California Institute of Technology

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions and pressing societal challenges.

The Institute manages JPL for NASA, sending probes to explore the planets of our solar system and quantify changes on our home planet. Caltech also owns and operates large-scale research facilities such as the Seismological Laboratory and a global network of astronomical observatories, including the Palomar and W. M. Keck Observatories; and cofounded and comanages LIGO.

Caltech is an independent, privately supported institution with a 124-acre campus located in Pasadena, California.

When an international citizen applies for freshman admission, the application prompts questions to confirm their understanding of our financial aid policy and thus confirm their financial aid intent towards Caltech. Caltech is need-sensitive for international citizens because the total amount of financial aid funds is limited for these students, and we remain committed to meeting the demonstrated need of all admitted students. See our Financial Aid section below to read the full extent of our financial aid policy for international citizens.

The majority of financial aid awarded to Caltech undergraduates comes from grants.  Grants are considered "gift aid": they do not have to repaid or earned.  Because of this, grants are the most beneficial form of financial aid. 

All scholarships and grants at Caltech are need-based, as the Institute does not have a merit aid program.  Undergraduate students who fill out a financial aid application will be automatically considered for scholarships and grants from Caltech and the federal government.  Grants are also available from state governments, but the application process varies by state.