California Institute of Technology

Caltech Undergraduate Admissions

The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.

Contents

• Location
• Academic Organization
• Student Body Profile
• Degrees Awarded
• Faculty in Residence
• Other Employees
• Living Alumni
• Campus Budget

Location Top
Caltech's 124-acre campus is situated in Pasadena, California, a city of 141,000 at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, approximately 30 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean and 10 miles northeast of the Los Angeles Civic Center.

The Institute is an independent, privately supported university.

Academic Organization Top
Caltech has six academic divisions:

• Biology
• Chemistry and Chemical Engineering
• Engineering and Applied Science
• Geological and Planetary Sciences
• Humanities and Social Sciences
• Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy

Beneath this apparently simple organization lie some 40 areas of concentration in science, mathematics, engineering, and the humanities and social sciences.

Student Body Profile Top

Fall Enrollment 2008

Undergraduate Students:
Total: 921
Men: 610
Women: 311
African American: <1 %, Asian American: 39%, Caucasian: 40%, Hispanic: 5%, International: 11%

Graduate Students:
Total: 1205
Men: 842
Women: 363
 

2008 Freshman Class

• There were 3,956 applications for the '08 freshman class; 686 offers of admission were made, and 241 students matriculated.

• 73 percent of 2008 freshmen attended public high schools; 17 percent attended private schools; 9 percent attended international schools and 1% were home schooled.

• 28 percent are from California; 14 percent from the Northeast; 18 percent from the Midwest; 12 percent from the South; 10 percent from the West (excluding California); 7 percent from the Southwest; 11 percent are international students.

• Their most popular extracurricular activities were science/math teams (74%); volunteering/community service (79%); music (52%); scientific research (48%); and sports (29%).

• Their SAT mid-50% scores were 2170-2310 ACT mid-50% composite scores were 33–35.

• 98 percent of those ranked were in the top 10 percent of their class

• Fifty-eight percent of undergraduates receive need-based financial assistance.

Degrees Awarded, June 2008 Top

BS	208
MS	128
Engineer	1
PhD	185

Faculty in Residence Top

(as of December 2008)

Professorial faculty	294
Emeriti	108
Research faculty	57
Other faculty	65
Visiting faculty	138
Visitors	115

Caltech also employees 535 Postdoctoral scholars and 35 Senior Postdoctoral scholars who work with professors in exisiting research programs.

Employees Top

(as of December 2008)
 

Campus (excluding faculty and students)	2,650
JPL (excluding contractors)	5,200

Living Alumni Top

(as of December 2008)
 

Total 22,227
 

BS	11,282
MS	7,754
Engineer	370
PhD	6,822
Ex student	639
Total	26,945

(The total number of degrees is greater than the number of living alumni because many graduates have multiple Caltech degrees.)

Campus Budget (fiscal year 2008) Top
 

Total Campus Operating Expenditures: $577,790,000

Sources of Operating Revenue:
 

Use of Operating Revenue: