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School Overview

Data & methodology

Evaluation method

Ranking Basis

Data Scale: FindingSchool leverages an extensive data set that exceeds that of similar rankings, ensuring accurate and relevant evaluations through well-defined weight distributions and scoring mechanisms.

Weight Distribution: We gathered feedback from thousands of families and consulted over 50 industry experts to create ranking weights tailored to the needs of Asian students.

Scoring Mechanism: Each of the 46 distinct data points is evaluated using unique mathematical models, scoring based on its position within the overall data distribution.

Basis for Ranking: Instead of absolute values, we focus on relative differences in data. There is no fixed score threshold for separating schools; instead, the “admission cutoff” is adjusted annually based on data trends, similar to college entrance exams.

Evaluation Mechanism

The school page currently displays an evaluation card that includes an overall rating and ratings across five key categories, totaling 46 data points. The five categories are: Geographic Community, Academic Strength, Matriculation Level, Extracurricular Activities, and FindingSchool Reviews. Visitors can easily view the overall score and ratings for each dimension (ranging from A+ to C). For boarding schools, detailed total score rankings are also included

The data used for evaluations and rankings comes from three primary sources: official school data, public data, and user-submitted data on FindingSchool.

Scoring Mechanism

The entire scoring system is based on mathematical models derived from statistical analysis of samples from hundreds of schools across various levels. Each data point receives a corresponding rating based on its percentile position within the overall predicted distribution.

  • In the boarding school evaluation:: A- and above account for 45% of the total, B- and above account for 40%, C accounts for 15%.

  • In the day school evaluation: A- and above account for 30% of the total, B- and above account for 51%, C and others account for 19%.

2025 Evaluation Methodology

1. [30% - Matriculation Dimension]: Ivy League admission rate, admission rate for Top 25 National Universities and Top 5 Liberal Arts Colleges, admission rate for Top 50 National Universities and Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges, admission rate for Top 100 National Universities and Top 25 Liberal Arts Colleges, along with a summary of historical admissions data.

2. [24% - Academic Dimension]: Course offerings (AP, IB, Honors, and Advanced courses), percentage of teachers with a master’s degree or higher, percentage of AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5, average scores on standardized tests (SAT and ACT), scores in AMC math competitions, and results in FRC robotics competitions.

3. [14% - Extracurricular Activities]: Alumni donation rate, number of clubs and activities, ratings for competitive sports teams, and ratings for arts programs.

4. [12% - FindingSchool Reviews]: FindingSchool website rating, review comments on FindingSchool, and historical rating trends.

5. [8% - Geographic Community]: State resource evaluation, density score of nearby top universities, distance to the nearest international airport, convenience of local amenities, transportation convenience, city crime rate, and educational level of the local population.

Overall
A+
Matriculation A+
Academics A+
Extracurriculars A-
Community B
Reviews A
Located one mile from the ocean, in the foothills of Santa Barbara County, Cate School is a coeducational college preparatory boarding school. Founded in 1910, the School delivers a demanding academic program resulting in a breadth and depth of scholarly inquiry. Cate School seeks students with the capacity to handle a demanding college-preparatory curriculum, with the curiosity to engage in our student-centered small classes, and with the compassion and character to be active and caring members of our small community. The student body of 265 students (83% are boarders) comes from 22 states and 19 foreign countries and is both academically talented and remarkably diverse (41% students of color). In an intimate setting, students and teachers together pursue high ideals. Cate's mission statement reads: "Through commitment, scholarship, companionship, and service, each member of the Cate community contributes to what our founder called "the spirit of this place...all compounded of beauty and virtue, quiet study, vigorous play, and hard work."
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Cate School With Reviews, Requirements 2024 | FindingSchool

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School Stats

Average
Current School
Tuition
$80000
Enrollment
305
International Students
18%
Faculty with Advanced Degrees
71%
Teacher-Student Ratio
1:5
Endowment
$90 millions
Average SAT Score
1424
Average ACT Score
34
Class Size
10
Boarding %
79%

