaries graduates receive when they enter the workforce.
The average starting salary for a Caltech graduate ranges from $110,000 to $119,000 per year, which does not take into account raises and promotions in later years.
That’s why Caltech, along with many other California universities, represents the best value when it comes to earning potential.
Caltech was ranked the fourth best university in the country for value for money, according to a recent analysis by Niche.
Harvey Mudd College, also in the Los Angeles area, Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the top three spots.