California Institute of Technology

Educational Resources

Libraries

Caltech has close ties and joint programs with the nearby Huntington Library, which houses a large collection of Anglo-American art, literature, rare books and manuscripts.

• Member of library consortia.
• 344,020 books, serial backfiles, and other material including government documents.
• 2,620 current serial subscriptions.
• 647,861 microforms.
• 1,352 Audio/Visual items.
• 2,431 e-books.

Museums & Art

Caltech Research Facilities (Off-site) Jet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL). Caltech owns and/or operates a number of off-campus research facilities including Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The world's leader in robotic planetary exploration, JPL is managed by Caltech for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition to its interplanetary spacecraft, JPL is a major participant in NASA's Mission to Planet Earth Program. The Lab also conducts research and technology development in advanced microelectronics and is involved in the design and implementation of defense and civil programs. W. M. Keck Observatory. The Institute owns the Keck Observatory, located in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, and operates it jointly with the University of California through the California Association for Research in Astronomy. It houses the world's two largest optical and infrared telescopes, Keck I and Keck II, each 10 meters in diameter. With the two Kecks operating together, observers are able to search for planets orbiting stars other than our sun. Together, the two telescopes are powerful enough to collect starlight emitted only a billion or so years after the birth of the universe, when galaxies were first forming. Other Observatories. Caltech owns and operates a number of other observatories, including the Palomar Observatory, which houses the 200-inch Hale telescope on Palomar Mountain in San Diego County, California, the Owens Valley Radio Observatory at Big Pine, California, and the Submillimeter Observatory in Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Other Research Facilities. Another off-campus research facility owned and operated by the Institute is the William G. Kerckhoff Marine Biological Laboratory in Corona del Mar, California. Caltech also operates (with MIT) LIGO Observatories (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) in Hanford, Washington and Livingston, Louisiana.

Computing

Requirements

• Students are not required to take a computer course.
• Students are not required to own or lease a computer.

Campus Resources

• 50 computers for student use in locations such as computer center/labs, residence halls, library
• 200 Internet connections in libraries.
• 1,000 Internet connections in classrooms.
• 200 Internet connections in Laboratories.
• 18,600 Internet connections elsewhere on campus.

Student accommodations

• Email accounts are available to all students.
• Internet access is available to all students.
• Student web-pages are permitted.
• Online class registration is available.
• 100% of college-owned hosting units are available for internet access.

Wireless Internet Hotspots

• Campus wireless internet hotspots are not available.
• Campus wireless internet hotspots are not available.
• Approximately 10,000 students can be on the network at once.

Services

Basic

nonremedial tutoring, women's center, health service, health insurance

Counseling

minority student, career, personal, academic, older student, psychological, birth control, religious

Career

on-campus job interviews, internships, resume assistance, career/job search classes, alumni network, interest inventory, interview training, other

Campus Safety

24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc)

Campus Life

Housing

Overview

• The school offers housing for students.
• 90% of students live in school housing.
• The school will provide assistance for off-campus housing

Types of housing available

• 32% of housing units are Singles.
• 63% of housing units are Doubles.
• 5% of housing units are Triples.
• In total, there are 25 housing buildings.

Room Accessories

• 48% of rooms are equipped with sprinkler systems.
• 100% of rooms are equipped with fire alarms.
• 100% are equipped with high-speed internet connections.

Extracurricular

• 90% of students remain on campus over the weekends, on average.
• Alcohol is permitted on campus.
• Popular events on campus: Ditch Day, ME-72 Engineering Design Competition, International Week, Asian Pacific Cultural Week, Semana Latina, Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series, Annual Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition, Choral and Orchestral Performances, Iron Chef Cooking Competition
• Student activities: choral groups, concert band, dance, drama/theater, jazz band, literary magazine, music ensembles, musical theater, pep band, student government, student newspaper, student film society, symphony orchestra, yearbook
• In total, there are about 80 organizations on campus.
• Honor societies: Tau Beta Pi, California Beta Chapter
• Religious organizations: (Appears as submitted by school) Asian Baptist Student Koinonia, Caltech Christian Fellowship, Caltech Muslim Students Asociation, Caltech Newman Catholic Students Club, Hillel
• International organizations: (Appears as submitted by school) Asian Pacific Student Union, Association of Caltech Taiwanese, Association of Romanians, Black Graduate Student Association, Caltech Canadian Club, Caltech Chinese Association, Caltech Russian Club, Caltech Swedish Club, Caltech Chinese Student Association, CLASES, Club Latino, Fellowship of International Students, FICCIT, Francophile Club, Friends of Iranian Culture, German Club, Hawaiian Club, Hong Kong Student Association, Italian Club, Korean Student Association, Latino Association for Students in Engineering and Science, National Society of Black Engineers, OASIS, Turkish Student Association
• Other organizations: (Appears as submitted by school) Alpine Club, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Aero Association, Ballroom Dance Club, Badminton Club, Biotechnology Club, Caltech Basketball League, Caltech Bowling Club, Caltech Cooking Club, Caltech Women's Glee Club, Men's Glee Club, Caltech/MIT Enterprise Forum, Caltech Students Pride Association, Chamber Singers, Cheer Squad, Chess Club, Computer Science Cluster, Concert Band, Cycling Club, Dance Troupe, Da Vinci Outdoors Club, Desert Society, Diving Team, Entrepreneur Club, Engineering Club, Electric Vehicle Club, Fencing, Filmmaking Club, Fishing Quarterly, Folk Music Society, Gamma-ray Astrophysics Mission, Hang/Para Gliding Club, Ice Hockey, Ice Skating Club, International Film Club, Jazz Bands, Juggling Club, Karate Club, Kayak Club, Law Association, Mars Society, Martial Arts Organization, Opera Club, Peaceful Justice Coalition, Premed Club, Quiz Bowl, Racquetball Association, Rugby Football Club, Science Fiction Club, Salsa Club, Sailing Club, Scuba Club, Surf and Windsurf Club, