California Institute of Technology
Image: Canon.vs.nikon, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is an elite research university in Pasadena, California. Computer science is the most popular major, by far.
Affordability: Caltech has a relatively low average net price ($30,162). All aid is need-based; Caltech does not award merit scholarships. According to NCES data, 18% of freshman borrowed an average of $5,240 in 2020-21. Caltech is among the more affordable schools for students with household incomes of $30,000-$75,000.
Rankings, Recognition:
#9 research universities, U.S. News
#7 colleges and universities, CollegeSimply
#1 best value colleges, Niche
Popular Majors (NCES):
Computer Science
Mechanical Engineering
Physics
Admissions, enrollment, graduation rates (NCES):
987 undergraduates; 1,410 graduate students
4% acceptance rate
53% enrolled
93% graduation rate