California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $16,075What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 3%
- Graduation rate
- 94%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 987
- In-state tuition
- $65,898Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $65,898
- SAT midpoint
- Not reported
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $128,566Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$16,0755/5
Better than 81% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
94%5/5
Better than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$128,5665/5
Better than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
Not reportedNot rated
Not rated: this college did not report the figure.
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$86,886
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$16,075
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 94% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 97% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | Not reported |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $128,566 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $173,344 | 67 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Not reported | 36 |
| Physics | Not reported | 26 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Not reported | 18 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Not reported | 16 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 14 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 11 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Not reported | 9 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 7 |
| Chemical Engineering | Not reported | 7 |
| Materials Engineering | Not reported | 6 |
| Biology, General | Not reported | 5 |
| Information Science/Studies | Not reported | 4 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Not reported | 4 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Not reported | 1 |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | 1 |
| History | Not reported | 1 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | Not reported |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | Not reported | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Not reported | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering Physics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
All 25 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
Similar colleges
California College of the Arts
San Francisco, CA
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in CA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoHarvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in CA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoLoma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in CA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these twoCalifornia Institute of the Arts
Valencia, CA
Also a private nonprofit four-year college in CA, with a similar undergraduate enrollment.
Compare these two