How to Apply to Engineering at Caltech: One Institute-Wide Admission, a Shared Core Curriculum for Every First-Year Student and Choosing an Option at the End of the First Year, for Domestic and International (Including Chinese) Applicants and Transfer Students

Engineering at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) is studied through options such as Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering, but Caltech admits to the Institute as a whole: you do not apply to an engineering major. This guide follows Caltech’s website and is organised for U.S. domestic applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. The Computer Science option has its own guide on this site, so it is not covered here.

1. Engineering-related options and accreditation

• Degree: Caltech calls majors “options” and awards the Bachelor of Science. Graduation requires at least 486 units, a grade-point average of at least 1.9 and four years (12 terms) of academic enrollment.
• Engineering-related options on the admissions page: Applied Physics, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering and Applied Science (EAS), Environmental Science and Engineering (with Chemistry and Physics versions), Materials Science and Mechanical Engineering; Computer Science, Information and Data Sciences and Applied and Computational Mathematics are also on the list. Minors only are Aerospace, Control and Dynamical Systems and Structural Mechanics; the catalog also lists a Robotics minor.
• Divisions: Caltech has six academic divisions, one of which is Engineering and Applied Science; Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Biology and Biological Engineering are two others.
• Engineering and Applied Science (EAS) option: the catalog says it lets each student design a customized course of study with breadth, depth and rigor similar to the other options. It requires at least 117 units of EAS courses, including a year of applied and computational mathematics and a capstone design project or senior thesis; students must either choose an approved area of concentration or submit a written proposal for approval by the end of the third term of the sophomore year.
• ABET accreditation: the catalog states ABET accreditation only for the Mechanical Engineering option (Engineering Accreditation Commission). The Electrical Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Environmental Science and Engineering and EAS option pages we read do not mention accreditation. Ask the option.
• Research and internships: the admissions page says nine out of ten students do research while at Caltech, and there is an optional summer research term. The pages we read do not describe a co-op program.

2. Admission and choosing an option

• No option on the application: Caltech says every first-year student takes the same classes in the first two terms and declares a major at the end of the first year. The supplemental essays include a required academic interest question: choose one or two areas of interest and explain why in 150–200 words, with the note that you are under no obligation to follow this choice if admitted.
• Core curriculum: the catalog lists calculus and linear algebra (Ma 1abc), physics (Ph 1abc), chemistry (Ch 1ab), biology (Bi 1), computer science (CS 1), humanities and social sciences and laboratory work. Core courses in the first two terms are graded pass/fail. Engineering options build on the core.
• Entering an option: the catalog says students who elect the Mechanical Engineering or EAS option are assigned advisers at the end of the first year and plan the remaining three years together; both the Mechanical Engineering and EAS option pages say a student whose grade-point average in the option’s required courses falls below 1.9 at the end of the year may be refused permission to continue in that option. Whether engineering options have capacity limits or guaranteed entry is not stated on the pages we read; ask the Registrar or the option representative.
• Summer assessments: new students must take the Foundations Assessment (high school chemistry, physics and math) and a writing placement exam before fall. Calculus, physics, chemistry and computer science each have placement exams for placing out of Ma 1, Ph 1, Ch 1 and CS 1.

3. Prerequisites and credit

• High school courses: four years of math including one year of calculus; one year of physics; one year of chemistry; one year of biology (recommended); four years of English; two years of history or social science (three or more recommended). Students who exhaust their math curriculum before senior year need not have four years, but Caltech expects as much math as possible, including one year of calculus.
• Substitutes for calculus, physics or chemistry: if a course was not available or there was an unresolvable conflict, the student and counselor must document it, and these can substitute: a 5 on AP Calculus AB/BC, Chemistry, Physics 1, 2 or C; a 6 or 7 on IB Mathematics HL, Chemistry SL/HL or Physics SL/HL (IB Mathematics SL does not qualify); or a Schoolhouse.world course challenge. That page says these are the only avenues for fall 2026 applicants with no exceptions; check the website for fall 2027.
• First time senior year: Caltech says many students take calculus, chemistry or physics for the first time in senior year, but it must be able to review semester or in-progress grades by the deadline.
• AP and IB credit: all AP and IB exams must be reported, self-reported scores are fine, and only enrolling students send official scores. College credit is not automatic; department faculty decide, and credit is awarded at registration each fall.

