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Cal Poly Stanford NYU Johns Hopkins Case Western Cornell Emory MIT Penn Duke HMC Yale| California Institute of Technology | Carnegie Mellon University | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Pittsburgh, PA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 2,401 | 16,002 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #5 | #41 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | cmu.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $58,479 | $59,864 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $58,479 | $59,864 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,606 | $16,486 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,755 | $33,499 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,192 | $43,966 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 57% | 47% |
Admission |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 16,626 | 34,261 | ||
| Admitted | 448 | 3,873 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 2.7% | 11.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 50% | 44.3% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.89 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Very High | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 34/35 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1490/1570 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2025 | Jan 1, 2025 |
Academics |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 5:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 87% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $102,700 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 91% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $26,250 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $271 |
Diversity |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 61% | 56% | ||
| % Women | 39% | 44% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 32% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 5% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 8% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 4% | ||
| % International | 8% | 18% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 5% |
Students |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 29% | 11% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 58% | 69% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | Carnegie Mellon | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | Yes | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Caltech based on total student enrollment (16,002 students vs. 2,401 students)
Caltech vs. Carnegie Mellon Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Carnegie Mellon?
- Carnegie Mellon University is 2.4% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($59,864.00 vs. $58,479.00)
- Out of state tuition is 2.4% higher at Carnegie Mellon than California Institute of Technology ($59,864.00 vs. $58,479.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than Carnegie Mellon ($20,755 vs. $33,499)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Carnegie Mellon University are 12.9% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($16,486 vs. $18,606)
- More students receive financial grant aid at California Institute of Technology than Carnegie Mellon University (57% vs. 47%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 34.6% larger than aid received Carnegie Mellon University ($59,192 vs. $43,966)
Caltech vs. Carnegie Mellon Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or Carnegie Mellon? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Carnegie Mellon or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 96 points higher than at Carnegie Mellon (1448)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Carnegie Mellon (33)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Carnegie Mellon (3.89)
- Carnegie Mellon has a higher acceptance rate (11.3%) than Caltech (2.7%)
Caltech vs. Carnegie Mellon Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or Carnegie Mellon? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Carnegie Mellon and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Caltech is the same as at Carnegie Mellon University (87% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $16,900 more per year than Caltech graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $85,800)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $11,900 lower median federal student loan debt than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($14,350 vs. $26,250)
- Caltech graduates are paying $123 less per month on federal student loans than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($148 vs. $271)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/