California Institute of Technology

California Institute of Technology
Former names
  • Throop University (1891–1907)
  • Throop Polytechnic Institute and Manual Training School (1907–1913)
  • Throop College of Technology (1913–1920)[1]
Motto"The truth shall make you free"[2]
TypePrivate research university
EstablishedSeptember 23, 1891; 133 years ago (1891-09-23)
FounderAmos G. Throop
AccreditationWSCUC
Academic affiliations
Endowment$3.6 billion (2023)[3]
PresidentThomas F. Rosenbaum
Academic staff
300 professorial faculty[4]
Students2,397 (2021–22)
Undergraduates987 (2021–22)[5]
Postgraduates1,410 (2021–22)[5]
Location
Pasadena
,
California
,
United States

34°08′15″N 118°07′30″W / 34.13750°N 118.12500°W / 34.13750; -118.12500
CampusMidsize city[6], 124 acres (0.50 km2)
NewspaperThe California Tech
ColorsOrange and white[7]
   
NicknameBeavers
Sporting affiliations
NCAA Division III – SCIAC
MascotBernoulli the Beaver[8]
Websitecaltech.edu Edit this at Wikidata

The California Institute of Technology (branded as Caltech)[a] is a private research university in Pasadena, California, United States. The university is responsible for many modern scientific advancements and is among a small group of institutes of technology in the United States that are devoted to the instruction of pure and applied sciences.[10][11]

The institution was founded as a preparatory and vocational school by Amos G. Throop in 1891 and began attracting influential scientists such as George Ellery Hale, Arthur Amos Noyes, and Robert Andrews Millikan in the early 20th century. The vocational and preparatory schools were disbanded and spun off in 1910, and the college assumed its present name in 1920. In 1934, Caltech was elected to the Association of American Universities, and the antecedents of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which Caltech continues to manage and operate, were established between 1936 and 1943 under Theodore von Kármán.[12][13]

Caltech has six academic divisions with strong emphasis on science and engineering, managing $423 million in sponsored research in 2022.[14] Its 124-acre (50 ha) primary campus is located approximately 11 mi (18 km) northeast of downtown Los Angeles, in Pasadena. First-year students are required to live on campus, and 95% of undergraduates remain in the on-campus housing system at Caltech. Students agree to abide by an honor code which allows faculty to assign take-home examinations.[15] The Caltech Beavers compete in 13 intercollegiate sports in the NCAA Division III's Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).

Scientists and engineers at or from the university have played an essential role in many modern scientific breakthroughs and innovations, including advances in space research, sustainability science, quantum physics, and seismology.[16][11][17] As of October 2022, there are 79 Nobel laureates who have been affiliated with Caltech, making it the institution with the highest number of Nobelists per capita in America.[18][19] This includes 46 alumni and faculty members (47 prizes, with chemist Linus Pauling being the only individual in history to win two unshared prizes). In addition, 66 National Medal of Science Recipients, 43 MacArthur Fellows, 14 National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipients, 11 astronauts, 5 Science Advisors to the President, 4 Fields Medalists, and 6 Turing Award winners have been affiliated with Caltech. [20]

  1. ^ "History & Milestones".
  2. ^ "Caltech: Did you know?". California Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  3. ^ As of September 30, 2022. The Caltech Investment Office (Report). The Caltech Investment Office. 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  4. ^ "Caltech: at a Glance". California Institute of Technology. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2016.
  5. ^ a b "Fall Enrollment 2021–22". Caltech – Office of the Registrar. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  6. ^ "College Navigator – California Institute of Technology". National Center for Education Statistics.
  7. ^ "Colors - Identity Toolkit". Identity.Caltech.edu. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  8. ^ "It's Bernoulli! Caltech Beaver Name Revealed". California Institute of Technology. May 22, 2023. Archived from the original on April 1, 2024.
  9. ^ "Official Logo & Marks". Identity.Caltech.edu. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
  10. ^ "California Institute of Technology | university, Pasadena, California, United States". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  11. ^ a b "These 25 Schools Are Responsible for the Greatest Advances in Science". QZ. September 10, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  12. ^ "Member Institutions". American Association of Universities. Archived from the original on May 21, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  13. ^ "Early History". NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  14. ^ "Caltech Overview 2010–2011" (PDF). Caltech Office of Marketing and Communications. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 16, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2011.
  15. ^ "Honor Code". Undergraduate Admissions. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  16. ^ "Caltech – Decade of Discovery". Caltech. December 19, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  17. ^ "History of Caltech". The Nobel Prize. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  18. ^ Wai, Jonathan. "The Undergraduate Institutions with the Most Nobel Prize Winners". Forbes. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  19. ^ Clynes, Tom (October 1, 2016). "Where Nobel winners Get Their Start". Nature. 538 (7624): 152. Bibcode:2016Natur.538..152C. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.20757. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 27734890. S2CID 4466329.
  20. ^ Examples include:
    1. "Nobel Laureates". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved October 14, 2024.
    2. "Caltech Alumni Astronaut Takes Final Shuttle Flight". California Institute of Technology. February 8, 2010. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
    3. "Previous Science Advisors". The White House. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
    4. "National Medal of Science Recipients". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
    5. "National Medal of Technology and Innovation Recipients". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
    6. "MacArthur Fellows". California Institute of Technology. Retrieved October 3, 2024.


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