California Institute of Technology — College Profile

About

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena is a world-renowned STEM powerhouse best known for its elite programs in physics, computer science, chemistry, and aerospace engineering. With a remarkably small undergraduate population of around 1,000 students, the campus culture is fiercely academic yet collaborative, centered around a student-run Honor Code and a distinctive residential House system that builds tight-knit community bonds. What sets Caltech apart is its unmatched emphasis on undergraduate research, highlighted by the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program and its unique role in managing NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Wikipedia:The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes of technology in the United States that are devoted to the instruction of pure and applied sciences.

Location

Pasadena, CA, 91125 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

LAX · Los Angeles

21 mi away

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Cost

Cost of attendance

$86,886

Avg net price

$16,075

Room & board

$20,283

Tuition

$65,898

Books & supplies

$1,428/yr

Average net price by family income

$0–30k

$-2,133

$30–48k

$-2,886

$48–75k

$431

$75–110k

$18,753

$110k+

$54,157

Admissions

Admit rate

Test policy

Not required

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Essay Requirements

California Institute of Technology accepts the Common Application. All Common App schools require the personal statement essay. Some schools also require supplemental essays — check the school's page on Common App for current prompts and word limits.

See the current Common App essay prompts for the personal statement options.

Outcomes

Graduation rate

94%

4-yr on-time completion

77%

1st-yr retention

97%

Transfer-out rate

8-year outcomes

Graduated

95%

Transferred

Still enrolled

Dropped out / unknown

Median earnings (6yr)

$132,140

Median earnings (10yr)

$128,566

Debt range (25th–75th)

$5,500–$20,458

Student Body

Men 55%Women 45%

Student : Faculty ratio

■Students ■ Faculty

Pell grant recipients

18%

Median family income

$44,848

Avg age at entry

19.0

Part-time students

Race & ethnicity

White

19%

Hispanic

17%

Black

Asian

36%

Two or more

Non-resident

14%

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings for graduates across all programs

6 years after entry

$132,140

10 years after entry

$128,566

Computer Science67

Mechanical Engineering36

Physics26

Biomedical/Medical Engineering18

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering16

Applied Mathematics14

Mathematics11

Neurobiology and Neurosciences9

Chemical Engineering7

Chemistry7

Materials Engineering6

Biology, General5

Information Science/Studies4

Astronomy and Astrophysics4

Engineering, General1

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences1

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Institutional

Endowment

$4.2B

Classification

R1: Very High Research

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, more selective admissions

Full-time faculty

91%

Avg faculty salary

$23,993/mo

Instructional spend/student