California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA 91125
About California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a highly selective private research university in Pasadena, California, enrolling about 987 students. Admission is highly selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 2.57% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $166,642 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- California Institute of Technology charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($68,208).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 8.0×.
- California Institute of Technology admits about 2.57% of applicants (extremely selective).
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 89.79%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $166,642.
Research findings
Finding
Average net price at California Institute of Technology is about 88% below published tuition.
Published tuition is $68,208; average net price is $8,509 in the latest Scorecard extract.
Interpretation: Institutional aid and grants compress sticker price into a substantially lower typical undergraduate cost signal.
Limitation: Average net price masks variation by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the campus average.
Finding
Modeled return on investment at California Institute of Technology is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 4796% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| California Institute of Technology | $68,208 | $8,509 | 1 |
| Private Non-profit (national median) | $30,216 | — | 1,451 |
| California (state median) | $8,510 | $7,373 | 288 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,274 | $18,692 | 686 |
| United States (national median) | $12,200 | $17,573 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
Average net price is 88% below published tuition at California Institute of Technology
Key findings
- California Institute of Technology's average net price ($8,509) is 88% below published tuition ($68,208).
- California Institute of Technology charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition ($68,208).
- Versus the California median, sticker tuition is about 8.0×.
California Institute of Technology tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $68,208
Finding California Institute of Technology charges about 2.3× the national private non-profit median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $68,208. That is about 2.3× the national private non-profit median ($30,216). Versus the California median ($8,510), sticker tuition is about 8.0×. Versus the U.S. median ($12,200), sticker is about 5.6×.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to private non-profit and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at California Institute of Technology versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at California Institute of Technology versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at California Institute of Technology is $8,509.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $8,509 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $1,136 above the California median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $10,184 below the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway California Institute of Technology’s published tuition substantially overstates typical undergraduate cost: average net price is about 88% lower after grants and scholarships.
California Institute of Technology: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for California Institute of Technology—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
Completion, earnings, and net price together describe a campus where sticker price overstates typical undergraduate cost while outcomes remain at the high end of Scorecard distributions.
Financial profile
Annual tuition
$68,208
Avg. net price
$8,509
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $7,553 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $11,452 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $4,144 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $29,762 |
| $110,001+ | $54,157 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $272,832. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What California Institute of Technology is known for
Top program completions
- Computer Science94
- Physics, General58
- Mechanical Engineering55
- Chemistry, General50
- Electrical and Electronics Engineering48
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Extremely selective — fewer than 1 in 10 applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 65% of admitted students enrolled.
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is California Institute of Technology a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
California Institute of Technology is a good school for those looking for strong completion and solid mid-career earnings—especially where average net price sits well below published tuition (about 88% lower in this extract).
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for California Institute of Technology.
Campus
Location
Pasadena, CA
City / state
- ZIP
- 91125
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is about 0.5× the median for Suburban campuses ($18,692 median).
Control
Institution type
Private Non-profit
Control
- Region
- Far West
- Carnegie
- Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Size
Enrollment
987
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 1,024
- Graduate
- 1,443
- Full-time share
- 100%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$7,500
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 22.80%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for California Institute of Technology.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at California Institute of Technology was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for California Institute of Technology in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $41,538 | $41,538 | $25,667 |
| 2014 | $43,362 | $43,362 | $25,308 |
| 2015 | $45,390 | $45,390 | $24,760 |
| 2016 | $47,577 | $47,577 | $24,702 |
| 2017 | $49,908 | $49,908 | $23,345 |
| 2018 | $52,362 | $52,362 | $23,820 |
| 2019 | $54,600 | $54,600 | $24,274 |
| 2020 | $56,862 | $56,862 | $26,542 |
| 2021 | $58,680 | $58,680 | $29,279 |
| 2022 | $60,864 | $60,864 | $16,550 |
| 2023 | $63,255 | $63,255 | $18,902 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is extremely selective, accepting fewer than 1 in 10 applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Test score data is not available for this institution.
