All nine schools of the University of California system offer engineering programs, but among the most popular is UC Berkeley’s College of Engineering. Located in the East Bay college town of Berkeley, the UC school is often just called Cal. It is the flagship campus of the California public land-grant research university system. Cal is an extremely popular school, and their engineering programs are especially competitive. While they haven’t released a separate acceptance rate for the engineering school in a couple of years, they did for the 2021-2022 school year. At the time, the College of Engineering had about a 7.6% acceptance rate. The overall acceptance rate for that same year was 14%.

Yale is an Ivy League research university in New Haven, CT that truly needs no introduction. While it isn’t really known for engineering, they offer several engineering-based majors through their School of Engineering & Applied Science.

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, Johns Hopkins University had an acceptance rate of 6.4%. But that single percentage, on its own, doesn’t actually explain very much. Where does that number come from? And why does it keep tightening year after year? Hopkins does release some admissions data publicly, but understanding what’s really going on requires a more careful, data-driven read. That’s exactly why we break this information down annually, to help our students approach highly competitive admissions with a real strategic plan.

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, Pomona College admitted 7.1% of applicants, reinforcing its place among the most selective liberal arts colleges in the country. That headline percentage is eye-catching, sure, but on its own, it’s not especially useful. Where does that figure come from? Pomona does release pieces of its admissions data, but understanding what those numbers actually mean requires a closer, more thoughtful read. That’s why we dig into this data every year, to help students approach ultra-selective admissions with clear eyes, grounded expectations, and an intentional plan.

In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) admitted only a small share of its enormous applicant pool, with an acceptance rate hovering around 9%. That statistic alone highlights just how selective the process has become. But an acceptance rate by itself doesn’t explain very much. How exactly is that number calculated? UCLA does release some admissions information, but understanding what it actually means requires a closer look at the data behind the headline figures. Each year, we analyze these numbers carefully so students can approach competitive admissions with clearer expectations and a well-considered strategy.

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, Carnegie Mellon University admitted only a small portion of its applicant pool, 11.7%, continuing its reputation as one of the most selective STEM-forward institutions in the country. But a single acceptance rate doesn’t tell you very much on its own. How is that number actually generated? And what pressures are tightening it year after year? CMU does publish some admissions data, but making sense of it requires a more careful, analytical pass. That’s exactly why we unpack this data annually – to help students approach competitive admissions with realism, clarity, and intention.

During the 2024–2025 admissions cycle, the University of Notre Dame admitted a much smaller share of applicants than many families expect – 11.3%. And that number is only going down over time. If your mental image of Notre Dame is shaped by how accessible it felt a generation ago, that number can shock parents, but like a lot of schools, ND has become much more competitive over time. But an acceptance rate alone doesn’t explain what’s really going on, or how Notre Dame arrived at this level of selectivity. While the university does publish some admissions data, understanding the why behind the numbers takes a closer look and a bit of analysis. That’s exactly why we break this data down each year – to help students see the full landscape and build a strategy that reflects today’s reality for students, not the reputation parents might remember.

Northwestern University has been logging record low acceptance rates most years over at least the past decade. As the acceptance rate creeps downwards, the university has become increasingly sought after. It’s the same exceptional education — of course — just more selective. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 dipped below 7%.