Let us guess: you’re planning to study a STEM topic, are currently comparing the best universities in the US, and have managed to narrow the list down. Now it’s all about Caltech vs MIT. Both are indeed great places to study: MIT ranks first, and Caltech the 7th on the Studyportals University Meta Ranking. Their main difference lies in institution size: MIT is larger, with more students and subjects, while Caltech is smaller and more STEM-focused.
Below, you’ll find a comparison between Caltech and MIT about subjects, application processes, facilities, and the overall student experience.
Caltech vs MIT: A quick comparison
We’ve put together some key facts about Caltech and MIT, so you have everything in one place. All information is up to date as of June 2026 and taken from official university websites.
MIT | Caltech | |
Studyportals Ranking | 1st out of 6,000+ | 7th out of 6,000+ |
Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Pasadena, California |
Undergraduate enrolment (2025-2026) | 4,561 | 971 |
Graduate enrolment (2025-2026) | 7,255 | 1,398 |
Number of undergraduate majors | 56 | 26 |
Number of undergraduate minors | 62 | 17 |
When you declare a major | End of the second year at the latest | End of first year |
Tuition fees | $66,720 per year (2026-2027 fees) | $68,574 per year (2025-2026 fees) |
Core curriculum, majors, and minors at MIT vs Caltech
In US universities, students don’t choose their specialisation straight away. There’s a core curriculum, which includes mandatory courses for first-year students.
After the first year, it’s time to choose a major and a minor. A major is your main academic focus, and a minor is a secondary field you’d like to learn more about.
In both MIT and Caltech, there is a set of mandatory topics to choose from for first-year students. These include STEM, Arts and Humanities, and Physical Education. Caltech students declare their major at the end of their first year. At MIT, students usually decide during their first year, but have time until the end of their second year.
Academic strengths and programmes
MIT and Caltech are known for STEM subjects, but they both offer other disciplines as well. Here’s a closer look at their programmes:
STEM: Extensive options in both
For STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) topics, both universities have great options.
MIT offers most STEM topics through its School of Engineering, School of Science, and College of Computing. For degrees, you’ll find emerging subjects like Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making, as well as more classic ones like Computer Science. Besides schools and colleges, it also has separate departments offering some STEM topics, including Mathematics.
Caltech has six academic divisions, five of them consisting of STEM topics. You’ll find fewer degree programmes in Caltech compared to MIT, but STEM topics cover a wide range of disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geological Science, Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy.
Arts and Humanities: MIT has more options
Caltech offers English, History, Philosophy, and History and Philosophy of Science as humanities majors.
At MIT, you’ll find a broader range of Arts and Humanities majors and minors, including Literature, Music, Media Arts, History, Media Studies, Writing, Political Science, and Global Studies.
Business: MIT has more graduate programmes
MIT is home to the Sloan School of Management, offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees. For graduate studies, you can find programmes in Business Analytics, Finance, and MBA programmes.
While Caltech has an undergraduate degree combining Business, Economics, and Management, it doesn’t offer graduate degrees in Business.
Architecture: MIT has an Architecture school, Caltech doesn’t
MIT is a bigger university with a broader programme range. Through its School of Architecture and Planning, it offers degrees in Architecture, Media Arts and Sciences, and Urban Studies and Planning. Caltech doesn’t have Architecture degrees.
Teaching style
Due to its size, Caltech has small classes. A self-described “unapologetic STEM institution,” science and technology are at the heart of its teaching style. It treats students as scientists from day one and aims to challenge them during their time at the institution. This includes introducing them to problems they can only solve with their peers, suggesting a collaborative teaching style.
Similar to Caltech, MIT also highlights community as a part of its educational values. It aims to equip creative and curious students with high-quality resources, so they can explore their interests and achieve their goals. MIT is a bigger university compared to Caltech, so this may mean a larger number of students in classes.
Acceptance rates and admissions
Both MIT and Caltech are very competitive to get into. For the class of 2029, MIT has an admission rate of 4.6%, and Caltech 2.2%.
As for admission requirements, they’re quite similar:
MIT admission requirements | Caltech admission requirements |
|
|
As top-tier universities, both Caltech and MIT look for students who align with their missions. The best way you can demonstrate this is through your essay answers.
Caltech has some tips for applicants:
- Talking about your personality, goals, and interests authentically in your essays
- Showing why STEM is important for you through your internships, hobbies, and activities
- Explaining how you chose what you want to study
According to MIT, students who fit the following profile would be strong candidates:
- Values teamwork and collaboration
- Takes initiative and is motivated by challenges
- Enjoys hands-on work
- Is driven by curiosity
- Has work-life balance
Student experience, campus life, and location
Both universities have a wide range of student clubs. As you may expect, many of them are STEM-focused. For example, at MIT, there’s a Laboratory for Chocolate Science exploring chocolate making (and of course eating!)
Location-wise, MIT and Caltech are very different. MIT is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where summers are quite warm, reaching near 30°C, and winters are very cold, often below 0°C. Caltech is in Pasadena, California, on the opposite side of the US. It has mild weather year-round, and extreme temperatures are rarer.
MIT | Caltech | |
Location | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Pasadena, Los Angeles |
Area characteristics | Near Boston. Startups and many other universities (including Harvard) in the area | Smaller student city, close to Los Angeles |
Campus housing | All first-year students need to live on campus | Students need to live on campus for the first two years of study |
Campus facilities | Labs, maker spaces, sports, entrepreneurship hubs, exhibitions, galleries | Labs, research centres, auditoriums, sports |
Campus size | 168 acres | 124 acres |
Graduate outcomes
Caltech and MIT have excellent graduate outcomes and above-average salaries. Over 40% of students in both universities move forward with graduate studies.
MIT | Caltech | |
Top industries for graduates | IT, finance, professional services, healthcare | IT, aerospace, research, science |
Top employers | Amazon, Apple, Google, MIT, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI | Not declared on the Caltech website, but graduates are in high demand |
Career services | Graduates report getting their jobs by networking through MIT, career fairs, and career support | Counsellors start working with students on their careers starting from their first year |
Median salary for graduates | For Bachelor’s graduates, between $47,000 and $130,000, and for Master’s, between $79,000 and $150,000, depending on the industry | Between $120,000 and $129,000 |
How to choose between Caltech and MIT
If you watched the TV series Young Sheldon, you may remember Sheldon Cooper hesitating between Caltech and MIT, choosing MIT over Caltech, and changing his mind after seeing Boston’s snowy weather! While both are excellent schools, they offer quite different lifestyles.
Here’s a short summary to help you choose between Caltech and MIT:
- Caltech is smaller, research-driven, and STEM-oriented. It’s a good fit if you’re drawn to STEM topics.
- MIT is broader, offering STEM, Architecture, and Business. If you’re keen on exploring more topics, MIT might be the right place.
- MIT offers more industry-related degrees, including MBAs. Caltech’s degrees can be more theoretical.
- The smaller size of Caltech means a close-knit student life. MIT is a bigger university located in a larger city.
- Caltech is in Pasadena, where the weather is mild. MIT has snowy winters, but it can experience heatwaves in summer.
Final verdict: Caltech vs MIT
Caltech is a better fit if you want a small, highly focused STEM environment with close student communities. MIT offers more academic flexibility, a wider range of programmes, and a bigger city.
FAQ
Are MIT and Caltech in the Ivy League?
No, neither MIT nor Caltech is part of the Ivy League. The Ivy League consists of these eight universities: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.
Is Caltech or MIT more prestigious?
MIT often gets more international recognition because it’s larger and has more departments. Caltech is smaller and more research-intensive, but for STEM topics, they’re both very prestigious.
