California Institute of Technology GPA requirements & acceptance rate
Average GPA, acceptance rate and SAT/ACT ranges for California Institute of Technology, all from its own Common Data Set 2025-26, plus a quick estimate of your chances.
What are my chances at California Institute of Technology?
Enter your unweighted GPA to see an estimate.
What GPA do you need to get into California Institute of Technology?
California Institute of Technology’s own Common Data Set (2025-26) does not report an average high school GPA (item C12 is blank), so there is no official average to target and none is shown here. Use the acceptance rate and test-score ranges below as your guide, and focus on a rigorous course load and strong grades. Source: California Institute of Technology Common Data Set 2025-26.
California Institute of Technology acceptance rate
California Institute of Technology’s Common Data Set 2025-26 (item C1) reports 11,285 first-time, first-year applicants for fall 2025 and 428 admitted, an acceptance rate of 3.8%. That makes California Institute of Technology extremely selective — one of the most competitive in the country. GPA is only one piece: California Institute of Technology also weighs the rigor of your courses, essays, recommendations and activities, and test scores where it considers them.
California Institute of Technology SAT and ACT scores
The middle 50% of California Institute of Technology’s enrolled first-year students who submitted scores had ACT 35–36 (25th to 75th percentile, Common Data Set 2025-26, item C9). The CDS does not report SAT composite percentiles (some colleges give only the section scores). A score at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students who reported one.
| Test | 25th | 50th | 75th | Submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT composite | 35 | 35 | 36 | 22% |
California Institute of Technology admissions at a glance
| First-year applicants (fall 2025) | 11,285 |
| Admitted | 428 |
| Acceptance rate | 3.8% |
| Average high school GPA | Not reported |
| Submitted a GPA | — |
| SAT composite, 25th–75th | Not reported |
| ACT composite, 25th–75th | 35–36 |
| Common Data Set year | 2025-26 |
Source: California Institute of Technology Common Data Set 2025-26 · California Institute of Technology’s Common Data Set page, items C1 (applicants and admits), C9 (SAT/ACT) and C12 (GPA), read October 2026. Every figure on this page comes from the college’s own Common Data Set; none is from a third-party website.
Estimate your odds
The estimator above starts from California Institute of Technology’s acceptance rate and moves it up or down with your GPA. It is a rough guide, not a prediction: it does not see your essays, course rigor or major. To plan the grades you need, try the college GPA calculator and the target GPA planner.
How to strengthen your application
Beyond the GPA range, focus on what you can still move: take the most challenging courses your school offers, keep your grades trending upward, prepare for the SAT or ACT if California Institute of Technology considers them, and write essays that show genuine fit.