California Institute of Technology vs Brown University

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Brown University stand out as two of the most prestigious and selective institutions of higher learning in the United States. While they share a commitment to academic excellence and groundbreaking research, these universities offer distinct experiences for their students. Caltech, renowned for its strength in science and engineering, boasts an acceptance rate of just 7.7%, while Brown, known for its liberal arts curriculum and open curriculum, has a slightly higher acceptance rate of 8.6%. Both universities attract a diverse student body, with Caltech's student population comprising 42% international students and Brown's student body being 13% international. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Brown University logo

Brown University

California Institute of Technology logo

California Institute of Technology

Overview

Location Providence, Rhode Island Pasadena, California
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 99.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 5.5% 3.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $100
SAT range 1460 - 1570 N/A
ACT range 33 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 51.0%
Students submitting ACT score 30.0%
Total number of applicants 46,568 13,026
Total number of admissions given out 2,568 510
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,705 270
Yield rate 66.4% 52.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $82,570 $82,122
Average net price $25,028 $30,162
Tuition $60,944 $56,364
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $10,054

Meal plan: $6,292
Room/dormitory: $10,398

Meal plan: $7,350
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

46.0%
Average amount $55,420
54.0%
Average amount $47,556
Students receiving federal student loan 9.0%
Average amount $5,159
5.0%
Average amount $5,333
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $27,008
15.0%
Average amount $4,732

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,349
Men 48.1% Women 51.9%
987
Men 55.3% Women 44.7%
Graduate students 3,347
Men 50.0% Women 50.0%
1,410
Men 66.7% Women 33.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 96.5% 92.2%
International students 18.6% 29.4%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 5,013 1,572
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from New York California Mississippi New Jersey Texas California Texas Georgia Maryland Florida

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Social Sciences
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Engineering
  • Engineering
  • Physical Science
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 3:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.8% 92.9%
Dropout rate 3.7% 4.6%
Transferred out N/A 1.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $130,101
  • Year 2: $153,718
  • Year 3: $184,762
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,532
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $97,037
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,171
  • Year 2: $73,769
  • Year 3: $91,029
Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $70,583
  • Year 2: $75,921
  • Year 3: $80,783
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,028
  • Year 2: $63,302
  • Year 3: $78,949
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,505
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $74,894
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,843
  • Year 2: $61,294
  • Year 3: $73,224
International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,882
  • Year 2: $50,105
  • Year 3: $65,953
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,247
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $63,507
Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,186
  • Year 2: $53,108
  • Year 3: $62,581
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $155,297
  • Year 3: N/A
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,693
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $83,177
  • Year 3: N/A
Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,996
  • Year 2: $89,875
  • Year 3: N/A

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