California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Pasadena, CA · Private
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) admitted 2.6% of applicants university-wide (356 of 13,856).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 2.6% | 356 | 13,856 |
| Men | 1.8% | 166 | 9,401 |
| Women | 4.3% | 190 | 4,446 |
Also offers Restrictive Early Action (closes Nov 1) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 356 admitted students, 218 enrolled (61.2% yield).
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 1510–1560
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 34–36
Testing policy: Required
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $93,912/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $65,622 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $28,290 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $93,912/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| $48k–75k | $431 |
| $75k–110k | $18,753 |
| Over $110k | $54,157 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Caltech Opportunity Award — Replaces loans with grants up to full need (for families with income under $100,000) (Need Based)
- Caltech Grant — Varies (meets 100% of demonstrated need) (Need Based)
- Caltech Need-Based Grant — Varies, up to full demonstrated need (Need Based)
- Caltech Scholarship — Varies (need-based donor-funded scholarship) (Need Based)
International applicants
Meets full demonstrated need for internationals.
- Caltech Grant — Varies (meets 100% of demonstrated need) (Need Based)
- Caltech Need-Based Grant — Varies, up to full demonstrated need (Need Based)
- Caltech Scholarship — Varies (need-based donor-funded scholarship) (Need Based)
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- School Report
- Official Transcripts
- Mid-Year Report
- SAT or ACT Scores
- AP or IB Examination Scores
- Letter of Recommendation - STEM
- Letter of Recommendation - Humanities/Social Sciences
- Counselor Letter of Recommendation (optional)
- Research Paper or Publication (optional)
- STEM Portfolio (optional)
- Non-STEM Portfolio (optional)
- Application fee
International applicants
- School Report
- Official Transcripts
- Mid-Year Report
- SAT or ACT Scores
- AP or IB Examination Scores
- Letter of Recommendation - STEM
- Letter of Recommendation - Humanities/Social Sciences
- Counselor Letter of Recommendation (optional)
- Research Paper or Publication (optional)
- STEM Portfolio (optional)
- Non-STEM Portfolio (optional)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
Essay prompts
The Common App personal essay is required (one of 7 shared prompts), plus 2 college-specific supplements:
- If you had to choose a major today, what would you choose? Why do you think Caltech isRequired
- Your STEM Future - STEM Academic Interests: Caltech has a rigorous core curriculum and students don't declare a major until the end of their first year. However, some students arrive knowing which academic fields and areas already most excite them, or which novel fields and areas they most want to explore.Required
Draft these in the free Essay Coach
Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $128,566
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 94.4%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 97.4%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #11
- WSJ: #23
- Forbes: #24
- Niche: #9
- QS: #10
Deadlines
- 2026-11-01Early Action — Non-binding early round
- 2026-11-01Early Decision — Binding early round
- 2027-01-03Regular Decision — Standard deadline
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Computer & information sciences (35%), Engineering (28%), Physical sciences (15%).
Student–faculty ratio: 3:1 · 71% of class sections have under 20 students.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.