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Cal Poly Stanford MIT Whitman College HMC Yale Carnegie Mellon Oxy UCLA UC Berkeley Pomona Lewis and Clark| California Institute of Technology | Reed College | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
Caltech | Reed | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Portland, OR | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 2,463 | 1,458 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #6 | #80 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | reed.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | Reed | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $60,816 | $66,710 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $60,816 | $66,710 | ||
| Room & Board | $19,503 | $16,820 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $23,397 | $36,993 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $60,201 | $46,317 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 55% | 55% |
Admission |
Caltech | Reed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 13,107 | 10,045 | ||
| Admitted | 412 | 2,728 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 3.1% | 27.2% | ||
| Enrolled % | 64.6% | 12.9% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 4.0 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A/A+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Exceptional | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | High | ||
| ACT Range | 35/36 | 29/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1530/1580 | 1300/1510 | ||
| 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, 2026 |
Academics |
Caltech | Reed | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 9:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
Caltech | Reed | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 80% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $47,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 84% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $16,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $165 |
Diversity |
Caltech | Reed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 38% | 1% | ||
| % Women | 21% | 1% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 60% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 2% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 11% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 8% | ||
| % International | 8% | 7% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 5% |
Students |
Caltech | Reed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 30% | 10% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 51% | 83% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | Reed | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | No | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- California Institute of Technology is larger than than Reed based on total student enrollment (2,463 students vs. 1,458 students)
Caltech vs. Reed Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Reed?
- Reed College is 9.7% more expensive to attend than Caltech for in-state tuition ($66,710.00 vs. $60,816.00)
- Out of state tuition is 9.7% higher at Reed than California Institute of Technology ($66,710.00 vs. $60,816.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than Reed ($23,397 vs. $36,993)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Reed College are 16% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($16,820 vs. $19,503)
- The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at California Institute of Technology as Reed College (55% vs. 55%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 30% larger than aid received Reed College ($60,201 vs. $46,317)
Caltech vs. Reed Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or Reed? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Reed or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 161 points higher than at Reed (1383)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Reed (31)
- Accepted freshman Reed students have a 0.03 point higher average high school GPA (4.0) than students at Caltech (3.97)
- Reed has a higher acceptance rate (27.2%) than Caltech (3.1%)
Caltech vs. Reed Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or Reed? 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 Reed and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Caltech is higher than Reed College (87% vs. 80%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $38,600 more per year than Reed graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $47,200)
- California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $1,650 lower median federal student loan debt than Reed graduates. ($14,350 vs. $16,000)
- Caltech graduates are paying $17 less per month on federal student loans than Reed graduates. ($148 vs. $165)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/