Most students apply and are admitted to Caltech through the Regular Decision (RD) option. The RD deadline is Jan. 3 and applicants are notified of their decision in mid-March.

If Caltech is your first-choice university, Restrictive Early Action (REA) could be a good choice. REA is a non-binding early admissions process for students who are confident that Caltech is their first-choice university, are excited about the possibility of attending Caltech, and want to learn early if they are admitted to Caltech. Applications are due November 1 and students will be notified of their admissions decision (admit, defer, or deny) by mid-December. Admitted students will then have until May 1 to decide if they will accept Caltech's offer of admission.

There is a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $75. However, if you plan to apply for financial aid, and the application fee presents a hardship for you or your family, we will waive your application fee.

Prospective transfer students have completed their secondary education and are enrolled at a college or university other than Caltech where they have earned course credit. Students may not transfer to Caltech during or for their senior year of college. 

In evaluating transfer applicants, we do not consider any specific list of course requirements. Instead, we look for students who have taken the STEM coursework needed to succeed on our transfer entrance exams. Courses include those in Caltech's Core Curriculum. 

The application deadline for transfer students is February 15 and applicants are alerted of their admission decision by April 1.

There is a one-time, non-refundable application fee of $75. However, if you plan to apply for financial aid, and the application fee presents a hardship for you or your family, we will waive your application fee.