4. Rounds, materials and fees (fall 2027 entry)

• Restrictive Early Action (REA, non-binding): due November 1, 2026, with all materials by November 6 and testing before November 30; decisions mid-December; reply by May 1, 2027. REA applicants may not apply Early Action or Early Decision elsewhere, with exceptions that include institutions outside the U.S., public institutions with non-binding fall deadlines (such as the University of California) and non-binding rolling admissions. Deferred applicants move to Regular Decision and are not waitlisted.
• Regular Decision (RD): due January 4, 2027, with all materials by January 10 and testing before December 31, 2026; decisions mid-March; reply by May 1. (One sentence on that page says May 1, 2026; the others say 2027, so it appears to be a typo.)
• How to apply and fee: Common App or QuestBridge; $85 application fee, with waivers.
• Materials: the school report from your counselor; official transcripts for grades 9–11 (or the international equivalent); a mid-year report when senior first-term grades are available; two recommendations (one STEM teacher: calculus or beyond, chemistry, physics or biology; one humanities or social science teacher: English, history, government or economics); the SAT or ACT; supplemental essays. Optional supplements include a research paper or portfolio.
• Testing: the SAT or ACT is required (the ACT writing and science sections are not). Caltech reviews each section score, not the composite, in “buckets”: SAT math or reading and writing 780–800 (ACT subscore 35–36) is Bucket A and 750–770 (33–34) is Bucket B, with the exact scores hidden from the committee; scores below 750 (33) are Bucket C and shown individually. There is no minimum score; Caltech says successful applicants have traditionally had 700+ on each SAT section or 30+ on each ACT section. Caltech superscores.
• Supplemental essays (fall 2027): the academic interest question above; Scholarly Character (choose one of two prompts, up to 200 words); Scientific Drive (choose two of three, up to 200 words each); a fun question (100–150 words); and an optional academic short answer.

5. U.S. domestic applicants

• Costs (2026-27, on campus): tuition $68,574, fees $2,655, housing $12,711 and food $9,285, for direct costs of $93,225; indirect estimates are books and supplies $1,428 and personal expenses $3,969, a total of $5,397. The costs page lists one set of figures with no in-state or out-of-state split. The Caltech health insurance plan is $5,388 a year and can be skipped with comparable coverage; new students pay a one-time $600 orientation fee.
• Aid: Caltech meets 100% of demonstrated need, and admissions is need-blind for domestic applicants, including undocumented and DACA students who graduate from a U.S. high school. Caltech does not award merit scholarships; aid is need-based grants, scholarships, work-study and loans. The aid page says the average grant for the incoming fall 2026 class was just under $69,000; most students from families under $200,000 (with typical assets) can expect aid covering tuition, and most from families under $100,000 (typical assets) a no-loan package covering tuition, fees, housing and food. Outside scholarships are welcome.
• Testing: the SAT or ACT is required (see above).
• In-state preference or guaranteed admission: none is described on Caltech’s pages.

6. International applicants

• Who counts as international: someone who is neither a U.S. citizen nor a permanent resident and who attended secondary school outside the U.S.; asylees, refugees and undocumented students in the U.S. are domestic applicants.
• Academic requirements: the same as for domestic applicants. IB students need Higher Level Math; A-Level students need A-Level Maths; students in India must complete both Year X and Year XII state board or CBSE examinations. Students who study STEM only in the last two years of secondary school (for example A-Level students) need two English and two social studies classes in the first two years.
• Transcripts and translation: official transcripts with course titles, grades and predicted grades must be sent directly by the school; documents not in English need the original and an English translation, and Caltech does not review applications with untranslated parts. Admissions officers are trained in other education systems, so grades need not be converted.
• Recommendations: two secondary school teachers, one STEM and one humanities/social science; students without a humanities course in the last two years (for example A-Level students) may substitute a letter from another core-subject teacher.
• English: required unless English is your native language or the primary language of instruction in your secondary school (in which case it is strongly recommended). Accepted: IELTS, TOEFL, Duolingo. Minimum total/each area: IELTS 7/7; TOEFL (before January 21, 2026) 100/25; TOEFL (from January 21, 2026, 1–6 scale) 5/5; Duolingo 130/130. Take it before the application deadline. Caltech recommends, but does not require, an InitialView conversation and writing sample (fee waivers are available); it does not replace the English score.
• Aid: admissions is need-aware for international applicants because aid funds for them are limited, though Caltech remains committed to meeting the demonstrated need of admitted students. Students who want aid at any time must apply when they apply for admission; if you do not apply or receive aid in the first year, you may not apply later (exceptions may be made for citizens of Canada and Mexico). Aid covers tuition, housing, dining, books, fees and personal expenses.

7. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the international applicants page does not mention the Gaokao and there is no China-specific page. How Gaokao results are used is not published; contact Caltech Admissions.
• Transcripts and translation: Chinese-language transcripts need the original and an English translation, sent by the school. The pages do not mention notarisation or an accreditation agency.
• Testing and English: the SAT or ACT is required; see Section 6 for English tests and InitialView.
• International curricula: IB students need Higher Level Math, A-Level students need A-Level Maths, and AP and IB exams must be reported.

8. Transfer students

• Scope: fall admission only, into the second- or third-year class; not the senior year; students who already hold any bachelor’s degree are ineligible. Transfer students must spend at least six terms (two years) in residence and earn at least 216 units at Caltech, not counting math and science core courses, and may choose any option.
• Dates: the page says the fall 2027 application will be available in late fall and lists “requirements for Fall 2026 applicants”, yet its dates are in 2027: applications due February 1, 2027, entrance exams due February 15, decisions mid-April and reply by June 1. The catalog says decisions come in early May. Check the website for the latest dates.
• Materials: $85 fee or waiver; two letters from college faculty (math, science or engineering professors); official transcripts from all colleges and the secondary school; the math and physics entrance exams. The SAT and ACT are not required and are not reviewed.
• Prerequisites: transfer students are expected to know the first-year core: calculus of one and several variables, linear algebra, classical mechanics, electromagnetism and statistical physics, and special relativity; uncovered core courses must be taken after arrival. The math and physics exams take four hours each, are self-proctored on the honor code, and allow no reference materials. Faculty review each course for credit after admission, so questions about credit cannot be answered beforehand; admitted students can get an estimate of second- or third-year standing, but it is not guaranteed.
• International transfer: the same English score minimums apply, with English instruction required in both secondary school and university; financial aid is not available to international transfer applicants.

Checklist

U.S. domestic applicants:

• Apply by November 1 (REA) or January 4 (RD); take the SAT or ACT by November 30 or December 31
• Four years of math (with a year of calculus), a year of physics and a year of chemistry; no option is chosen until the end of the first year
• Apply for need-based aid if needed; Caltech has no merit scholarships

International applicants (including China):

• Same timeline; the SAT or ACT is required; reach the English minimums and translate every document
• IB students need Math HL, A-Level students need A-Level Maths; apply for aid at the same time as admission
• Ask Admissions how the Gaokao is used

Transfer students:

• Apply by February 1, then complete the math and physics exams; be solid in calculus, linear algebra, mechanics and electromagnetism; international transfer students have no aid

Sources: Caltech, Majors and minors; The first year; Academic requirements for first-year applicants; First-year application requirements; Deadlines; Standardized tests; Supplemental essays; International applicants; Transfer deadlines; Transfer application requirements; Transfer entrance exams and academic prep; International transfer applicants; Afford; 2026-27 costs; Catalog: graduation requirements; Catalog: core requirements; Catalog: Mechanical Engineering; Catalog: Engineering and Applied Science; Catalog: first-year admission; Catalog: transfer admission. The first-year academic requirements page is written for fall 2026 applicants and the other first-year pages for fall 2027. The transfer pages are labeled as fall 2026 requirements but show 2027 dates. Check Caltech for the latest details.