California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California · Also known as Caltech · Website
$128,566
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$128,566
median earnings, 10 years after starting
California Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Pasadena, California with 987 undergraduates and 1,443 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $16,075 a year (tuition and fees $65,898). It admits 2.6% of applicants and 94% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $128,566 a year 10 years after they started.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$16,075
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$65,898
US median $11,837
Admission rate
2.6%
US median 78%
Completion rate
94%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
-
Earnings at 10 years
$128,566
Rank 8 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $16,075
- Tuition and fees
- $65,898
- Cost of attendance
- $86,886
- Students with a need-based grant
- 18%
- Students with federal loans
- 4.3%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- -$2,133
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- -$2,886
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $431
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,753
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $54,157
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $45,390 in 2015-16 to $65,898 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 2.6%
- Undergraduates
- 987
- Graduate students
- 1,443
- Part-time students
- 0%
- Women
- 45%
- Students per teacher
- 3
- Completion rate
- 94%
- Retention rate
- 97%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 79
- Endowment
- $4.2B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 8 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 494 in California (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | CA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $16,075 | $20,161 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $65,898 | $8,086 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 2.6% | 76% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 94% | 64% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 97% | 80% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | - | $11,537 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $132,140 | $36,048 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $128,566 | $41,472 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 88% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
79 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | Withheld | $173,344 | $200,511 | $107,009 |
| ChemistryDoctoral | Doctoral | 39 | Withheld | Withheld | $119,626 | $115,386 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,135 |
| PhysicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,786 |
| PhysicsDoctoral | Doctoral | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $130,153 |
| PhysicsMaster's | Master's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $96,478 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $93,451 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $133,654 |
| Engineering PhysicsMaster's | Master's | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $114,121 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $131,848 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $100,647 |
| Astronomy and AstrophysicsMaster's | Master's | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,398 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/GeosciencesMaster's | Master's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $79,463 |
| Applied MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $91,532 |
| Mechanical EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $131,070 |
| Biology, GeneralDoctoral | Doctoral | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,983 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $138,660 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $106,375 |
| Chemical EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $141,187 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,562 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $122,434 |
| Engineering PhysicsDoctoral | Doctoral | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $139,646 |
| Materials EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $130,845 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringDoctoral | Doctoral | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $157,305 |
| Materials EngineeringMaster's | Master's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $112,282 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: California on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in California
- Homes: Homes for sale in California
Questions and answers
How much does California Institute of Technology cost?
$16,075 a year is the average net price at California Institute of Technology after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $65,898, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $86,886. Families earning under $30,000 pay -$2,133 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at California Institute of Technology?
2.6% of applicants are admitted to California Institute of Technology. The median admission rate of colleges in California is 76%.
How much do California Institute of Technology graduates earn?
$128,566 a year is the median pay of former California Institute of Technology students who work, 10 years after they started ($132,140 after 6 years). That ranks 8 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 494 in California. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer Science (Bachelor's) at $173,344.
What is the graduation rate at California Institute of Technology?
94% of first-time, full-time students at California Institute of Technology finish within 6 years. 97% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at California Institute of Technology?
Computer Science (67 bachelor's graduates), Chemistry (39 doctoral graduates), Mechanical Engineering (36 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 79 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.