Caltech vs. UCI

Should I go to California Institute of Technology or University of California Irvine? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Caltech or UCI is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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California Institute of Technology vs. University of California Irvine comparison
California Institute of Technology University of California Irvine College 3 College 4
California Institute of Technology University of California Irvine
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Overview

Caltech UCI
Location Pasadena, CA Irvine, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,401 35,937
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #5 #91
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website caltech.edu uci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Caltech UCI
Tuition (In State) $58,479 $11,564
Tuition (Out of State) $58,479 $41,636
Room & Board $18,606 $17,699
Avg Net Price $20,755 $14,033
Avg Grant Aid $59,192 $17,411
% Receiving Grant Aid 57% 80%

Admission

Caltech UCI
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,626 119,191
Admitted 448 25,212
Acceptance Rate 2.7% 21.2%
Enrolled % 50% 22.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.97 3.75
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Very High
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 35/36 26/33
SAT Range 1530/1580 1230/1430
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jan 3, 2025 Nov 30, 2024

Academics

Caltech UCI
Student to Faculty Ratio 3:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (41%)
  • Physical Sciences (25%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (11%)
  • Mathematics (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (23%)
  • Biology (16%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • Business (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)

Outcomes

Caltech UCI
Graduation Rate 87% 85%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,800 $61,800
Making Student Loan Payments - 76%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,350 $17,000
Median Loan Payment $148 $175

Diversity

Caltech UCI
% Men 61% 45%
% Women 39% 55%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 15%
% Black 2% 2%
% Hispanic 12% 25%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 4%
% International 8% 16%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Caltech UCI
% In-State 29% 81%
% Out-of-State 58% 7%

Campus

Caltech UCI
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

  • University of California Irvine is larger than than Caltech based on total student enrollment (35,937 students vs. 2,401 students)

Caltech vs. UCI Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Caltech or UCI?

  • California Institute of Technology is 405.7% more expensive to attend than UCI for in-state tuition ($58,479.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 40.5% higher at Caltech than University of California Irvine ($58,479.00 vs. $41,636.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Irvine than Caltech ($14,033 vs. $20,755)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of California Irvine are 5.1% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($17,699 vs. $18,606)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of California Irvine than California Institute of Technology (80% vs. 57%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 240% larger than aid received University of California Irvine ($59,192 vs. $17,411)

Caltech vs. UCI Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or UCI? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UCI or Caltech .

  • The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 369 points higher than at UCI (1175)
  • Incoming Caltech students have a 8 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at UCI (27)
  • Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.22 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at UCI (3.75)
  • UCI has a higher acceptance rate (21.2%) than Caltech (2.7%)

Caltech vs. UCI Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Caltech or UCI? 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 UCI and Caltech.

  • The graduation rate at Caltech is higher than University of California Irvine (87% vs. 85%)
  • Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $24,000 more per year than UCI graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $61,800)
  • California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $2,650 lower median federal student loan debt than UCI graduates. ($14,350 vs. $17,000)
  • Caltech graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than UCI graduates. ($148 vs. $175)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/