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California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA caltech.edu 1,023 students

Caltech's 124-acre campus is located in Pasadena, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. The student body is intensely focused on science and engineering, with a strong emphasis on research. Students are bound by a strict honor code that promotes academic integrity, and nearly all undergraduates live in the on-campus housing system. Caltech also manages the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA.

Programs
1
Analyzed in dataset
Earnings
$173,344
Average graduate, 1 yr after
Tuition
$63,255
Sticker price (est.)

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. Caltech's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 15% of students receive Pell Grants; 4% take federal loans.

Key Insight

Average net price across income brackets is $17,608, roughly 72% lower than the published tuition.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025
Income Bracket Avg Net Price 4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K $1,667 $6,668
$30K – $48K $1,023 $4,092
$48K – $75K $7,003 $28,012
$75K – $110K $22,073 $88,292
$110K+ $56,275 $225,100
Sticker price (no aid) $63,255 $253,020
Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at Caltech

1 degree program ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program DW Score 1-yr Earnings AI Risk ROI
Computer Science Compare across schools →
67
$173,344/yr Very High 5.9x

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