Matriculation


Matriculation

(2019-2023)
Ranking University/College Students
#2 Columbia University 9
#2 Harvard College 6
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1
#5 Yale University 5
LAC #1 Williams College 2
#6 Stanford University 9
#6 University of Chicago 13
#8 University of Pennsylvania 9
#9 California Institute of Technology 1
#9 Duke University 4
#9 Johns Hopkins University 1
#9 Northwestern University 2
LAC #2 Amherst College 4
#13 Dartmouth College 6
#14 Brown University 12
#14 Vanderbilt University 2
#14 Washington University in St. Louis 2
#17 Cornell University 6
#17 Rice University 2
#19 University of Notre Dame 4
#20 University of California: Los Angeles 4
LAC #4 Pomona College 5
#21 Emory University 4
#22 University of California: Berkeley 7
#23 Georgetown University 6
#23 University of Michigan 1
#25 Carnegie Mellon University 3
#25 University of Virginia 5
LAC #5 Wellesley College 5
#27 University of Southern California 12
#28 New York University 11
#28 Tufts University 7
#28 University of Florida 1
#28 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1
LAC #6 Bowdoin College 7
#34 University of California: San Diego 1
#36 Boston College 1
#38 University of Texas at Austin 2
LAC #8 Claremont McKenna College 2
#42 Boston University 2
#42 Case Western Reserve University 6
#42 Tulane University 15
#42 University of Wisconsin-Madison 2
LAC #9 Carleton College 1
LAC #9 Middlebury College 5
#47 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1
#49 Lehigh University 1
#49 Northeastern University 7
#49 Purdue University 1
#49 Villanova University 2
#55 Santa Clara University 2
#55 University of Miami 2
LAC #11 United States Military Academy 1
#57 Penn State University Park 1
#59 Syracuse University 1
#59 University of Washington 3
#63 George Washington University 3
LAC #13 Davidson College 2
LAC #13 Grinnell College 1
LAC #13 Hamilton College 2
#68 Indiana University Bloomington 1
#68 Southern Methodist University 7
#68 Texas A&M University 1
#68 University of Minnesota: Twin Cities 1
#72 Reed College 1
#75 Loyola Marymount University 4
#79 American University 1
#79 Gonzaga University 1
LAC #17 Barnard College 7
LAC #17 Colgate University 1
LAC #17 Wesleyan University 1
#93 University of San Diego 1
#103 University of California: Santa Cruz 1
#104 University of California: Merced 1
#104 University of Colorado Boulder 2
LAC #22 United States Air Force Academy 1
LAC #22 University of Richmond 2
LAC #22 Vassar College 2
#117 University of Vermont 1
#122 Chapman University 1
#124 Westmont College 1
LAC #25 Bates College 7
#127 Seton Hall University 1
LAC #26 Colorado College 5
#136 Catholic University of America 1
LAC #28 Harvey Mudd College 1
LAC #30 Bryn Mawr College 1
LAC #30 Kenyon College 3
LAC #30 Scripps College 8
LAC #35 Pitzer College 2
LAC #36 Oberlin College 1
LAC #38 Bucknell University 1
LAC #38 Lafayette College 1
LAC #38 Skidmore College 1
LAC #42 Occidental College 2
LAC #45 Union College 1
LAC #46 Trinity College 2
LAC #50 Connecticut College 2
LAC #60 Bard College 1
LAC #61 Gettysburg College 2
American University of Paris 2
Babson College 1
California Polytechnic State University: San Luis Obispo 4
California State University: Northridge 1
Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art 1
eugene lang college of liberal arts 1
parsons school of design 1
