California Institute of Technology vs Franklin W Olin College of Engineering

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Franklin W Olin College of Engineering (Olin) are two highly regarded institutions offering distinct educational experiences. Caltech, known for its rigorous academics and world-renowned faculty, boasts an acceptance rate of 7.7%, while Olin's smaller size and focus on hands-on learning contribute to its 33% acceptance rate. Caltech's student body is more diverse, with 45% female and 21% international students, compared to Olin's 33% female and 10% international students. Both institutions excel in engineering, with Caltech offering a wider range of programs, including aeronautics, applied physics, and chemical engineering, while Olin focuses on mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering. Caltech's graduation rate stands at 91%, while Olin's is slightly lower at 88%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions and determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations

	California Institute of Technology	Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
Overview
Location	Pasadena, California	Needham, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: 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
Students retention rate	99.0%	100.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	3.9%	18.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $100	$85
SAT range	N/A	1490 - 1580
ACT range	N/A	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		41.0%
Students submitting ACT score		23.0%
Total number of applicants	13,026	907
Total number of admissions given out	510	163
Admitted students who chose to enroll	270	91
Yield rate	52.9%	55.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	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	$73,649
Average net price	$30,162	$36,494
Tuition	$56,364	$55,612
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,398 Meal plan: $7,350	$17,984
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $47,556	100.0% Average amount $38,069
Students receiving federal student loan	5.0% Average amount $5,333	23.0% Average amount $4,382
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $4,732	2.0% Average amount $33,500

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	987 Men 55.3% Women 44.7%	382 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Graduate students	1,410 Men 66.7% Women 33.3%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	92.2%	N/A
International students	29.4%	8.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,572	363
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
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	Engineering
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	8:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	92.9%	97.4%
Dropout rate	4.6%	2.6%
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	Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $91,352 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $104,429 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $78,343 Year 3: $79,692 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: N/A

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