Hi ,
My name is Melissa Rodriguez, and I’m a Senior Assistant Director at Caltech as well as the STARS (Small Town and Rural Student) Program Director. Caltech is committed to recruiting the brightest, most innovative minds in the world, and we see your talent.
We appreciate that you do STEM differently and want to provide a home for all your boldest ideas. Whether you’re surveying the stars in your backyard, saving rivers and creeks in your community, building engines, or engineering ways to collect rainwater in your town, we want to hear about the ways you do STEM your way.
At Caltech, you’ll find a community where big dreams are encouraged — and we know you’ll fit right in. I hope you continue to see why the possibility of Caltech is closer than you think.
SINCERELY,
Melissa Rodriguez, M.A.
Senior Assistant Director
STARS Program Director
STUDENT INFORMATION
YOU ARE WHAT AN INNOVATOR LOOKS LIKE.
AND CALTECH IS A PLACE FOR INNOVATORS.
3:1
Student-to-Faculty
Ratio
95%
of Students Participate
in Research
75%
of Students in 2024
Graduated Debt-Free
<1,000
Undergraduate
Students
$116K
Average Base, Early Career Salary of a Caltech Graduate
46
Nobel Prizes from
Alumni and Faculty
<$100K
Most students with family income of less than $100,000 (with typical assets) can expect a no-loan financial aid package that covers tuition, fees, housing, and food.
<$200K
Most students with family income of less than $200,000 (with typical assets) can expect an aid package that covers the tuition.
SMALL IN NUMBER. BIG IN POSSIBILITIES.
Caltech might be in the heart of Los Angeles, but our campus feels like the tight-knit home environment you know and love. We have less than 1,000 undergrad students and a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio, which means you’ll know your professors and fellow students by name. Conduct experiments in 50+ research centers and institutes as you form relationships with your peers and see where your discoveries take you.
WE BREAK BARRIERS — NOT THE BANK
Nothing should hold you back from pursuing your dreams, and Caltech makes sure of that. Regardless of your financial situation, we meet 100% of a student’s demonstrated financial need through grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. A life-changing education shouldn’t have an asterisk that says, “Only certain individuals are eligible.” No matter your background, Caltech invites you to join our community of STEM students.
WE LISTEN TO THE NEEDS OF RURAL STUDENTS AND TAKE ACTION
Caltech understands that students from small towns face unique obstacles in getting to college, including our challenging curriculum. That’s why Caltech partnered with Schoolhouse.world, a virtual learning and tutoring platform, to help bridge the academic preparation gap that students may face. Now, if you don’t have access to calculus, chemistry, or physics readily available to you through your high school, you can earn a certification on Schoolhouse.world to demonstrate your mastery of these subjects instead.
WHAT OUR TECHERS ARE SAYING:
“While Caltech and other prestigious institutions can feel unattainable for students who may not have had the same resources as their private school peers, in reality, this isn’t true. There are many students here from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, so the most important thing is to just apply and put your best foot forward and trust that there are other people like you already here and thriving.”
—Emma Olinger, Bioengineering ‘26
“Don’t be afraid to apply. You might not have had as many formal opportunities to engage in STEM, but if you are passionate, it will show, and you will do well here. Your perspectives and experiences will stand out and, in many cases, become a core part of groups, classes, or clubs.”
—Archi Prasad, Chemical Engineering ‘27
“When you apply, let your passion show in every word. It is okay if you didn’t cure cancer by the time you finish middle school. Tell stories about how you went the extra mile to learn, like staying up late watching space documentaries or learning a coding language by yourself. My stories were going to a public boarding school 3 hours away to get more academic opportunities and joining online quantum computing classes and taking them through scholarship. Sometimes, it really is about the journey and not a flashy award or paper.”
—Claire Ellison, Applied Physics ‘27
See? Caltech IS for you.
We’re not about one-size-fits-all; we’re about breaking the mold. We’re about meeting students where they are and contextualizing their experiences. In fact, we’ve admitted plenty of students who didn’t have Advanced Placement classes in high school. The pathway to a STEM education isn’t linear — we don’t want a cookie-cutter student. What do we want? To hear YOUR story.
So go ahead and tell it; we’re listening.