Queen's University 1
Santa Barbara City College 3
School of the Art Institute of Chicago 1
University of Portland 2
University of St. Andrews 7
Wheaton College-Norton-MA 1
View all
Matriculation
Ranking University/College 2019-2023 2018-2022 2017-2021 2016-2020 2015-2019 Total
All schools 234 230 225 214 213
#1 Princeton University 1 1 2 4
#2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1 1 admitted 2
#3 Stanford University 9 12 admitted 14 16 15 66
#3 Harvard College 6 4 admitted 4 4 4 22
#5 Yale University 5 5 admitted 6 6 6 28
#6 University of Pennsylvania 9 10 admitted 10 12 12 53
#7 California Institute of Technology 1 1 admitted 1 3
#7 Duke University 4 4 admitted 4 1 1 14
#9 Northwestern University 2 1 1 2 6
#9 Brown University 12 10 admitted 10 7 6 45
#9 Johns Hopkins University 1 1 admitted 2 4 5 13
#12 University of Chicago 13 9 admitted 8 7 7 44
#12 Columbia University 9 10 admitted 11 9 7 46
#12 Cornell University 6 7 admitted 8 7 5 33
#15 University of California: Berkeley 7 7 admitted 6 7 4 31
#15 University of California: Los Angeles 4 4 admitted 5 5 4 22
#17 Rice University 2 1 admitted 1 1 1 6
#18 Vanderbilt University 2 2 admitted 2 2 1 9
#18 Dartmouth College 6 4 admitted 4 5 6 25
#20 University of Notre Dame 4 5 admitted 3 2 2 16
#21 University of Michigan 1 3 admitted 6 8 9 27
#22 Georgetown University 6 5 admitted 5 7 7 30
#22 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1 1 2
#24 Carnegie Mellon University 3 4 admitted 3 3 4 17
#24 Emory University 4 4 admitted 3 4 5 20
#24 University of Virginia 5 4 admitted 3 4 5 21
#24 Washington University in St. Louis 2 1 admitted 1 1 3 8
#28 University of Southern California 12 12 admitted 12 7 10 53
#28 University of Florida 1 1 admitted 2
#28 University of California: San Diego 1 1 admitted 2 2 2 8
#33 Georgia Institute of Technology 1 1 2
#35 University of Wisconsin-Madison 2 1 admitted 1 4
#35 University of California: Santa Barbara 1 3 4
#35 New York University 11 13 admitted 14 13 14 65
#38 University of Texas at Austin 2 3 admitted 3 2 3 13
#39 Boston College 1 1 admitted 1 2 1 6
#40 University of Washington 3 4 admitted 4 4 2 17
#40 Tufts University 7 5 admitted 3 3 2 20
#43 Boston University 2 3 admitted 4 4 4 17
#47 Texas A&M University 1 1 admitted 2 2 2 8
#47 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#47 Wake Forest University 1 2 3
#47 Lehigh University 1 1 admitted 1 1 2 6
#49 Purdue University 1 1 admitted 2 3 7
#53 Case Western Reserve University 6 6 admitted 5 3 3 23
#53 Northeastern University 7 7 admitted 5 2 1 22
#53 University of Minnesota: Twin Cities 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#57 Penn State University Park 1 1 admitted 1 3
#60 Brandeis University 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
#60 Santa Clara University 2 5 admitted 4 6 7 24
#67 University of Miami 2 3 admitted 2 1 2 10
#67 George Washington University 3 3 admitted 3 3 1 13
#67 Syracuse University 1 1
#67 Villanova University 2 2 admitted 2 1 7
#73 Indiana University Bloomington 1 1
#73 Tulane University 15 12 admitted 9 6 6 48
#89 Southern Methodist University 7 9 admitted 6 7 3 32
#93 Gonzaga University 1 1 admitted 1 1 4
#93 Loyola Marymount University 4 5 admitted 4 1 1 15
#98 University of San Diego 1 2 admitted 2 2 1 8
#103 University of California: Santa Cruz 1 1
