At schools with acceptance rates below 10%, nearly every applicant has near-perfect grades and test scores. Admissions decisions are driven by essays, extracurriculars, recommendations, and institutional priorities — factors no stats-based model can predict. Our likelihood labels reflect academic competitiveness only.
The California Institute of Technology is a small but extraordinarily influential science and engineering university in Pasadena, California. With roughly 1,000 undergraduates and a 3:1 student-faculty ratio, Caltech produces the highest per-capita research output of any university and manages NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Mascot: Beaver
Notable Alumni
Frank Capra (legendary film director)•Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel)•Frances Arnold (Nobel Prize-winning chemist)
At a Glance
Cost
Published sticker prices for 2025-2026. Actual cost after aid varies.
Top Programs & National Ranking
Approximate national ranking based on departmental rankings, research output, and program reputation.
Highlights
Athletics
Campus Experience
With only ~1,000 undergrads, Caltech feels more like an intense research lab that happens to have dorms. The Harry Potter-esque House system (eight houses, chosen during Rotation week) is your entire social world — there's no Greek life at all. Ditch Day, pumpkin drops from Caltech Hall (formerly Millikan Library), and elaborate interhouse party constructions provide the fun, but make no mistake: this is the most academically intense campus in the country.
A compact 124-acre campus with pleasant Mediterranean-style buildings, mature olive trees, and the iconic Beckman Auditorium, but its small scale and utilitarian science facilities limit the overall visual impact.
Based on Niche reviews, Princeton Review surveys, student forums, and institutional data.
Safety
Caltech's tiny 124-acre campus is patrolled 24/7 by campus security with electronically controlled building access and a close-knit community of ~900 undergrads. Crime is rare and mostly limited to occasional petty theft.
Pasadena is a generally safe suburban city. The area around Caltech is residential and well-maintained, with crime rates below the city average.
Based on Clery Act data, student surveys, and local crime statistics.
Plan Your Visit
Schedule: Select weekdays during academic year (dates published 1-3 months ahead)
Duration: 60-minute info session + 60-minute student-led tour
Tours are for prospective students (grades 9-12) and transfer applicants. No phone registrations -- online only. Tours not available in September (students on break). Dates fill quickly and close at capacity.
Book a TourA self-guided walking tour brochure is available from the Caltech library's campus publications. The 124-acre campus is compact and walkable. Public strolls are welcome.
Tour ResourcesOctober-November or February-April when all three terms are in session. Avoid September (no students), summer, and late December. Pasadena weather is pleasant year-round, but spring brings jacaranda trees into spectacular purple bloom across campus. Weekday mornings or late afternoons are least crowded.
Visitor parking permits available at campus pay stations: $9/full day, $3-8/hourly. Structures at North Wilson, California, and Holliston, plus Tournament Lot. Permits required Mon-Fri 7am-5pm only -- free evenings and weekends. Take the Metro A Line (Gold) to Lake or Allen station, then Pasadena Transit bus #10 to campus. From LAX: ~45 min drive or Metro connection via Union Station.
Location
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