About California Institute of Technology

Founded in 1891, California Institute of Technology. is a Private college. Located in California, which is a city setting in California, the campus itself is Urban. The campus is home to 979 full time undergraduate students, and 1,261 full time graduate students.

The California Institute of Technology Academic calendar runs on a Quarter basis. In the school year the student to faculty ratio was 3:1. There are 334 full time instructional teachers. Degrees awarded at California Institute of Technology include: Bachelor's Degree, Masters Degree, Post-master's certificate, Doctor's degree.

Quick Facts

Acceptance Rate8%
Application Deadline
Application Fee75
SAT Range1510-1600
ACT Range34-36

Admissions at are considered Most Selective, with ,3% of all applicants being admitted.

In the school year, of the students who applied to the school, only 3 of those who were admitted eventually ended up enrolling.

100% of incoming freshmen are in the top half of their high school class. 100% were in the top quarter, and 97% were in the top tenth. You can apply online.

STUDENT LIFE

We asked, and students answered these important questions about student life at California Institute of Technology.

California Institute of Technology REVIEWS

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  • How would you rate on-campus housing?

    15 Students rated on-campus housing 3.7 stars. 7 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate off-campus housing?

    8 Students rated off-campus housing 4 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus food?

    15 Students rated campus food 3.1 stars. 0 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate campus facilities?

    16 Students rated campus facilities 4.3 stars. 31 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate class size?

    16 Students rated class size 4.3 stars. 56 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate school activities?

    16 Students rated school activities 3.6 stars. 19 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate local services?

    16 Students rated local services 4.5 stars. 50 % gave the school a 5.0.

  • How would you rate academics?

    16 Students rated academics 4.3 stars. 56 % gave the school a 5.0.

What's your overall opinion of California Institute of Technology?

5 Students rated California Institute of Technology

Jonathan - 01/29/2023

The campus has a wonderful culture allowing all types of people interested in the STEM field into many of the A+ clubs. The housing looks great and the professors seem nice. The academics at this college are amazing and worth the time and stress one hundred percent!

Abraham - 04/15/2021

Micheal Jordan once said, “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." While one can grow on their own, being able to collaborate with others can elevate their growth to unimaginable heights. I hope to work closely and build connections with my fellow peers at Caltech, growing as a community and as a cohort. I first fell in love with technology when I attended the Thomas Jefferson Technology Summer Camp and realized the possibilities it offered for helping people all around the world. Through computer science languages like Node.js, Python, HTML5, Javascript, Django, and the inner and outer chasms of cybersecurity, I want to work to benefit my community. This could involve using C++ to enhance network security in order to defend against cyber-attacks that could potentially hurt the well-being and stability of small businesses, automating efficient food and resource transport for under-developed locations all around the world through the means of electric vehicle transportation, or even enhancing the support systems in the command center of NASA’s facilities and shuttles. With these countless ideas and goals in mind, I hope that at Caltech, the brilliant students in our cohort will support one another in our missions to benefit society and continue to grow in order to bring our innovative ideas to fruition. I firmly believe that in order to reach my goal with the support of like-minded individuals, I will need to involve myself in the Caltech community and be a compassionate, attentive, and open-minded listener and innovator.

Anna

I love Caltech. The people are truly amazing, and everyone is so diverse in opinion. I can easily talk to anyone from Nobel laureates, student scientists, all my professors, and more with ease. The academics are challenging, but really fulfilling when you assess how much you have learned over short periods of time. However, I do believe that the school can do better in terms of promoting diversity.

Teresa

It is a wonderful school. While the classes are quite challenging, the support system is incredible. Everyone collaborates to find solutions to problems instead of fighting against each other to reach the top. It is a small campus, but that just makes the sense of community even stronger. Our focus may be academics, but every student has his/her own hobby that others are likely to enjoy too. We are proud of our school.

California Institute of Technology FAQS

  1. What is the Acceptance Rate at California Institute of Technology?

    The fall 2020 acceptance rate for California Institute of Technology is 8%. That means, out of _____ applications received in 2020 , _____ students were offered admission. The number of males who applied was _____ vs the number of females which was _____.

  2. What should every freshman at your school know before they start?

    Talk to a full range of students at the schools that are of interest. Listen to the things that they like and dislike about their school and evaluate them objectively against the things that the student wants out of the college experience. Along with choosing a school for a good reputation it is almost more important to choose the school where the student will fit the best.

    Read all  16 answers
  3. Describe the students at your school.

    Caltech hosts the greatest wealth of brilliant, interesting, crazy, enthusiastic, welcoming and convivial scientists one could ever hope to find building massive structures for parties once on Playboy's list of top events, creating hot tubs or LN2 ice cream on a whim, showing belligerant peace to classmates, or driving to the mountains or the sea when not working harder than they ever thought they could. We're also nerdy as hell and love it.

    Read all  11 answers
  4. Here's your chance: Say anything about your college!

    The financial aid at Caltech is amazing. I have friends at Stanford who have told me their scholarships and grants are becoming loans as they go from freshman to sophomores, and they tend to start off with more loans. I've also talked to friends at MIT, who say the program is okay, but that they are still going to leave with a significant amount of debt. I believe the average debt for a Caltech graduate is $5,000. In addition to federal grants, scholarships, and loans, my Caltech grant is almost $30,000, and I know I'm not alone. If you don't think you can afford Caltech, apply anyway, the financial aid offered will supprise you.

    Read all  7 answers
  5. What are the most popular student activities/groups?