#104 University of California: Merced 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#105 University of Colorado Boulder 2 2 admitted 4 4 4 16
#105 American University 1 1
#115 University of San Francisco 1 1 2
#133 University of Vermont 1 1
#133 Elon University 1 1
#133 Chapman University 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#151 Seton Hall University 1 1 admitted 1 1 4
#151 Simmons University 1 1
#178 Catholic University of America 1 1
#201 The New School College of Performing Arts 1 1
#361 University of Montana 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
Matriculation
Ranking University/College 2019-2023 2018-2022 2017-2021 2016-2020 2015-2019 Total
All schools 95 102 105 115 117
#1 Williams College 2 4 admitted 3 4 3 16
#2 Amherst College 4 2 admitted 2 2 10
#4 Wellesley College 5 4 admitted 2 4 5 20
#4 Pomona College 5 7 admitted 6 7 5 30
#7 United States Air Force Academy 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#9 Bowdoin College 7 6 admitted 10 12 11 46
#9 Carleton College 1 2 admitted 2 2 1 8
#11 United States Military Academy 1 3 admitted 2 1 2 9
#11 Middlebury College 5 3 admitted 5 4 6 23
#11 Grinnell College 1 1 admitted 2 2 1 7
#11 Wesleyan University 1 2 admitted 3 3 3 12
#11 Claremont McKenna College 2 4 admitted 3 6 7 22
#11 Barnard College 7 6 admitted 6 6 7 32
#16 Davidson College 2 2 admitted 1 1 6
#16 Hamilton College 2 2 admitted 2 2 1 9
#16 Harvey Mudd College 1 2 admitted 3 4 4 14
#16 Vassar College 2 4 admitted 4 3 2 15
#21 Haverford College 1 1 2 4
#21 Washington and Lee University 1 1
#21 Colgate University 1 3 admitted 3 2 3 12
#24 Bates College 7 6 admitted 4 2 1 20
#25 Colby College 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
#25 University of Richmond 2 3 admitted 2 2 2 11
#27 Macalester College 1 2 2 5
#30 Lafayette College 1 1 admitted 1 1 4
#30 Bryn Mawr College 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#30 Bucknell University 1 2 admitted 2 2 1 8
#33 Colorado College 5 3 admitted 2 6 7 23
#34 Mount Holyoke College 1 1 1 3
#35 Occidental College 2 1 admitted 1 3 3 10
#35 Scripps College 8 4 admitted 7 5 5 29
#36 Oberlin College 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#38 Skidmore College 1 2 admitted 2 3 4 12
#39 Trinity College 2 3 admitted 1 1 1 8
#39 Pitzer College 2 2 admitted 4 3 4 15
#39 Kenyon College 3 4 admitted 4 3 3 17
#45 Union College 1 1 admitted 1 3
#46 Dickinson College 1 1 2
#46 Whitman College 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
#46 Connecticut College 2 2 admitted 1 1 1 7
#56 Rhodes College 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
#59 Trinity University 1 1
#63 Gettysburg College 2 1 admitted 1 1 1 6
#67 Reed College 1 1 1 2 5
#70 Kalamazoo College 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
#72 Bard College 1 1 2
#75 Wheaton College-Norton-MA 1 1 admitted 1 1 1 5
#82 Juniata College 1 1 2
#89 University of Puget Sound 1 1 2
#107 Westmont College 1 1 admitted 1 3
#124 Goucher College 1 admitted 1 1 1 4
Matriculation
Ranking University/College 2019-2023 2018-2022 2017-2021 2016-2020 2015-2019 Total
All schools 1 1 1 1 1
#3 McGill University 1 1 1 3
#16 Queen's University 1 1 admitted 2
Matriculation
Ranking University/College 2019-2023 2018-2022 2017-2021 2016-2020 2015-2019 Total
All schools 7 7 0 0 0
#33 University of St. Andrews 7 7 admitted 14

