California Institute of Technology vs Duke University

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Duke University stand out as two of the most prestigious academic institutions in the United States, each offering a unique educational experience. Caltech, renowned for its exceptional strength in science and engineering, boasts an acceptance rate of just 7.7%, making it one of the most selective universities in the country. Duke, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive range of undergraduate programs, with an acceptance rate of 8.2%. While both universities attract highly talented students, Caltech's student body is predominantly male (62%), while Duke's is more evenly balanced (53% female, 47% male). Explore our detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions between these two esteemed institutions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your college decision.

	California Institute of Technology	Duke University
Overview
Location	Pasadena, California	Durham, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Quarter	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	99.0%	98.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	3.9%	5.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $100	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1468 - 1558
ACT range	N/A	33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		47.0%
Students submitting ACT score		46.0%
Total number of applicants	13,026	49,703
Total number of admissions given out	510	2,927
Admitted students who chose to enroll	270	1,744
Yield rate	52.9%	59.6%
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)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$82,122	$79,860
Average net price	$30,162	$27,297
Tuition	$56,364	$58,085
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,398 Meal plan: $7,350	Room/dormitory: $9,164 Meal plan: $6,862
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $47,556	46.0% Average amount $50,731
Students receiving federal student loan	5.0% Average amount $5,333	20.0% Average amount $4,537
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $4,732	3.0% Average amount $22,957

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	987 Men 55.3% Women 44.7%	6,883 Men 48.4% Women 51.6%
Graduate students	1,410 Men 66.7% Women 33.3%	10,737 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	92.2%	N/A
International students	29.4%	21.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,572	5,718
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas Georgia Maryland Florida	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Physical Science Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences Mathematics and Statistics	Business Health Professions Engineering Legal Profession Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.9%	95.9%
Dropout rate	4.6%	4.0%
Transferred out	1.7%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $151,472 Year 2: $213,978 Year 3: $201,782 Law (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $155,031 Year 2: $168,098 Year 3: $200,300 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $143,622 Year 2: $148,189 Year 3: $163,560 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $163,977 Year 2: $138,342 Year 3: $159,598 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $115,135 Year 2: $106,898 Year 3: $134,542 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $123,138 Year 2: $116,541 Year 3: $124,406 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $108,817 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $117,262 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,699 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $112,646 Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,661 Year 2: $91,078 Year 3: $108,736 Economics (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $104,348

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California Institute of Technology

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