Caltech lies in a small upscale neighborhood of Pasadena. With an acceptance rate hovering at or below 3%, this powerhouse is home to 987 of the best and brightest STEM focused undergrads in the country. “Researchers on campus and at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), which Caltech manages on behalf of NASA, have launched new fields of study and invented world-changing tools and technologies while seeking answers to the scientific questions that define our time.” Caltech’s Honor Code dictates that no member of the community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the community. This permeates the culture. Freshmen are graded on a pass/fail basis, all tests are take-home, and students are taught to collaborate as they train to be scientists.

The student to faculty ratio of 3:1 feels closer to 1:1 as many PhD students are on hand to assist in labs, classes, and research. Over 90% of Caltech undergrad students perform research and 80% receive at least one Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF).  Students complete a core curriculum consisting of 12 humanities classes as well as high level physics, chemistry, and math. At the end of freshman year, students declare their major from the six academic divisions: biology and biological engineering; chemistry and chemical engineering; engineering and applied science; geological and planetary sciences; humanities and social sciences; and physics, mathematics, and astronomy. Computer Science tops the popularity list, followed by Information and Data Science, as well as Artificial Intelligence. Students complete an intense course load of 4-5 courses in each of the four quarters in the academic year.

The Housing Program forms the core of Caltech’s social life. Upon arrival, freshman enter “Rotation Week” where they spend one evening experiencing social life in each of 8 unique Houses. Like the Greek system, students rank their House choice and are assigned to a House for all four years. Each House offers a dining hall as well as Peer Advocates for emotional and academic support. Houses host interhouse social events, trips, other fun social programing.

This college appeals to quirky geeks, is welcoming and LBTGQ+ friendly, and most definitively propels its students to challenging and potentially extremely lucrative career paths.