California Institute of Technology

Overview of California Institute of Technology

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Caltech's research efforts are wide-ranging and comprehensive. Students and other scholars work on areas including, but not limited to energy and the environment, social sciences, physics, neuroscience, computing, and chemistry. Indeed, within each broad category there are numerous centers and institutes that are dedicated to sub-specialties such as chemical innovation in energy, economic and management sciences, and theoretical cosmology, to name a few.

The institute has been known for its many prize-winning scholars. Their accolades include numerous Nobel Prizes (39), the National Medal of Science (58), 75 members of the National Academy of Sciences, and 107 American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellows, among many more.

Top Rankings For California Institute of Technology

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Admissions

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Tuition Cost & Financial Aid

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This exclusive, private institute is not cheap. Tuition is $54,600 per year and the total cost per student is $75,000. These are high figures for many households, but Caltech's students are able to offset the up-front cost of their education with scholarships, loans, and grants. Once those financial instruments are implemented, the average net price of a year at Caltech is often just over $30,000.

Low-income students are able to offset their costs and see a net price between $1,376 and $2,714. Students from the wealthiest families, on the other hand, face a net price that averages $45,404. There are many ways for students to reduce their costs, and Caltech students are very savvy at saving money.

In fact, approximately 49% of Caltech students receive aid in the form of grants and scholarships. They receive up to an average of $42,500 which covers over half of their total educational cost. Thus, a Caltech education presents a more affordable picture with terrific returns after graduation.

Sticker Price

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Academics

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Caltech has a stellar reputation, which is verified not only in the success of its graduates but also by the numbers that reflect academic excellence. This private, non-profit institution has a student body population that barely exceeds 2,000 students, of which 55% identify as male and 45% identify as female. Undergraduate students number less than half of that total with a population of 948 students. The graduate school educates the remaining 58%, or 1,285 total students.

The school also has one of the nation's best student-faculty rations, 3:1. Students are thus able to work closely with the institute's top-caliber faculty in the pursuit of a strenuous curriculum as well as independent research projects.

The institute's academic excellence is reflected in other metrics, such as its retention rate, graduation rate, and acceptance rate. Caltech's retention rate is a stellar 98%, meaning that the vast majority of incoming first-year students remain for their second year. This shows their confidence in the school and curriculum, and then most walk the stage for graduation. In fact, most students remain on campus to graduate. 81% of incoming students graduate within four years and 92% complete their degrees within six years.

These graduating students work hard and are strenuously vetted prior to their initial admission. With math SAT scores falling in the 790-800 range and verbal scores in the 740-780 range, new students are among the cream of the crop. In fact, Caltech's admission rate is a stringent 7%.

Student Population Total

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Outcome & Salary

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Caltech offers terrific outcomes for its graduates. They are not only privy to one of the nation's best technical educations, but they frequently enter jobs that provide an ample return on their initial educational investment. In fact, Caltech grads enter the workforce earning high salaries that average around $84,000, before bonuses. Their mid-career earnings rise quickly to over $151,000.

The overall return on investment (ROI) for a Caltech education is quite rosy. The projected 20-year earnings potential for a graduate is over $2.5 million. Thus, if a student is able to finance the up-front cost of education, they are sure to pay off their loans quickly and begin pocketing their full paychecks very soon.

Photos & Videos

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