California Private Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate
Below is a ranking of the 100 private colleges in California with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. California Institute of Technology leads the list by accepting 3% of high school students that applied.
Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.
| College | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
|
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California |
3% |
|
Minerva University
San Francisco, California |
3% |
|
Stanford University
Stanford, California |
4% |
|
Pomona College
Claremont, California |
7% |
|
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California |
10% |
|
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California |
10% |
|
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California |
13% |
|
Northeastern University Oakland
Oakland, California |
17% |
|
Pitzer College
Claremont, California |
25% |
|
San Diego Christian College
Santee, California |
31% |
|
California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California |
32% |
|
Hope International University
Fullerton, California |
33% |
|
Pacific Oaks College
Pasadena, California |
34% |
|
Scripps College
Claremont, California |
38% |
|
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science
Los Angeles, California |
39% |
|
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary
El Dorado Hills, California |
41% |
|
Casa Loma College Los Angeles
Sherman Oaks, California |
43% |
|
Soka University of America
Aliso Viejo, California |
43% |
This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026
Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.