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California Institute of Technology

private · Founded 1891 · Los Angeles, CA

Acceptance Rate

3.10%

Enrollment

2,463

Tuition & Fees

$65,694

Graduation Rate

93.00%

Retention Rate

98.00%

Caltech Report Card

Letter grades compare this school against national university benchmarks.

Academics

Selectivity, test scores, retention, and faculty access.

A+
Raw z-score: 1.49

Value

Cost, aid, grants, and post-graduation earnings.

C
Raw z-score: -1.08

Diversity

Economic access, geographic mix, and gender balance.

A
Raw z-score: 1.05

Location

Safety, walkability, transit, and student nightlife.

-
Insufficient data

Campus

Housing capacity, student body scale, and campus setting.

A-
Raw z-score: 0.28

Outcomes

Graduation, retention, employment, and earnings.

A
Raw z-score: 1.04

Grades are benchmarked against national profile data. View methodology

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is one of the world's premier science and engineering universities. Despite its small size — around 2,300 students — Caltech has produced 46 Nobel laureates. Located in Pasadena, it manages the nearby NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is renowned for cutting-edge research in physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering.

Can You Get Into Caltech?

Caltech admitted just 412 of 13,107 applicants — a 3.10% acceptance rate

Admissions Snapshot

Acceptance Rate3.10%
School
State avg

92% below state avg

Total Applicants13,107
Students Admitted412
Students Enrolled266
Yield Rate64.60%
School
State avg

127% above state avg

Your odds at this school

Coming to Caltech from out of state?

70% of freshmen aren't from California. If you're moving for Caltech, start your housing search early — only 100.00% of students can live on campus.

Browse Housing Near Caltech

What Will Caltech Cost You?

Most students don't pay sticker price — 61.00% receive financial aid

Sticker Price

Tuition$63,255
School
National avg

1% below national avg

Fees$2,439
Room (on-campus)$11,247
Board (meal plan)$8,256
Total Cost of Attendance$85,197

Financial Aid & Grants

Students receiving any aid61.00%
Average grant amount$52,266/yr

Your estimated net price

On-Campus vs. Off-Campus Housing Cost

Caltech's on-campus room and board adds up to $19,503 per year ($1,625/month). Many students find that off-campus apartments offer more space, kitchen access, and flexibility — often at a lower monthly cost.

On-CampusOff-Campus (avg)
Annual Housing$11,247Varies
Monthly Equivalent$937/moSee listings
Meal Plan$8,256 (required)Flexible
Availability1,575 beds onlyHundreds of options

What Can You Study at Caltech?

Most Popular Undergraduate Majors

1

Computer Science.

67 graduates · 40.3% women

2

Mechanical Engineering.

36 graduates · 50% women

3

Physics, General.

26 graduates · 42.31% women

4

Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering.

18 graduates · 83.33% women

5

Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

16 graduates · 56.25% women

6

Computational Mathematics.

14 graduates · 42.86% women

7

Mathematics, General.

11 graduates · 9.09% women

8

Neuroscience.

9 graduates · 77.78% women

9

Chemical Engineering.

7 graduates · 28.57% women

10

Chemistry, General.

7 graduates · 57.14% women

Your major at this school

Grad students need housing too

With 1,440 graduate students and only 1,575 total dorm beds, most grad students live off campus.

See Apartments Popular with Grad Students

What's It Like at Caltech?

Los Angeles, CA — city

Student Body

Total Enrollment2,463
Undergraduates1,023
Graduate Students1,440
Full-Time2,463 (100%)
Women39.00%

Where Freshmen Come From

Out-of-State
51%
California
30%
International
19%

From your state to this school

Student Demographics

White
24%
International
29%
Asian
22%
Hispanic
12%
Black
2%
Two or More
6%
Not Reported
0%

Neighborhoods near Caltech

Where students live around California Institute of Technology — vibe, walkability, and commute at a glance.

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How Does Caltech Compare?

Institutional resources and student-faculty ratios

Student-Faculty Ratio

3:1

Peer Institutions

Schools that Caltech reports as peers for academic and admissions benchmarking.

110662
110680
123961

Will You Succeed at Caltech?

98.00% of freshmen return for sophomore year — 93.00% graduate within 6 years

Graduation Rates

First-Year Retention98.00%
School
State avg

8% above state avg

4-Year Graduation Rate79.00%
5-Year Graduation Rate90.00%
6-Year Graduation Rate93.00%
School
State avg

15% above state avg

National Average (6-year)53%
Caltech
93.00%
Natl Avg
53%

6-Year Graduation by Group

Asian Students92.00%
White Students96.00%
Black Students67.00%
Hispanic Students90.00%
Women93.00%
Men94.00%

Caltech Reviews

Student perspectives on academics, campus life, and housing fit

Be the first student to review this university.

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Find Apartments Near Caltech

With 2,463 students and only 1,575 dorm beds, 0% of Caltech students live off campus.

1,023

Undergraduates

1,440

Graduate Students

0

Data Sources: U.S. Department of Education IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics. University Apartments is not affiliated with California Institute of Technology.