California Institute of Technology

Overview

The California Institute of Technology, known as Caltech, sits on a 124-acre campus in Pasadena, California. It was founded as Throop University in 1891 and took its current name in 1920. Caltech enrolls 971 undergraduates and 1,398 graduate students, with a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio, one of the lowest in the nation. The Institute manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for NASA, and its faculty and alumni have earned 49 Nobel Prizes. The six-year graduation rate for the 2019 entering cohort was 89.8%, and 96% of students who entered in fall 2024 returned for a second year.

Caltech fits students with a clear direction in science or engineering: students who have already taken math and physics to real depth in high school and who want to spend the first year working through a demanding common core of math, physics, chemistry, and biology alongside every classmate. Pasadena is in Southern California, like Irvine, so for families who want a science-focused school without sending their student across the country, Caltech deserves a serious look. Its requirements differ sharply from the University of California’s, and the last section of this page lays out a plan by grade.

Admissions data

3.8%Class of 2029 admit rate

1. Applied11,285
2. Admitted428
3. Enrolled248

For the Class of 2030, which entered in fall 2026, Caltech has so far published 11,404 applicants and 247 enrolled first-years, but not the number admitted. The two breakdowns below come from the Class of 2030 profile.

• California32.8%
• Mid Atlantic13.8%
• International12.1%
• South11.7%
• Southwest10.5%
• Midwest7.7%
• West7.3%
• New England4%

California is reported separately; West excludes California.

• Public67.8%
• Private18.8%
• International12.2%
• Home school0.8%
• Virtual0.4%

In the Class of 2030, 20% are Pell Grant recipients, 12% are the first in their family to attend college, and 42% submitted research papers or publications with their application. The most common intended options are mechanical engineering, computer science, and electrical engineering.

How to apply

Caltech accepts the Common Application and the QuestBridge application. The application fee is $85, and waivers are available. Materials include the school report from the counselor, transcripts for grades 9 to 11, the midyear report, and two teacher recommendations: one from a STEM subject (calculus or beyond, chemistry, physics, or biology) and one from the humanities or social sciences (English, history, government, or economics). The Caltech questions include a STEM interest response of 150 to 200 words, three short essays of up to 200 words each, and a 100- to 150-word fun question. Research papers and portfolios may be added as optional supplements.

Testing is required. Applicants for fall 2027 must submit the SAT or ACT. Caltech does not use the composite score; it reads each section and superscores across sittings. SAT sections scored 780 to 800 (ACT 35 to 36) and 750 to 770 (ACT 33 to 34) appear to the committee only as a band; below 750 (ACT below 33) the exact score is shown. There is no minimum score. On coursework, applicants must have completed a year of calculus, a year of physics, and a year of chemistry, within four years of math, four years of English, and two years of history or social science; biology is recommended.

Caltech does not interview applicants; the admissions office describes the supplemental essays as the applicant’s direct voice to the committee. Admission is need-blind for domestic students, meaning an aid application never affects the decision, and this includes undocumented and DACA students who graduate from a US high school. Admission is need-aware for international students because aid funds for them are limited.

Cost and financial aid

2026-27$93,225billed total

• Tuition$68,574
• Fees$2,655
• Housing$12,711
• Food$9,285

What aid covers, by family income

1. Under $100,000No loansMost students receive a no-loan package covering tuition, fees, housing, and food
2. Under $200,000Tuition $0Most students receive aid covering tuition
3. Above $200,000Assessed on demonstrated need

Aid is need-based only; Caltech awards no merit scholarships and meets 100% of demonstrated need through grants, work-study, and loans. Caltech reports that average grant aid for the class entering in fall 2026 was just under $69,000, and that 51% of the Class of 2028 receive need-based aid. International students must apply for aid as incoming first-years; those who do not apply, or do not qualify, in the first year cannot apply later, and they are not eligible for federal aid.

Schools and fields of study

Caltech is organized into six academic divisions: Biology and Biological Engineering; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Engineering and Applied Science; Geological and Planetary Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy. Undergraduates choose among 28 majors, which Caltech calls options. Every first-year student enters without a major and declares at the end of the first year.

Every student completes the same core curriculum: a year of mathematics covering multivariable calculus and linear algebra, a year of physics, chemistry lectures and lab, biology, introductory programming, scientific writing, humanities and social science courses, and physical education. The introductory core courses are graded pass/fail in the first two terms. Under the Honor Code, professors can assign take-home exams, and most problem sets are given with the expectation that students collaborate.

Caltech reports that 91% of undergraduates take part in research, and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) program supports hundreds of students each summer on their own projects with a mentor. Students may cross-register at Occidental College and ArtCenter College of Design, with tuition covered by Caltech, and may spend a fall term on exchange at the University of Chicago.

Campus life

Caltech guarantees housing and requires undergraduates to live on campus for the first two years; most stay all four. There are 11 residence halls: eight traditional undergraduate Houses and three unaffiliated halls, with singles, doubles, triples, and suites. New students receive a temporary room, then take part in Rotation during the first two weeks, visiting each residence and meeting its students before submitting a ranked list; almost everyone is placed in one of their top choices. Students must be 17 by October 1 of their entering year to live on campus in the first year.

A timeline for Irvine families

The five Irvine Unified high schools differ in how math accelerates, when AP courses open, and how weighting works, and whether a student finishes calculus, physics, and chemistry before applying depends on choices made in grade 9. School-by-school rules are in the IUSD high school guides.

1. Grade 9Set the math path
   • Confirm a full year of calculus fits before graduation
   • Protect core grades
   • Choose one STEM direction that can run four years
2. Grade 10Schedule physics and chemistry
   • Place a year of physics and a year of chemistry on the schedule
   • Turn the STEM direction into visible output
   • Consider research or an academic summer program
3. Grade 11Finish testing
   • SAT or ACT: first sitting in spring, second before summer ends
   • Dates on the test calendar; prep on the SAT page
   • Choose one STEM teacher and one humanities teacher to recommend
4. Fall of grade 12Decide on REA
   • REA: application by November 1
   • File the UC application in the same window
   • Otherwise Regular Decision by January 4

Dates and registration deadlines are on the 2026-27 test calendar, and preparation options are on the SAT page.

How EDUBUS helps

EDUBUS college planning runs year by year from grade 9: a math and science sequence built around the rules of each Irvine high school so that calculus, physics, and chemistry are complete before applying, a testing schedule, a clear record of STEM research and competition work, and in grade 12 a counselor review of every supplemental essay and application component. Preparing the CSS Profile and FAFSA for financial aid is part of the service. To see where a student stands relative to schools like Caltech, start with a free assessment.