California Institute of Technology (Caltech) — Full Profile & Ranking 2026

The California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is a private research university in Pasadena, California, founded in 1891 and focused on science and engineering. It is intentionally small: federal data lists about 1,000 undergraduates and about 1,400 graduate students, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1. Caltech manages NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which leads robotic space exploration missions.

Because the first-year class is so small, admission is extremely selective. For international applicants, Caltech’s financial aid policy matters as much as the academics: Caltech states that it is need-aware for international students, as explained in the admissions and financial aid sections below.

Caltech ranked 7th in the QS World University Rankings 2027, published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) in June 2026, up from 10th in the previous edition. In this edition MIT ranked 1st, Imperial College London and Stanford tied for 2nd, Oxford ranked 4th, Harvard 5th, and Cambridge 6th.

QS ranks universities using academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio, and measures of international faculty and students. This is a QS-specific result and not one universal ranking. Other organizations, such as Times Higher Education and ARWU, use different methods and can order the same universities differently.

Sources: QS TopUniversities and the QS World University Rankings 2027 press release (18 June 2026).

Caltech offers a Bachelor of Science with many options (majors) in the sciences and engineering, and a strong graduate program. Areas it is best known for include:

• Physics & Astronomy — including space science and astrophysics
• Aerospace Engineering — closely linked to JPL’s space missions
• Chemistry and the life sciences — including chemical engineering and biology
• Mathematics, computing, and applied sciences
• Very high research involvement per student, supported by the 3 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio

For the full list of options, see Caltech Undergraduate Admissions.

Caltech reviews applications holistically. First-year (undergraduate) admission and graduate admission are separate processes.

First-Year Undergraduate Admissions (2027 Entry)

Details follow Caltech’s admissions pages and published guidance (checked October 2026). Dates change every year, so confirm them before applying.

Graduate Admissions

Graduate applicants apply directly to the academic division or option they want to join. Requirements, deadlines, and English test scores vary by program, so check the specific program’s page.

Official sources: First-year application requirements and Afford Caltech.

For the Class of 2029, Caltech admitted 427 students from 11,285 applicants, an acceptance rate of about 3.78%, according to figures reported from Caltech News. For the Class of 2030, Caltech admitted 428 students, but the number of applicants had not been published when this page was last checked.

Caltech enrolls only about 230 first-year students each year, so even small changes in applicant numbers move the rate. This is a historical rate and not a prediction for your cycle. International applicants who request financial aid face a more selective process because of Caltech’s need-aware policy.

Source: Caltech News figures as reported by education sites. Verify with Caltech Admissions.

• Confirm the current Restrictive Early Action (November 1) and Regular Decision (January 4) deadlines on Caltech’s admissions site
• Register for the SAT or ACT early enough to report scores before your deadline
• Make sure your school program covers calculus, physics, and chemistry
• Decide whether you will request financial aid, and read the International Financial Aid Statement of Intent carefully
• Prepare your CSS Profile and family income documents if you plan to request aid
• Check whether you qualify for an application fee waiver
• Verify every date, fee, and requirement on Caltech’s official website before submitting

The figures below are Caltech’s undergraduate charges for the 2026–27 academic year, as reported by education sites, before financial aid.

The total includes housing, food, books, and personal costs, and it is an estimate used to calculate financial need. Graduate costs differ by program. Check Caltech’s official pages for current numbers, because fees are set annually.

Source: figures as reported from Caltech’s 2026–27 budget by education sites. Verify on Caltech’s financial aid and student accounts pages.

Caltech’s undergraduate aid is need-based. Caltech states that it meets 100% of students’ demonstrated financial need, that it is need-blind for domestic students, and that it is need-aware for international students because the total aid funds available to international students are limited.

• International applicants are need-aware: if you request aid, your family’s financial resources can be considered in the admission decision, making it more selective
• Aid is need-based: Caltech does not offer merit scholarships
• Average grant aid: for the incoming fall 2026 class, Caltech reports that the average grant aid was just under US$69,000
• How to apply for aid: international families request aid when they apply and commonly submit the CSS Profile and family income documents
• Request aid up front: international aid is generally requested with the application and cannot be added later

Official source: Afford Caltech. Aid is individually assessed and not guaranteed.

Pakistani applicants follow the same process as every other international applicant. Caltech does not run a Pakistan-specific admissions track. Practical points:

• Tests: the SAT or ACT is required, so check the College Board and ACT websites for test centers and dates available to you
• Preparation: Caltech expects strong calculus, physics, and chemistry. Strong results in your school exams (such as A-levels or the Intermediate/FSc) and in science and math competitions help your profile.
• Financial aid decision: because Caltech is need-aware for international students, decide carefully whether to request aid. The policy makes admission more selective for aid applicants, and aid is generally requested with the application.
• English: check Caltech’s guidance on whether an English proficiency test applies to you
• Passport and visa planning: admitted international students generally need a U.S. student visa. Visa decisions are made by U.S. authorities, not by Caltech, and no outcome is guaranteed.
• Advice and agents: you apply directly to Caltech, so a paid agent is not required. EducationUSA offers free advising.

• Caltech’s campus is in Pasadena, California, in the Los Angeles area
• Federal data lists about 2,460 students in total (about 1,020 undergraduates and 1,440 graduate students, fall 2023), so the community is very small
• A student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means undergraduates can work closely with faculty
• Caltech reports that nearly all undergraduates take part in research during their degree

• Caltech manages NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), which leads robotic space exploration missions
• Research strengths include physics, astronomy, aerospace, chemistry, and the life sciences
• Caltech does not guarantee employment, salary, or immigration outcomes. Any graduate outcome statistics describe past cohorts and are not promises.

• Linus Pauling — earned his PhD at Caltech; won Nobel Prizes in Chemistry and Peace
• Gordon Moore — earned his PhD at Caltech; co-founder of Intel
• Richard Feynman — Nobel Prize-winning physicist, who taught at Caltech
• Theodore von Kármán — aerospace engineer on the Caltech faculty, whose rocketry group helped lead to JPL
• Many Nobel laureates in Physics and Chemistry have been connected with Caltech

California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125, United States
Official website: www.caltech.edu
Undergraduate admissions: admissions.caltech.edu