Academics

Sports

(16)
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Dance
American Football
Lacrosse
Baseball
Basketball
Cross Country
Dance
American Football
Lacrosse
Off Piste Skiing
Outing Club
Soccer
Strength and Conditioning
Surfing
Swimming
Tennis
Track and Field
Volleyball
Water Polo
View all

Extracurricular Activities and Clubs

(20)
Black Student Union
California Mathematics League
Camerata
Cate Review (Literary Magazine)
CateNet Masters
Chamber Orchestra
Black Student Union
California Mathematics League
Camerata
Cate Review (Literary Magazine)
CateNet Masters
Chamber Orchestra
El Batidor (school newspaper)
Foster Homes (community service)
Gay-Straight Alliance
Green Team (recycling)
International Students Club
Jazz Band
Kayaking Club
Los Ninos (community service)
Mesan (school yearbook)
Mock Trial
Peer Tutors
Student Book Club
Student Senate
Tour Guides
View all

Arts

(10)
Art History
Art
Choral
Choreography
Music Production
Theater
Art History
Art
Choral
Choreography
Music Production
Theater
Digital Art
Studio Art
Visual Arts
Tech Theater
View all

Basic Info

Co-ed
Boarding Grades: 9-12
Rural
ESL: No
Year Founded: 1910
Campus Size: 300 acres
Boarding Rate: 79%
Religious Affiliation: No Religious Affiliation

Application Info

Deadline: 01/15
Interview: Skype, On Campus
Pre Interview: No Requirement
School Code:
TOEFL: 8529
SSAT: 2170
ISEE: 50485
Recommended
5.0
Recommended

Frequently Ask Questions about Cate School

Tell me a bit about Cate School.
Cate School is Co-ed private boarding school located in California, US. It was founded 1910 , and currently has about 305 students, 18.00% of whom are international students.

For more official information, please visit http://www.cate.org.
Does Cate School have rigorous academic requirements?
Cate School also have 71% of faculties whose degrees are master and above.
Where do Cate School students typically go for their colleges?
Based on the most recent matriculation data, 24.44% go to top 50 US universities and colleges*, 24.17% go to top 25, and about 14.72% go to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT.

*Ranking is based on the 2024 US News College Ranking.
What is the application requirement for Cate School?
Similar to most private schools in the US, Cate School’s typical admission requirements include school transcript, recommendation letter, application essay, TOEFL for international students, and interview (often optional, but highly recommended).
What is the latest tuition for Cate School’s Co-ed student?
The total fee for Cate School in 2024 is $80,000 which typically includes tuition, boarding fee, student management fee and a few other fees associated with managing international students.

For more information, please contact school’s admission team at admission@cate.org .
Where is Cate School located?
Cate School is located in the State of California of USA.
How popular is Cate School on FindingSchool network?
Based on FindingSchool monthly traffic data as well as onsite search record, Cate School is among the most popular schools, within top 27 for all schools on FindingSchool.

Also Cate School has been favorited by 904 users.
How to start with an application with Cate School?
The first stop is to carefully review the school profile on FindingSchool to learn more about Cate School. Most of them are directly provided by the school.

Also it is highly recommended to visit Cate School’s official site: http://www.cate.org or call them at 805-684-4127.
Please share a few nearby schools that are close to Cate School?
What is the FindingSchool rating for Cate School?
The overall rating for Cate School is A+.

The section ratings of Cate School are:
A+ for Matriculation
A+ for Academics
A- for Extracurriculum
B for Community
A for Students and Parents reviews

Nearby City

Los Angeles, commonly known as L.A., is the largest city in California and the second most populous in the U.S. It serves as the commercial, financial, and cultural hub of Southern California. With a population of around 3.9 million as of 2020, L.A. is famous for its Mediterranean climate, diverse population, and as the epicenter of the entertainment industry, particularly Hollywood. The city also offers a rich mix of cultural landmarks, including world-class museums, beaches, and a dynamic food scene, making it a global metropolis.

Population (2022) 3,833,995
Cost of Living Higher than average 54%
FindingSchool collects its data from a variety of reliable sources, including schools, advisors, official U.S. statistics, and feedback from actual parents and students.
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