California Institute of Technology vs Vanderbilt

California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Vanderbilt University stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering a unique blend of academic excellence and vibrant campus life. Caltech, renowned for its exceptional strength in science and engineering, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of only 7.7%. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, offers a more diverse range of academic programs, including strong liberal arts and pre-professional offerings, and welcomes a broader range of students with an acceptance rate of 10.3%. While both institutions foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment, Caltech's student body is predominantly male (62%) and international (22%), while Vanderbilt's student body is more evenly balanced between genders (50% male, 50% female) and primarily domestic (88%). Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the distinctions between these two prestigious universities and discover which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	California Institute of Technology	Vanderbilt University
Overview
Location	Pasadena, California	Nashville, Tennessee
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%	97.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	3.9%	7.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $100	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $95
SAT range	N/A	1480 - 1570
ACT range	N/A	34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score		25.0%
Students submitting ACT score		32.0%
Total number of applicants	13,026	47,152
Total number of admissions given out	510	3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll	270	1,626
Yield rate	52.9%	48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$82,122	$79,538
Average net price	$30,162	$27,553
Tuition	$56,364	$54,840
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,398 Meal plan: $7,350	Room/dormitory: $12,000 Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	54.0% Average amount $47,556	64.0% Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan	5.0% Average amount $5,333	10.0% Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $4,732	2.0% Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	987 Men 55.3% Women 44.7%	7,111 Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students	1,410 Men 66.7% Women 33.3%	6,685 Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Moderate
Out-of-state students	92.2%	89.5%
International students	29.4%	11.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,572	5,598
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	Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Physical Science Computer and Information Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences Mathematics and Statistics	Health Professions Education Engineering Business Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	8:1
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%	93.4%
Dropout rate	4.6%	6.4%
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	Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,041 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $169,145 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $129,825 Year 2: $130,517 Year 3: $144,008 Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $131,102 Year 2: $117,572 Year 3: $133,025 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $128,494 Year 2: $127,087 Year 3: $132,454 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $132,293 Year 2: $114,324 Year 3: $130,516 Marketing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,764 Year 2: $111,620 Year 3: $121,754 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $126,876 Year 2: $119,805 Year 3: $112,193 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,224 Year 2: $104,192 Year 3: $108,525 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,979 Year 2: $93,249 Year 3: $101,010 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,609 Year 2: $80,309 Year 3: $95,754

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California Institute of Technology

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