California Institute of Technology
PrivatePasadena, CA
California Institute of Technology is a private very small school in Pasadena, CA, enrolling about 987 undergraduates. California Institute of Technology is highly selective, with an acceptance rate near 3%. Among reported majors, Computer Science shows the strongest outcomes -- $200,511/year in median earnings four years after graduation. On-campus housing isn't required, so many students live off campus.
Admissions
Test scores for the Fall 2025 entering class come from California Institute of Technology's own 2025-26 Common Data Set: 78% submitted SAT scores (reading & writing 760–780, math 790–800; no composite reported), 22% submitted ACT scores.
Application deadlines for Fall 2027 entry
- Restrictive Early Action: Nov 1, 2026Non-binding, but you can't apply Early Action or Early Decision to any other college, public or private, with narrow exceptions.
- Regular Decision: Jan 4, 2027
Confirm on California Institute of Technology's own admissions site before you apply.
Cost & outcomes
From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field. Tuition & fees are the sticker price for a full-time first-year undergrad, before financial aid, and don't include room and board.
Where do you stand against California Institute of Technology's numbers?
Check your chances hereHow California Institute of Technology weighs your application
From California Institute of Technology's own Common Data Set, 2025-26, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?
What applicants who posted their results listed
42 self-reported applicant profiles from public posts, 2024–25 and 2025–26 admissions cycles: 11 admitted, 31 rejected or waitlisted. Figures read admitted vs. rejected or waitlisted.
Most common activities
Most common awards among admits
Who posted
How this compares at Harvard, MIT and Caltech: Harvard, MIT and Caltech Accepted vs. Rejected Applicants →
These are people who chose to post their results publicly, mostly on Reddit -- a group that skews toward high scores and STEM. They describe posters, not California Institute of Technology's admitted class, and recruited athletes are left out. For official numbers, use the admissions figures above.
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what California Institute of Technology weighs in your application
Paying it back
"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.
Majors & earnings
Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.
Campus life
Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.
What matters in your application
From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.
Frequently asked questions
What does California Institute of Technology look for in applicants?
Per California Institute of Technology's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, standardized test scores, application essay, recommendations, character/personal qualities as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.
What is California Institute of Technology's acceptance rate?
California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, CA admits approximately 3% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.
What ACT score do I need for California Institute of Technology?
Per California Institute of Technology's own 2025-26 Common Data Set, the middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 35–36 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile, among students who submitted scores).
How much does California Institute of Technology cost?
California Institute of Technology's total cost of attendance is reported at $86,886 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.
When is the application deadline for California Institute of Technology?
California Institute of Technology's deadlines are Restrictive Early Action Nov 1, 2026; Regular Decision Jan 4, 2027, per its own published admissions calendar.
Does California Institute of Technology require students to live on campus?
No -- California Institute of Technology doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.
Related reading
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