Add a college to compare up to four schools
Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison.
Duke Cal Poly WUSTL Stanford Emory Rice Notre Dame Georgetown Northwestern Johns Hopkins MIT HMC| California Institute of Technology | Vanderbilt University | College 3 | College 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|||
| Remove | Remove | +Add | +Add | |
Overview |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
| Location | Pasadena, CA | Nashville, TN | ||
| Setting | Midsize City | Large City | ||
| Enrollment | 2,401 | 13,710 | ||
| Type | Private 4 Year | Private 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #5 | #14 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | caltech.edu | vanderbilt.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $58,479 | $58,130 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (Out of State) | $58,479 | $58,130 | ||
| Room & Board | $18,606 | $19,862 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $20,755 | $25,606 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $59,192 | $53,932 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 57% | 65% |
Admission |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 16,626 | 46,377 | ||
| Admitted | 448 | 3,093 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 2.7% | 6.7% | ||
| Enrolled % | 50% | 52.3% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.97 | 3.89 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | A- | A- | ||
| Admissions Standards | Elite | Elite | ||
| Applicant Competition | Extreme | Extreme | ||
| 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 | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Student to Faculty Ratio | 3:1 | 7:1 | ||
| Popular Majors |
|
|
||
Outcomes |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
| Graduation Rate | 87% | 92% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $85,800 | $83,100 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | - | 83% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $14,350 | $14,000 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $148 | $144 |
Diversity |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 61% | 44% | ||
| % Women | 39% | 56% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | High | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 27% | 55% | ||
| % Black | 2% | 8% | ||
| % Hispanic | 12% | 8% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 5% | 5% | ||
| % International | 8% | 7% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 0% | 5% |
Students |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 29% | 9% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 58% | 79% | ||
Campus |
Caltech | Vanderbilt | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | Yes | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Vanderbilt University is larger than than Caltech based on total student enrollment (13,710 students vs. 2,401 students)
Caltech vs. Vanderbilt Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, Caltech or Vanderbilt?
- California Institute of Technology is 0.6% more expensive to attend than Vanderbilt for in-state tuition ($58,479.00 vs. $58,130.00)
- Out of state tuition is 0.6% higher at Caltech than Vanderbilt University ($58,479.00 vs. $58,130.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California Institute of Technology than Vanderbilt ($20,755 vs. $25,606)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at California Institute of Technology are 6.8% lower than costs at Vanderbilt University ($18,606 vs. $19,862)
- More students receive financial grant aid at Vanderbilt University than California Institute of Technology (65% vs. 57%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 9.8% larger than aid received Vanderbilt University ($59,192 vs. $53,932)
Caltech vs. Vanderbilt Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or Vanderbilt? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Vanderbilt or Caltech .
- The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 46 points higher than at Vanderbilt (1498)
- Incoming Caltech students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at Vanderbilt (34)
- Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.08 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at Vanderbilt (3.89)
- Vanderbilt has a higher acceptance rate (6.7%) than Caltech (2.7%)
Caltech vs. Vanderbilt Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, Caltech or Vanderbilt? 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 Vanderbilt and Caltech.
- The graduation rate at Vanderbilt is higher than California Institute of Technology (92% vs. 87%)
- Graduates from California Institute of Technology earn on average $2,700 more per year than Vanderbilt graduates after ten years. ($85,800 vs. $83,100)
- Vanderbilt University students graduate with a $350 lower median federal student loan debt than Caltech graduates. ($14,000 vs. $14,350)
- Vanderbilt graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than Caltech graduates. ($144 vs. $148)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/