    Caltech uses a 'housing' system. There are 8 dorm buildings, each of which is a house with a strong sense of community. In a way, it's like a mixed gender fraternity/sorority, but since everyone is a member of at least one house, they don't all have the party atmosphere. Some howses can be described as more studious, others more athletic, and others more of a party enviornment. Within a house, almost everyone knows everyone else, and people are generally particularly friendly and helpful to members of their own house. Since most people in a house live together, most of your friends are in your house. The housing system also provides a good way to find people if you need help with anything.

    Read all  7 answers
  6. What is your overall opinion of this school?

    Caltech is a small school with a beautiful campus in Pasadena. The small size and extremely favorable student-faculty ratio of 3-to-1 allows for increased access to opportunities like research in top labs, access to professors, athletics, special funds and scholarships, study abroad, the arts, and travel grants. Unfortunately, Caltech's name recognition among the average population is surprisingly low. However, as one of the country's top academic and research institutions, Caltech is a very intense and rigorous place. This translates to the education, and as a result many Caltech students work extremely hard and eventually burn out. Furthermore, many Caltech students are top students before they arrive, and therefore they might already be burned out.

    Read all  6 answers
  7. What are the academics like at your school?

    Caltech students work hard and work most of the time, but they work in a collaborative environment that reflects the culture in science. The education is geared toward learning and preparing the students for research, but it does give students the skills needed for a job after graudation.

    Read all  6 answers
  8. What's unique about your campus?

    The academics, plain and simple. Caltech is second to none when it comes to an education in the sciences. Student to faculty ratio of 3:1. The faculty and classes are amazing; opportunities for research are common. This school demands the best in you academically and you correspondingly receive an amazing education.

    Read all  5 answers
  9. What is the stereotype of students at your school?

    Caltech has one of the best reputations of all the colleges in the U.S., so the stereotype is that all students are extremely bright. Employers and grad schools know that if they pick a Caltech graduate, they will get a very intelligent person, used to working very hard and never giving up.

    Read all  5 answers
  10. Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?

    In many cases, yes.

    Read all  5 answers
  11. What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about freshman year?

    too much work

    Read all  4 answers
  12. Describe how your school looks to someone who's never seen it.

    The most academically rigorous school in the country.

    Read all  4 answers
  13. Why did you decide to go to this school?

    Pat tells us why he chose Wabash despite all the stereotypes associated with an all-male college.

    Read all  4 answers
  14. What do you consider the worst thing about your school? Why?

    I would like to see more emphasis on practical studies because most of the coursework trains students for scientific research. I would like to see more emphasis on company co-ops and internship programs.

    Read all  3 answers
  15. What kind of person should not attend this school?

    You shouldn't attend caltech unless you love math or science wholly and completely. You're going to learn quantum mechanics and differential equations, you're going to spend 20+ hours on homework sets each week for at least some of the classes you have here. You'll be surrounded by brilliant peers who will help you through it and help you define your sense of identity. If you're cutthroat at all you won't be happy here- collaboration is expected and universal and breaking the honor code the only sin. Premeds, while occasionally happy, are usually not.

    Read all  3 answers
  16. What's the most frustrating thing about your school?

    bad, bad teaching; unreasonable exam questions

    Read all  3 answers
  17. What kind of person should attend this school?

    This school is ideal for someone who has made up their mind to attend graduate school in a science or engineering related field. They need to be mature and realize what they are getting themselves into.

    Read all  2 answers
  18. What are your classes like?

    Michael, a senior double major, tells us about the excellent Wabash academics and sponsored trips around the world.

    Read all  2 answers
  19. What are some hot-button issues on campus?

    Since the past semester, there has been a lot of discussion and debate concerning the Gentleman's Rule on campus. Here are students' perspectives on how this rule should and does apply to Wabash.

    Read all  2 answers
  20. Tell us about the sports scene on campus.

    A brief glimpse of the most well-known football rivalry in Division III, along with clips and results from this year's Monon Bell game.

    Read all  2 answers
  21. What do you brag about most when you tell your friends about your school?

    How well the school prepares its students for graduate school.

    Read all  2 answers

Student Body

Students

41%

female

59%

male

979

Total Undergrad Enrollment

1,261

Total Grad Students

64%

Out-Of-State

23%

In-State

13%

International

Organizations

150

Student Organizations

N/A

Fraternities

N/A

Sororities

Housing

Yes

On-Campus Housing

40%

of students living on campus

Student Diversity

% American Indian/Alaskan Native
N/A
% Asian/Pacific Islander
43%
% Black or African-American
1%
% Hispanic/Latino
12%
% White or Caucasian
29%

TUITION & AID

All students must apply yearly for financial aid. This process starts with the FAFSA. Though financial aid deadlines vary by school, it is a good idea to apply as soon as possible. For the upcoming school year, you can apply as early as October 1 for the FAFSA. Additional school aid will be dependent on the FAFSA results.

75% of students attending California Institute of Technology receive some sort of financial aid. 15% were awarded federal grants. While 2% received federal loans. Many students do also need to apply for additional private student loans.

Cost Out of State

$47,577

Tuition and fees(Out of state)

$1,323

Books and Supplies

$14,100

Room and Board

63,000

Total On Campus

Actual Cost By Income Level(W/Financial Aid)

Family Income
Cost
$0 - $30K
$3,544
$30 - $48K
$5,652
$48 - $75K
$6,781
$75 - $110K
$21,219
$110K & UP
$42,977

We use student reviews and the most current publicly available data on our school pages. As such, we don't typically remove or edit college information. Sources for school statistics and data include the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. Portions of college data include copyrighted material, which is reproduced on this website by permission of Wintergreen Orchard House, a division of Carnegie Communications. © 2009-2016 by Wintergreen Orchard House. All rights reserved.

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