California Institute of Technology – Engineering School Overview

The application fee to apply to Caltech’s Engineering School is $100, whether you’re a U.S. resident or an international student. For 2024, the Ph.D. student-to-faculty ratio is 5.4 to 1. The Division of Engineering and Applied Science at Caltech currently has 96 full-time faculty members.

Quick Facts

• Acceptance Rate (Master’s & Doctoral): 4.7%
• Total Enrollment: 546 students
• Location: Pasadena, CA 91125
• School Website: [Visit Caltech’s website]
• Want to manage this profile? Claim the school here.

Caltech 2025 Engineering & Specialty Rankings

Caltech is tied for #5 out of 198 institutions in the Best Engineering Schools ranking. These rankings are based on a range of widely respected indicators of academic quality.

• Overall Score: 90
• Peer Assessment Score (out of 5): 4.7
• Recruiter Assessment Score (out of 5): 4.6

Engineering School Rankings

• #5 in Best Engineering Schools (tie)

Engineering Specialty Rankings

• #2 in Aerospace / Aeronautical / Astronautical Engineering (tie)
• #2 in Chemical Engineering (tie)
• #3 in Mechanical Engineering (tie)
• #4 in Electrical / Electronic / Communications Engineering (tie)
• #9 in Materials Engineering (tie)
• Also ranked in Biomedical Engineering / Bioengineering, Civil Engineering, and Environmental / Environmental Health Engineering

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Engineering School Admissions

• Application Deadlines:
  • Master’s: December 15
  • Ph.D.: December 15
• Application Fee: $100

Applicant Data

• Master’s Applicants: 550
• Master’s Accepted: 412
• Master’s Enrolled: 274
• Ph.D. Applicants: 3,534
• (Acceptance and enrollment rates not specified)

Engineering School Tuition & Costs

• Doctoral (Full-Time): $63,402 per year (in-state)
• Master’s (Full-Time): $65,706 per year (in-state)
• Part-Time Tuition: Not available for Master’s or Doctoral programs

Financial Aid Contact

• Director: David C. Chan
• Phone: (626) 395-6346

Graduate Engineering Student Population

• Total Graduate Engineering Students: 546
• Full-Time Master’s Enrollment: 24
• Part-Time Master’s Enrollment: Not available
• Master’s Gender Breakdown:
  • Female: 20.8%
  • Male: 79.2%
• International Students (Master’s): 12.5%
• Ethnic Background (Master’s):
  • Asian: 4.2%
  • White: 4.2%
  • Two or more races: Data not available (0% enrolled)

Further data on enrollment in chemical, electrical, and computer science programs can be unlocked via U.S. News Engineering School Compass.

Student Loan Refinance Options

Faculty Research & Impact

• Citations per Publication: 23.7
• Field-Weighted Citation Impact: 2
• Publications in Top 5% of Most-Cited Journals: 36.7%
• Publications in Top 25% of Most-Cited Journals: 79.1%

Data sourced from SciVal using Elsevier’s database, last updated in 2024.

Academic Programs at Caltech’s Engineering School

Caltech offers graduate-level courses and degree programs in the following areas:

• Aerospace / Aeronautical / Astronautical
• Biomedical / Bioengineering
• Chemical
• Civil
• Computer
• Computer Science
• Electrical / Electronic / Communications
• Engineering Science & Engineering Physics
• Environmental / Environmental Health
• Materials
• Mechanical
• Other specialized fields

Faculty Stats:

• 96 full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty
• Ph.D. student-to-faculty ratio: 5.4:1