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California Institute of Technology
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California Institute of Technology - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Diversity

A
Where does this grade come from?View all Diversity rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 1%
Asian American 39%
Hispanic 6%
International 11%
Native American 0%
White 41%
Unknown 2%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 69%
Common States of Residence
  • Foreign countries
  • Illinois
  • New York
  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 1%
18-19: 21%
20-21: 20%
22-24: 22%
25+: 36%
Female Faculty 23%
Male Faculty 77%
Faculty Diversity African American: 1%
Asian American: 9%
Hispanic: 2%
International: 39%
Native American: 0%
White: 49%
Unknown: 0%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Caltech is a small campus with a good amount of diversity in some respects and none in others. In one way or another, all the students at Caltech are “nerds.” Every one here likes science. Techers listen to a variety of music, ranging from classical to hard rock. They play sports (if they have time). A fair amount of the male population likes video games, and the girls get a kick out of shopping. The scientific interest of Caltech students ranges from molecular biology (cloning absurd amounts of DNA) to highly abstract math and hours upon hours writing proofs. The student personalities are very diverse considering there’s such a small pool of students.

The ethnic diversity is another story. The school is populated with predominantly Caucasian students with those of Asian descent coming in at a close second. Bottom line, the school does not have many Hispanic or African American students. However, many of those minorities who do attend Caltech participate in a program called FSI (Freshman Summer Institute) the summer before starting here. FSI lets the students know what Caltech is like and helps them to adjust. Caltech does not admit students based on a quota system; rather, it admits them based on merit. Caltech is a tough school, and without a certain academic background, the students would not be able to succeed. There are a number of international students here, creating some diversity. Caltech has students from Singapore, Pakistan, Russia, and many other places. On the whole, any person who comes here will meet a wide variety of people who have different perspectives on life, different family backgrounds, different heritages, different languages, different accents, and many different interests.

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Caltech Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at California Institute of Technology

jsarah92

Chemical Engineering '14

3.1
B-

Mostly Asian and Caucasian

Asians and white students make up over 90 percent of the student population. However, the students here are very open and accepting.

Feb 23, 2011

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Diversity at California Institute of Technology

Anonymous

Caltech Student

I come from Poland, which is...

I come from Poland, which is basically all white and all Catholic, so I’ve never seen anywhere near this diverse before. Really, I have no idea how it compares to the rest of the U.S.

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Diversity at California Institute of Technology

Anonymous

Caltech Student

There aren’t any serious ethnic...

There aren’t any serious ethnic clubs on campus like I’ve seen at other schools. There are things like the Chinese Students Association. I’m in that, but it’s not like at other schools. The only thing we do is go out to eat once or twice every term, and we don’t make any pretense of it like it’s anything more than that. I think all the other ethnic clubs are similar.

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Page 1 of 4
User rating for California Institute of Technology - Diversity is 3.5 out of 5 based on 12 user reviews.

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How diverse is the student body in the following areas?

How diverse is your personal circle of friends in the following areas?

How accepting is the campus community as a whole toward someone who falls into the minority (ethnic, sexual, or religious)?

How would you best describe your personal political beliefs?

How would you best describe the political beliefs of campus as a whole?

Facts

Gay Pride

There are several lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender groups on campus, including PRISM, a group to raise awareness and increase visibility on campus at Caltech. There are also groups such as Lambda; Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; the Caltech chapter of the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals Inc.; and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Scientists group.

Political Activity

There is a Caltech voter's associaction that encourages and helps students to vote. Also, they educate students about voting issues.

Most Common Religions

The school is predominantly Christian, though there are students of other faiths. The school has a Jewish Community, a Muslim Students Association, and other religious groups. There is also a growing group of students who do not have a religion or do not participate in organized religion.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Minority clubs are available on campus, but they aren't very active. However, once or twice a year, the clubs put on presentations or shows to make students aware of other cultures. For example, the Hawaiian Club offers hula lessons, and the Latin-American Club hosts a presentation during Semana Latina in May.

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Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Mayra Sheikh
Hometown
San Fernando Valley, Calif.
Major
Chemistry

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
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