California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · Official website ↗
International students should also budget for health insurance, visa and travel costs not shown here.
Quick summary
| Cost per year | about $90,822 per year (tuition, housing, food, books — U.S. Department of Education figure) + flights and visa. Four years cost roughly four times this if prices stay the same; colleges usually raise prices every year. |
|---|---|
| Money from the college | Need-based aid: yes, but asking for it can affect the admission decision. Merit scholarships: none. No named scholarship is confirmed open to international students yet. |
| Chances of admission | extremely selective: about 1 in 39 applicants is admitted. English minimum: IELTS 7, TOEFL (1–6) 5, TOEFL 100, Duolingo 130. |
| Application deadlines | not yet determined |
| Where and how students live | Pasadena, CA · Midsize city · summer highs about 29°C, winter lows about 9°C · 23 km from BUR airport |
| Housing | not yet determined |
| Working while studying | not yet determined |
| After graduation | not yet determined |
Plain-language summary of the verified details below. Where it says “not yet determined”, we have not found it on an official page yet.
Financial aid & requirements for international students
| Aid & admission for international applicants | Need-aware for international applicants The college may consider an international applicant's ability to pay when deciding admission. Sources (1)“We are need-aware for international students because the total amount of financial aid funds for international students is limited.”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
|---|---|
| Meets full financial need | Yes — meets the full demonstrated need of admitted studentsSources (1)“Caltech is committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need of all admitted students.”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Merit scholarships | No — aid is based on need, not meritSources (1)“Caltech does not award merit scholarships.”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Forms for international aid applicants | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| Must request aid when applying? | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
| SAT / ACT policy | SAT or ACT requiredSources (1)“Caltech requires first-year applicants to submit either the SAT or the ACT for admissions to Caltech. For fall 2027 applicants,”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| English proficiency | English test required unless an exemption applies
Sources (5)“English Proficiency Exam scores are required of all international applicants unless 1) your native language is English or 2) English is the primary language of instruction in your secondary school.”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“TOEFL (taken on or after Jan. 21, 2026) 5”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“TOEFL (taken before Jan. 21, 2026) 100”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“IELTS 7”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10“Duolingo English Test 130”www.admissions.caltech.edu ↗ · checked 2026-11-10 |
| Conditional admission / English pathway | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Deadlines (fall 2027 entry)
| Application deadlines | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Financial aid deadline | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Dates as published by the college; check the official page for time zones and supporting-document deadlines.
Costs for international students
| Student health insurance | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
|---|---|
| Proof of funds for the I-20 | Not yet determined — check the college site ↗ |
Earnings by field of study
| Field | After 1 year | After 4 years |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $160,167 | $200,511 |
Median yearly earnings of graduates of this college's bachelor's programme in each field, 1 and 4 years after finishing. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). Only graduates who received U.S. federal student aid are counted, so international students are not included.
Location
| City / state | Pasadena, CA |
|---|---|
| Setting | Midsize city |
| Nearest major airport | Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport (BUR), about 23 km in a straight line |
| Map | View on OpenStreetMap ↗ |
Setting from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard); airport from OurAirports (public-domain data).
Climate
| Warmest month (Aug) | average high 29°C (84°F) |
|---|---|
| Coldest month (Dec) | average low 9°C (48°F) |
| Precipitation per year | 362 mm |
Month by month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 20° | 20° | 21° | 22° | 23° | 25° | 28° | 29° | 28° | 26° | 23° | 20° |
| Low °C | 9° | 10° | 11° | 13° | 14° | 16° | 18° | 19° | 18° | 16° | 12° | 9° |
| Rain mm | 84 | 92 | 57 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 20 | 63 |
Averages for 1991–2020 at the Los Angeles Dwtn Usc Campus, Ca Us weather station, about 20 km from campus. Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals.
Cost, admission rate, test-score ranges and earnings come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (retrieved 2026-11-11). SAT range adds the 25th/75th-percentile section scores, so it is approximate. Scorecard earnings are for federal-aid recipients.