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California Institute of Technology popularly known as CalTech is a well-renowned research institute for Science and Engineering. It is one of the hardest institutions to gain admission in USA. Caltech grants admission to less than 1000 students in an academic year for undergraduate education. The university exhibits an acceptance rate of 6.7%, demonstrating a highly selective admission policy.
The university has an international population of around 7.9% in its undergraduate programs and 44.53% in graduate programs. Caltech has no minimum GPA requirement. The majority of accepted applicants, however, have a GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale (~89-90%) and are in the top 10% of their class.The estimated cost of attendance at Caltech is 65.41 lakhs for UG programs and 69.41 lakhs for PG programs. This cost includes a tuition fee of 45.49 lakhs and 44.84 lakhs respectively.
California Institute of Technology has achieved the #1 position in education subcategory of America’s best employers according to Forbes, 2022. The university provides extensive career support to its students through the Career Development Center. After graduation, Caltech students earn an average starting salary of 105,500 USD per annum.
Likes:
- Program Availability: International students are offered with 28 UG majors 12 UG minors available 31 graduate degree programs in California Institute of Technology. The university has more students in graduate courses than undergraduate programs.
- Strong Alumni Network: The university is home to some 7 Nobel laureates and 58 National Medal of Science winners.
- Weather: California is known for its gorgeous year-round Southern California weather. The highest temperature reaches upto 45°C and lowest is -8.3°C.
- Transportation: Caltech offers free metro pass to its students which helps in cost of living for international students.
Dislikes:
- Expensive Cost of Living: Pasadena, California is an expensive city. Which makes cost of attendance at Caltech quite expensive. Especially housing costs.
- Safety Issue: California has a higher than average crime rates, which makes safety a major issue for international students.
California Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate
California Institute of Technology exhibits an undergraduate acceptance rate of 2.07%. The university has an overall acceptance rate of only 6.7%. For the class of 2025, Caltech received 13,026 freshmen applications. Only 270 students were enrolled from among them indicating a highly selective admission policy. The university encourages students to have confidence in themselves to cope up in a university with an undergraduate population of less than 1000.
California Institute of Technology Rankings
The California Institute of Technology is ranked 6th in the QS World University Rankings 2023 and #21 in US Universities by QS Global World Rankings, 2022. Some of the other rankings achieved by Caltech are:
- #74 in Graduate Employability Ranking, by QS Global World Rankings, 2022
- #2 in World University rankings, 2022 by Times Higher Education
- #7 in US College Rankings, 2022 by Times Higher Education
- #9 in National Universities by US News and World Report, 2022
- #15 in Best Value Schools by US News and World Report, 2022
California Institute of Technology Campus
The California Institute of Technology campus is situated in the heart of Pasadena at the foot of the prestigious San Gabriel Mountains.
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is the leading research center for robotic exploration of the solar system in the United States.
- Its Seismological Laboratory located on the school campus is the global preeminent source for earthquake information.
- The university owns the Kavli Nanoscience Institute for research purpose.
- The university has its own Center for Autonomous Systems and Technology, Bioengineering center, Observatory and many other on-campus research facilities.
- There are more than 50 student clubs and sports organizations and 16 Division III varsity teams.
California Institute of Technology Programs
The programs offered by the institute include 28 undergraduate and 30 graduate degree programs. The institute has six academic divisions namely-
- Biology & Biological Engineering
- Chemistry & Chemical Engineering
- Engineering & Applied Science
- Geological & Planetary Sciences
- Humanities & Social Sciences
- Physics, Mathematics & Astronomy.
It also offers joint degree programs in association with UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, the USC Keck School of Medicine, and the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine. Some of the popular programs of the school as tabulated below:
Admission Requirements for graduate programs:
- Academic transcripts of an undergraduate degree and secondary education records
- Average GPA: 3.5/4.0 (~89-90%)
- Statement of purpose
- Resume
- 3 LOR
- Documentation of Financial Support in form of bank statements or sponsor documents showcasing the availability of required funds.
- Copy of ID pages of passport
- English language proficiency tests (no bar on score) (only TOEFL iBT or Duolingo)
Admission Requirements for undergraduate programs:
- Official transcripts
- Documentation of Financial Support in form of bank statements or sponsor documents showcasing the availability of required funds.
- SOP
- 2 LOR
- Copy of ID pages of Passport
- English proficiency test scores (no bar on score) (only TOEFL iBT or Duolingo)
California Institute of Technology Alumni Network
The university alumni network has over 24,000 active living members which include entrepreneurs, academic leaders, technological innovators, medical pioneers, etc . The alumni enjoy benefits like opportunities and tools to connect professionally, career assistance through Caltech Alumni Advisors Network and can seek or offer a job on Handshake. A few notable alumni of the university are:
- Charles T. Munger - Vice Chairman, Berkshire Hathaway Inc
- Daniel D. O'Dowd - Founder and CEO, Green Hills Software Inc
- Fei-Fei Li - Sequoia Professor of Computer Science, Stanford University
California Institute of Technology Placements
The Career Development Center of California Institute of Technology provides dedicated career services to its graduates and alumni. The center provides counseling, resume writing workshops and tips, pre-health and pre-professional advising, Networking strategies, and higher study options to the students. Students even learn to compose interview thank you letters through the career centrer. Students are provided with LinkedIn labs to connect with employers.
The average starting salary of California Institute of Technology graduates is 105,500 USD. Career fairs arranged twice a year by the university brings over 150 recruiters to employ Caltech graduates. Caltech is also recognized as the 7th best employer in America in the midsize employer category according to Forbes, 2022.
A world-renowned institute, Caltech addresses some fundamental scientific questions and presses for societal challenges through the brightest and most innovative minds in the world. Ranked among the best universities in USA, the institute ensures equal learning opportunities for all the students with on-campus housing for all candidates. Furthermore, Caltech fulfills entire costs and needs of the students through its need-based scholarship programs. The university brings international students to professional exposure through its career oriented programs and hence is a desired place for international students willing to study in the USA.