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Cal Poly Harvard Stanford Princeton Yale HMC RPI Carnegie Mellon Cornell UCLA RIT Northeastern| California Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | MIT | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Cambridge, MA | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Midsize City | ||
| Enrollment | 2,463 | 11,920 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #6 | #7 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | mit.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | MIT | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $60,816 | $59,750 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $60,816 | $59,750 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,503 | $19,390 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $23,397 | $21,519 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $60,201 | $58,331 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 55% | 58% |
Admission |
Caltech | MIT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 13,107 | 26,904 | ||
| Admitted | 412 | 1,274 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.1% | 4.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 64.6% | 85.6% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.96 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 34/36 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1510/1580 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) | Required to be considered for admission | ||
| Application Deadline | Jan 3, 2026 | Jan 1, 2026 |
Academics |
Caltech | MIT | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 3:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | MIT | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 93% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $142,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 92% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $17,316 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $179 |
Diversity |
Caltech | MIT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 38% | 37% | ||
| % Women | 21% | 25% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Very High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 37% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 6% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 15% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 6% | ||
| % International | 8% | 10% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 2% |
Students |
Caltech | MIT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 30% | 8% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 51% | 81% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | MIT | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than Caltech based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 2,463 students)
Caltech vs. MIT Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or MIT?
- California Institute of Technology is 1.8% more expensive to attend than MIT for in-state tuition ($60,816.00 vs. $59,750.00)
- Out of state tuition is 1.8% higher at Caltech than Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($60,816.00 vs. $59,750.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than Caltech ($21,519 vs. $23,397)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are 0.6% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($19,390 vs. $19,503)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than California Institute of Technology (58% vs. 55%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 3.2% larger than aid received Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($60,201 vs. $58,331)
Caltech vs. MIT Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or MIT? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between MIT or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 37 points higher than at MIT (1507)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at MIT (34)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at MIT (3.96)
- MIT has a higher acceptance rate (4.7%) than Caltech (3.1%)
Caltech vs. MIT Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or MIT? 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 MIT and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at MIT is higher than California Institute of Technology (93% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn on average $56,300 more per year than Caltech graduates after ten years. ($142,100 vs. $85,800)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $2,966 lower median federal student loan debt than MIT graduates. ($14,350 vs. $17,316)
- Caltech graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than MIT graduates. ($148 vs. $179)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/