Culinary Institute of America Acceptance Rate
Hyde Park, New York · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 2,161
- Admitted
- 1,983
- Yield
- 34.3%
- Test policy
- Test-optional
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Culinary Institute of America's acceptance rate has risen from 63.7% in 2014–15 to 91.8% in 2023–24. Applications grew from 1,735 to 2,161 (+25%) over that period.
Its 91.8% rate makes Culinary Institute of America more selective than about 17% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 119 tracked New York schools, it is more selective than about 4%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (94.3% for women vs 88.6% for men, a 5.7-point gap). Culinary Institute of America has been test-optional since 2022–23. Of admitted students, 34.3% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 1,735 | 1,105 | 63.7% | 522 |
| 2015–16 | 1,431 | 1,319 | 92.2% | 497 |
| 2016–17 | 1,045 | 985 | 94.3% | 512 |
| 2017–18 | 1,170 | 1,137 | 97.2% | 433 |
| 2018–19 | 1,035 | 1,014 | 98% | 472 |
| 2019–20 | 1,669 | 1,631 | 97.7% | 610 |
| 2020–21 | 1,777 | 1,718 | 96.7% | 570 |
| 2021–22 | 2,056 | 2,017 | 98.1% | 720 |
| 2022–23 | 1,887 | 1,790 | 94.9% | 674 |
| 2023–24 | 2,161 | 1,983 | 91.8% | 680 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 1,204 | 1,135 | 94.3% |
| Men | 957 | 848 | 88.6% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-optional (considered if submitted).
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | % submitting |
|---|---|---|
| SAT EBRW | 500–605 | 20% |
| SAT Math | 470–590 | |
| ACT Composite | 17–25 | 6% |
How Culinary Institute of compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Culinary Institute of America's acceptance rate?
Culinary Institute of America's acceptance rate is 91.8% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (1,983 admitted of 2,161 applicants).
Is Culinary Institute of America test optional?
Culinary Institute of America is test-optional: SAT/ACT scores are considered if submitted but not required.
How many people apply to Culinary Institute of America?
Culinary Institute of America received 2,161 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 1,983.
What SAT score do you need for Culinary Institute of America?
Admitted students at Culinary Institute of America typically scored 500–605 on SAT Reading/Writing and 470–590 on SAT Math (middle-50% ranges).
Is Culinary Institute of America getting harder to get into?
Culinary Institute of America has become easier to get into: its acceptance rate went from 63.7% in 2014–15 to 91.8% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.ciachef.edu/.