Caltech SAT: Average Scores, Ranges, and What You Need to Know

Caltech's average SAT score of 1545 positions the institute among the most academically selective schools in the country, and the tight middle 50% range from 1530 to 1570 reflects an exceptionally competitive applicant pool. With an acceptance rate below 3%, you are entering one of the most selective admissions processes in higher education where nearly every admitted student scores in the 99th percentile nationally on the SAT. The narrow band between the 25th and 75th percentiles indicates that successful applicants demonstrate uniformly exceptional test performance across the board. This level of consistency shows just how rigorous Caltech's academic expectations truly are.

When you think about what constitutes a "good" SAT score for Caltech, you need to understand that the average 1545 is merely the starting baseline for academic competitiveness, not a pathway to admission. Scoring around 1500 to 1530 places you within the admitted students' range, but thousands of applicants land in this exact score window each year while fewer than 100 spots remain in the incoming class. A score of 1570 moves you into the upper tier of admitted students and demonstrates particularly strong test performance, yet even this exceptional score carries no guarantee whatsoever. Many applicants submit perfect 1600 scores and still face rejection because Caltech evaluates far more than test numbers when making admissions decisions, particularly your demonstrated passion for STEM, intellectual curiosity, and specific technical skills.

Regarding what score you should absolutely avoid falling below, you should strive not to score significantly lower than 1480, which begins to fall noticeably below admitted student averages. While a small percentage of students have gained admission with scores below 1480, these cases typically involve extraordinary strengths elsewhere in the application, such as published research, elite math competition wins, or compelling personal circumstances that showcase exceptional resilience. Any score substantially below 1480 would seriously jeopardize your chances unless you possess truly remarkable extracurricular credentials or a compelling narrative. The closer you can push your score toward 1570 and beyond, the stronger your academic profile appears to the admissions committee, but this improvement in test scores does not overcome poor grades in advanced courses, lack of STEM engagement, or a thin overall application.

Caltech now requires all applicants to submit either an SAT or ACT score as of the Fall 2025 admissions cycle and beyond. The institute ended its test-optional moratorium after extensive internal review and now considers standardized test scores an essential component of your application. You must report all official SAT scores from every test date you took, and there are no exceptions for US applicants unless you face extraordinary circumstances that prevent you from accessing testing. The admissions committee uses these scores as one concrete measure of your readiness for Caltech's exceptionally demanding mathematics and physics requirements.

Caltech employs full superscoring for the SAT, which means the institute combines your highest section scores from different test dates to create your best possible composite score. If you score 760 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing in your first attempt and then score 800 in Math on your second attempt, Caltech will use the 760 EBRW combined with the 800 Math to create a 1560 superscore. This policy works significantly in your favor because you can target your weaker sections on future test attempts without worrying that your lower previous scores will damage your application. Superscoring removes the pressure to achieve your best performance across all sections on a single test day, allowing you to approach retakes strategically.

Your SAT score operates as one component within Caltech's holistic admissions evaluation, where the admissions committee assesses your overall potential to thrive in a rigorous STEM environment. While your test score provides valuable evidence that you possess the foundational mathematical and analytical skills necessary for Caltech's notorious core curriculum, the admissions officers simultaneously evaluate your unweighted high school transcript, the rigor of your course selections (particularly your performance in accelerated and AP level mathematics and science courses), your GPA (typically around 3.9 to 4.0 among admitted students), teacher recommendations that detail your intellectual engagement in the classroom, personal essays revealing your genuine passion for engineering or science, and your demonstrated experience with STEM activities outside the classroom. A strong SAT score cannot compensate for weak performance in calculus or physics, nor can it overcome a sparse extracurricular profile or limited evidence of actual STEM involvement.

At a school as remarkably selective as Caltech, where nearly all admitted students possess near-perfect test scores and GPAs, your SAT score alone becomes an essential but fundamentally insufficient credential for acceptance. The admissions officers use your test score to verify your academic readiness for Caltech's uncompromising intellectual demands, but they ultimately seek students who demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for mathematics and science, tangible problem-solving abilities showcased through research or projects, leadership qualities, or unique perspectives that will enrich the Caltech community. You could achieve a 1600 SAT and still encounter rejection if your application lacks evidence of authentic intellectual curiosity, meaningful STEM contributions, or real engagement with the scientific process. Conversely, a score slightly below the average might not eliminate you from consideration if other elements of your profile are exceptionally compelling and demonstrate your capacity to succeed in Caltech's challenging environment.

AdmitStudio users who have found success at top colleges often approach their applications as a single, cohesive story, not a checklist of impressive achievements. Rather than treating essays, activities, and recommendations as separate pieces, they focus on presenting themselves as a clear, memorable individual with defined values, motivations, and strengths. Their essays help admissions officers understand why they pursued certain activities, how their experiences shaped them, and what kind of person they would be on campus. This clarity makes it easier for readers to grasp who the applicant is within just a few minutes of review.

AdmitStudio users who are successful also tend to use their essays to connect and reinforce the rest of their application, not repeat it. The essay highlights a few core traits, such as curiosity, leadership, resilience, or initiative, while the activities list and recommendations quietly support those same traits with evidence. By aligning every part of the application around a consistent narrative, these students stand out not because they try to be extraordinary, but because they are specific, authentic, and intentional. Admissions officers come away with a strong sense of the applicant's identity and how they would uniquely contribute to the university community.