California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Caltech is a small private science and engineering institute in Pasadena, a city in Los Angeles County north-east of downtown Los Angeles, with about 970 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students. It is 7th in both the QS World University Rankings 2027 and the THE World University Rankings 2026, and 10th in ARWU 2026. Undergraduates apply through the Common App: for autumn 2027 entry the non-binding but restrictive early round, Restrictive Early Action, closes on 1 November 2026 and Regular Decision on 4 January 2027. The SAT or ACT is required, and so are high-school calculus, physics and chemistry. The 2026–27 cost of attendance is $98,622 before health insurance. Caltech meets the full demonstrated need of admitted international students, but admission of international aid applicants is need-aware: an aid request can affect the decision.

Who Caltech suits, and when to look elsewhere

Caltech is for students who already live and breathe mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology or computing and are ready for a workload the institute itself calls extraordinarily hard. If you are torn between science and the humanities, or want applied engineering on a large campus, compare it with Duke and the University of Chicago. Our overview of universities in California covers the rest of the state, and the study in the USA page gives the national picture.

Six divisions and the Core

Caltech has six academic divisions: Biology and Biological Engineering; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering; Engineering and Applied Science; Geological and Planetary Sciences; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy. Majors, called options, range from applied and computational mathematics, astrophysics and computer science to economics, robotics, neurobiology and information and data sciences. An Interdisciplinary Studies Program lets students design their own curriculum under faculty supervision.

All first-years take the same classes in their first two terms and declare an option only at the end of the first year. The first-year Core includes 27 units of mathematics (multivariable calculus and linear algebra), 27 units of physics, 21 units of chemistry with lab, 9 units of biology, introductory programming, scientific writing, an extra lab and a "menu" class in astronomy, environmental science, energy, geosciences, information or logic; 99 units of humanities and social sciences follow over the degree. A unit is roughly one hour of work a week, so a standard nine-unit class means three hours in class and six hours of homework. Introductory Core courses in the first two ten-week terms are graded pass/fail to ease the transition.

Collaboration on problem sets is the norm, and the Honor Code lets faculty set take-home exams. Caltech manages NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, owns the Seismological Laboratory and the Palomar and W. M. Keck observatories, and co-founded and co-manages LIGO.

How to apply to Caltech from outside the United States

Caltech defines an international applicant as someone who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident and attends secondary school outside the U.S. The process is the same for everyone and your file is read in the context of your school; only aid rules and the English requirement differ.

Required school preparation

• four years of mathematics, including a year of calculus;
• one year of physics;
• one year of chemistry;
• one year of biology (recommended);
• four years of English (Caltech adds footnotes for different school systems; if you are unsure how your language and literature courses will count, ask your regional admissions counsellor);
• two years of history or social sciences, three recommended.

IB students need Higher Level Mathematics and A-level students need A-level Maths. If calculus, physics or chemistry were not available at your school, or you had an unresolvable timetable conflict, Caltech accepts exam scores or certification showing the knowledge instead, provided both you and your counsellor document the reason.

What goes into the application

• Common App and the $85 fee. If you are applying for aid and the fee is a hardship, the Caltech Active Transport Pass form checks your eligibility for a waiver.
• Caltech questions. Your intended area of interest and why (150–200 words); one essay of up to 200 words on how you learn when there is no easy answer (one prompt of two); two essays of up to 200 words on how STEM comes alive in your life (two prompts of three); and a 100–150-word answer on what you would bring to the Caltech community. An optional question covers your academic context. Faculty take part in reading applications, so technical detail is welcome.
• AI guidelines. Every applicant must review them before submitting essays. Checking grammar or generating brainstorming questions is fine; replacing your own voice with generated text is not, and breaches may lead to rescinded admission.
• Two teacher recommendations: one STEM teacher (maths, preferably calculus or beyond, physics, chemistry or biology) and one humanities or social science teacher (English, history, government or economics). International students without humanities courses in their last two years may substitute a teacher of another core subject.
• School report and transcript listing course titles and grades, sent by the school. Non-English documents need the original plus an English translation, which an English teacher or school official may prepare; Caltech will not review an application with any untranslated part. Do not convert grades to the U.S. system.
• Mid-year report once first-term senior grades are available.
• SAT or ACT, plus any AP or IB scores.
• English test, required unless English is your native language or the language of instruction at your school (strongly recommended for non-native speakers at English-medium schools). Minimums: TOEFL iBT 100 with 25 per section for tests taken before 21 January 2026, or 5 overall and per section on the new scale; IELTS 7 overall and per band; Duolingo 130 overall and per subscore. The test must be taken before the deadline.
• InitialView is recommended for international applicants but not required, and it does not replace the English test.
• Optional materials: a research paper (with citation, a letter from the research mentor and a description) or a portfolio, uploaded through the Beaver Breakroom portal after you apply.

