Caltech vs. MIT vs. Harvard

Should I go to California Institute of Technology or Massachusetts Institute of Technology? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Caltech or MIT is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Stanford Yale Johns Hopkins Princeton Cal Poly Duke Columbia Brown Penn UChicago Williams NYU
California Institute of Technology vs. Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs. Harvard University comparison
California Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Harvard University College 4
California Institute of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology Harvard University
Remove Remove Remove +Add

Overview

Caltech MIT Harvard
Location Pasadena, CA Cambridge, MA Cambridge, MA
Setting Midsize City Midsize City Midsize City
Enrollment 2,463 11,920 30,386
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #6 #7 #4
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit Non-profit
Website caltech.edu mit.edu harvard.edu
Team Colors                              

Costs

Caltech MIT Harvard
Tuition (In State) $60,816 $59,750 $54,269
Tuition (Out of State) $60,816 $59,750 $54,269
Room & Board $19,503 $19,390 $20,374
Avg Net Price $23,397 $21,519 $17,900
Avg Grant Aid $60,201 $58,331 $64,942
% Receiving Grant Aid 55% 58% 57%

Admission

Caltech MIT Harvard
Applied 13,107 26,904 56,937
Admitted 412 1,274 1,965
Acceptance Rate 3.1% 4.7% 3.5%
Enrolled % 64.6% 85.6% 83.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.97 3.96 4.0
Typical High School Grades A- A- A/A+
Admissions Standards Elite Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Extreme Extreme
ACT Range 35/36 34/36 34/36
SAT Range 1530/1580 1510/1580 1500/1580
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 3, 2026 Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

Caltech MIT Harvard
Student to Faculty Ratio 3:1 3:1 7:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (41%)
  • Physical Sciences (25%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (11%)
  • Mathematics (11%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (41%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Physical Sciences (10%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (32%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • History (9%)
  • Mathematics (6%)

Outcomes

Caltech MIT Harvard
Graduation Rate 87% 93% 97%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $85,800 $142,100 $136,700
Making Student Loan Payments - 92% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,350 $17,316 $6,500
Median Loan Payment $148 $179 $67

Diversity

Caltech MIT Harvard
% Men 38% 37% 32%
% Women 21% 25% 38%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High Very High
HBCU No No No
% White 27% 37% 44%
% Black 2% 6% 6%
% Hispanic 12% 15% 10%
% Native American 0% 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 6% 6%
% International 8% 10% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2% 3%

Students

Caltech MIT Harvard
% In-State 30% 8% 15%
% Out-of-State 51% 81% 70%

Campus

Caltech MIT Harvard
Campus Housing Yes Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than Caltech based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 2,463 students)

Caltech vs. MIT Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Caltech or MIT?

  • California Institute of Technology is 1.8% more expensive to attend than MIT for in-state tuition ($60,816.00 vs. $59,750.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.8% higher at Caltech than Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($60,816.00 vs. $59,750.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than Caltech ($21,519 vs. $23,397)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are 0.6% lower than costs at California Institute of Technology ($19,390 vs. $19,503)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than California Institute of Technology (58% vs. 55%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California Institute of Technology students is 3.2% larger than aid received Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($60,201 vs. $58,331)

Caltech vs. MIT Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Caltech or MIT? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between MIT or Caltech .

  • The average SAT score at California Institute of Technology (1544) is 37 points higher than at MIT (1507)
  • Incoming Caltech students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (35) than students at MIT (34)
  • Accepted freshman Caltech students have a 0.01 point higher average high school GPA (3.97) than students at MIT (3.96)
  • MIT has a higher acceptance rate (4.7%) than Caltech (3.1%)

Caltech vs. MIT Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Caltech or MIT? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between MIT and Caltech.

  • The graduation rate at MIT is higher than California Institute of Technology (93% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn on average $56,300 more per year than Caltech graduates after ten years. ($142,100 vs. $85,800)
  • California Institute of Technology students graduate with a $2,966 lower median federal student loan debt than MIT graduates. ($14,350 vs. $17,316)
  • Caltech graduates are paying $31 less per month on federal student loans than MIT graduates. ($148 vs. $179)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/