Score distribution is not available for this institution.
Academic Requirements
GPA requirements are not published by this institution. Contact the admissions office for specific academic requirements.
Estimated GPA range is not available for this institution.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
California Institute of Technology reported total enrollment of about 987 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 55% male and 45% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes Asian (35.9%), White (18.7%), and Hispanic or Latino (17.4%). About 22.80% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
100.0% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at California Institute of Technology in 2024 is 987 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 1,024 students. Graduate enrollment is about 1,443 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
97.4%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
77.45% 100% Completion Time
89.79% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 77.45% of students graduating from California Institute of Technology completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Computer Science: 55% male / 45% female
- Physics, General: 69% male / 31% female
- Mechanical Engineering: 76% male / 24% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
California Institute of Technology graduates earn a median of $166,642 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of California Institute of Technology.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $166,642. Median federal loan debt: $7,500. Average net price used in cost models: $8,509.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway California Institute of Technology graduates report median earnings of $166,642 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for California Institute of Technology.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (31 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at California Institute of Technology.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for California Institute of Technology graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for California Institute of Technology—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$3.60B
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- California median 182× the median ($19.7M)
- Far West median 214× the median ($16.8M)
- U.S. median 136× the median ($26.4M)
- California median 201× the median ($7,407)
- Far West median 205× the median ($7,260)
- U.S. median 123× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 91.0%
- California median 51.7 pp above median (39.3%)
- Far West median 45.3 pp above median (45.7%)
- U.S. median 33.1 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $23,993
- California median 2.4× the median ($10,166)
- Far West median 2.5× the median ($9,635)
- U.S. median 3.2× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $124,489
- California median 19× the median ($6,474)
- Far West median 18× the median ($7,030)
- U.S. median 17× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
California Institute of Technology at a glance
California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology is a private non-profit institution in Pasadena, CA, classified as Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Computer SciencePhysics, GeneralMechanical Engineering
- Largest enrollment groups
- Asian35.9%White or Caucasian18.7%Hispanic or Latino17.4%
Schools near California Institute of Technology
Other campuses in Pasadena, CA when available, plus nearby institutions in California.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade A) within California, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Caltech located?
California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, CA. The institution is also known as Caltech.
What is Caltech's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is 2.6% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 13,107 applicants and 412 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Caltech's tuition?
California Institute of Technology tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $68,208 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $8,509 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Caltech cost?
Reported tuition is $68,208 and average net price is $8,509 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $20,991 annually.
Why is Caltech's net price so much lower than tuition?
At California Institute of Technology, published tuition is $68,208 while average net price is $8,509—about 88% lower. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid (College Scorecard). Institutional aid therefore compresses sticker price into a lower typical undergraduate cost signal. The campus average still masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average. EDsmart Data treats the sticker–net gap as an analytical finding, not advice about individual aid offers.
What explains Caltech's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($8,509), completion (89.8% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($166,642). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
Why is Caltech's acceptance rate so low?
The acceptance rate at California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is 2.6% among first-time degree-seeking applicants reporting admissions data. Very low rates usually reflect extraordinary applicant volume relative to class size—not a single test-score cutoff. When IPEDS reports applicants and admits, those counts show how selective the funnel is. Acceptance rate describes competition for seats; it does not measure outcomes for enrolled students. Yield (share of admits who enroll) further clarifies demand among those offered admission when available.
What is the student body demographics at Caltech?
California Institute of Technology reports undergraduate enrollment of about 1,024 students, Asian (35.9%), White (18.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.
What do graduates of California Institute of Technology earn?
Median earnings are $124,285 six years after entry and $166,642 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at California Institute of Technology?
The 150%-time completion rate is 89.8% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do California Institute of Technology students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $7,500.
Is California Institute of Technology public or private?
California Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit institution located in Pasadena, CA.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.