Caltech may verify submitted materials on admission, and any discrepancy leads to rescission.

SAT and ACT: the bucket system

Caltech requires the SAT or ACT from all first-year applicants and sets no minimum. It reviews section scores, not totals: on the SAT, Math and Reading and Writing; on the ACT, Math, English and Reading (Science and Writing are optional). The ACT composite is not considered at all.

Faculty designed the scheme after studying how scores relate to performance at Caltech. The institute says retaking tests in pursuit of a perfect score is not a good use of time, and that successful applicants have typically scored 700+ on each SAT section or 30+ on each ACT section. If testing was impossible because no centre was within reasonable distance or a sitting was cancelled, you explain this in the Caltech questions. Scores must be in by 30 November 2026 for the early round and by 31 December 2026 for Regular Decision. Our guide to the SAT or ACT helps you choose.

Restrictive Early Action or Regular Decision

Under Restrictive Early Action you may not apply Early Action or Early Decision to other institutions, except universities outside the U.S., public universities with non-binding autumn deadlines (such as the University of California), rolling admissions, military academies and early-deadline scholarship programmes. If you are deferred, you may apply Early Decision II elsewhere but must withdraw from Caltech if admitted there. An early denial is final for that cycle. Caltech says admit rates in both rounds are below 5% with a negligible difference, and it makes most offers in Regular Decision.

Step-by-step plan for autumn 2027

1. September 2026. Check that calculus, physics and chemistry are on your transcript; sit an English test; book the SAT or ACT with time to spare before 30 November (early) or 31 December (regular).
2. September–October. Secure two recommendations (STEM and humanities); write the Caltech answers after reading the AI guidelines; ask the school to prepare a translated transcript.
3. 1 November 2026 or 4 January 2027. Submit the application; remaining materials within six days. If you need aid and apply early, complete the CSS Profile straight away, aiming for mid-November.
4. By 1 February 2027. CSS Profile for Regular Decision (see the note on dates below the deadline table).
5. December or March. Decision; early admits are told to expect their aid offer before the winter break.
6. By 1 May 2027. Reply, then Form I-20 and the F-1 visa. Parents' tax returns and the Caltech Scholarship Data Form are due by 15 July 2027.

Deadlines for autumn 2027 entry

As of 24 September 2026, Caltech's financial aid office had not yet posted its CSS Profile dates for autumn 2027 entry. The international aid statement gives a general deadline of 1 February, but last cycle the office set 15 November for international early applicants and 15 February for regular applicants. The earlier dates in the table are the safer plan, especially as early admits are promised their aid offer before the winter break.

How many applicants Caltech admits

According to the Common Data Set 2025–26, Caltech received 11,285 first-year applications for autumn 2025 and made 428 offers, 3.8%; 248 students enrolled, 37 of them international. Of 263 applicants offered a waitlist place, 211 accepted it and one was admitted. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored 760–780 on SAT Reading and Writing and 790–800 on SAT Math, and 35–36 on the ACT; 78% submitted the SAT. These figures describe the competition, not any individual's prospects.

What Caltech costs

The Caltech Student Health Insurance Plan costs $5,388 in 2026–27; you can waive it with comparable cover, and aid recipients may ask for it to be added to their budget. All entering undergraduates pay a one-time $600 orientation fee. A travel allowance is added only for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens living in the U.S., Canada or Mexico, so international students should budget their own flights. Our guide to the cost of studying in the USA helps you plan.

Financial aid for international students

Caltech's rules are set out in its International Financial Aid Statement of Intent, and you confirm that you understand them in the application.

• Need-aware admission. For U.S. citizens and permanent residents Caltech is need-blind; for international citizens an aid request can be a factor because the aid budget for them is limited. Caltech still meets the demonstrated need of every admitted student.
• One chance. Request aid with your first-year application. If you do not request or receive aid for the first year, you cannot receive it later in your undergraduate career; there are no appeals or exceptions (except for citizens of Canada and Mexico). International students without aid must be able to pay the full cost.
• Documents. CSS Profile (see the deadlines section above); parents' tax returns and the Caltech Scholarship Data Form by 15 July. Aid recipients reapply each year.
• What the package covers. Aid is calculated on the full cost of attendance, including tuition, housing, food, books, fees and personal costs, and Caltech's general policy meets need through grants and scholarships, work-study and loans.
• No merit scholarships. All aid is need-based.
• International transfer and 3/2 students are not eligible for aid.

In the Common Data Set 2025–26, 59 international undergraduates received institutional aid averaging $85,696. Caltech reports an average grant of just under $69,000 for the incoming autumn 2026 class; it does not publish a separate figure for international students. Caltech decides on aid; our overview of financial aid for international students in the USA explains how such packages work.

Graduate study and the PhD

Graduate education is central at Caltech, with about 1,400 graduate students. Applications are accepted once a year, generally until 15 December, for entry the following autumn; you may apply to only one option per cycle, although a committee may refer your file to another option at no extra cost. There is no minimum GPA or other numerical cut-off. Caltech also states that it supports applicants affected by the Israel-Gaza and Ukraine-Russia conflicts, regardless of citizenship; they may be allowed to apply after the deadline by arrangement with the option representative, under the normal admission standards.

Every full-time PhD student making satisfactory progress receives tuition and mandatory fees plus a living stipend of $50,000 for 12 months from 1 September 2026 (the stipend is taxable). A Caltech PhD typically takes five to six years. For reference, unfunded graduate tuition in 2026–27 is $68,574 plus $2,448 in fees. Caltech generally does not fund master's students, though they may hold teaching or research assistantships. Caltech offers campus housing to all new graduate students in their first year.

Housing: the Houses and Rotation

Caltech provides and requires on-campus housing for the first two years, and most students stay all four. There are 11 residence halls: eight traditional undergraduate Houses and three unaffiliated halls. Each mixes all class years and has a Resident Associate, health advocates, peer advisers and Title IX advocates; some have faculty in residence.

New students are first placed in temporary rooms. During the first two weeks they take part in Rotation, visiting every House, sharing dinners and activities, and then choose where to live. Students can stay or move at the end of each year.

One rule matters for many applicants from Russia and the CIS, some of whom finish school at 17: to live on campus in your first year you must be 17 by 1 October of the year you enrol. Younger students can study and join House social life, but their families must find off-campus housing without help from Caltech. Our guide to student housing in the USA covers renting.

F-1 visa and work

After admission and proof of funding Caltech issues Form I-20. Next come the SEVIS fee ($350), the visa fee ($185) and the interview. Russian citizens book nonimmigrant visa interviews at the U.S. embassies in Warsaw or Astana, and F-1 applicants are instructed to set their social media profiles to public; the consulate decides on the visa. See our F-1 visa guide.

F-1 students may work on campus up to 20 hours a week during term and use 12 months of OPT after graduation, extendable by 24 months in STEM fields. Details are in our guide to working while studying and OPT.

Advantages and obstacles for applicants from Russia and the CIS

What helps:

• strong school mathematics and physics, especially from specialised schools, match Caltech's requirements directly;
• olympiad and research work can be shown through optional materials, and faculty read the files;
• if you could not sit the SAT or ACT, you can explain why in the application;
• the early round is non-binding, so you can compare aid offers until 1 May.

What gets in the way:

• need-aware admission for international aid applicants and no merit scholarships;
• an English test is required, with minimums for every section;
• SAT/ACT centres and visa interviews in Warsaw or Astana often mean travelling abroad;
• you must turn 17 by 1 October, or pay for off-campus housing in your first year;
• payments from Russia must use legal channels only (see how to pay for studies abroad from Russia).

Mistakes to avoid

• Applying without chemistry or physics on the transcript. Both are required; without them you need documented alternatives and a counsellor's explanation.
• Relying on your ACT composite. Caltech looks only at section scores.
• Filing other early applications. Restrictive Early Action forbids them, apart from the listed exceptions.
• Not requesting aid at the start. For international students this closes aid for the whole degree, with no appeal.
• Sending untranslated documents. Caltech will not review an application with any part not in English.
• Missing the July deadline. Parents' tax returns and the Scholarship Data Form are due by 15 July, after admission.
• Using a text generator for essays. Caltech warns that this can lead to rescinded admission.
• Forgetting the age rule. If you turn 17 after 1 October, you will not get campus housing in your first year.

Caltech in the rankings

These are unusually high positions for such a small institution: rankings weigh research output and citations heavily, where Caltech competes with far larger universities. Caltech faculty and alumni have received 49 Nobel Prizes.

FAQ

Can I apply to Caltech straight after finishing school in Russia or Kazakhstan?

Yes, if your transcript includes calculus, physics and chemistry and you have SAT or ACT and English test results. Mind the age rule: to live on campus in your first year you must be 17 by 1 October.

Does Caltech require the SAT?

Yes. The SAT or ACT is required from everyone. There is no minimum, and section scores of 750+ on the SAT or 33+ on the ACT are shown to readers only as a bucket.

How much does a year at Caltech cost?

$98,622 for 2026–27: tuition $68,574, fees $2,655, housing $12,711, food $9,285, plus books and personal costs. Insurance ($5,388 unless you have your own), a $600 one-time fee and flights are extra.

Can international students get financial aid?

Yes, need-based aid: Caltech meets the full demonstrated need of admitted students. But admission of international aid applicants is need-aware, there are no merit scholarships, and aid can be requested only with the application.

What English level does Caltech require?

TOEFL iBT 100 with at least 25 per section (or 5 on the new scale), IELTS 7 in every band, or Duolingo 130. The test is required for international applicants unless English is their native language or their school's language of instruction.

Is Restrictive Early Action binding?

No. If admitted, you can reply by 1 May and compare offers. The restriction is different: you may not apply Early Action or Early Decision elsewhere, except to the listed categories such as universities outside the U.S. and public universities with non-binding deadlines.

Does StudyU help with Caltech applications?

Under a service agreement we help you check your school preparation against Caltech's requirements, plan the SAT or ACT and English test, structure your answers to Caltech's questions and prepare CSS Profile and visa documents. The applicant writes the essays. Caltech decides on admission and aid, and the U.S. consulate decides on the visa.

Sources

• Caltech Admissions: First-Year Application Requirements
• Caltech Admissions: First-Year Deadlines (autumn 2027)
• Caltech Admissions: International Applicants
• Caltech Admissions: Standardized Tests
• Caltech Admissions: Supplemental Application Essays
• Caltech Admissions: Ethical Use of AI Guidelines
• Caltech Admissions: Application Fee & Waiver
• Caltech Admissions: International Financial Aid Statement of Intent (PDF)
• Caltech Admissions: Afford
• Caltech Admissions: Core Curriculum
• Caltech Admissions: Majors & Minors
• Caltech Admissions: Housing
• Caltech Financial Aid: Cost of Attendance 2026–27
• Caltech Financial Aid: New International Applicants (REA)
• Caltech Graduate Studies: Admissions
• Caltech Graduate Studies: Financial Support
• Caltech Graduate Studies: Estimated Budget 2026–27
• Caltech at a Glance
• Caltech Common Data Set 2025–26 (PDF)
• U.S. Embassy in Russia: Visas
• ICE: I-901 SEVIS fee
• U.S. Department of State: visa fees
• QS World University Rankings 2027
• THE World University Rankings 2026
• ShanghaiRanking ARWU 2026

All amounts are in U.S. dollars as published by Caltech; figures checked on 24 September 2026. Other U.S. options are on the study in the USA page. Checking your school preparation against Caltech's requirements and choosing a round are provided under an agreement with StudyU; to start, send us an application.

During the free initial consultation, we clarify your goal, profile, timing, and budget and identify the next realistic step.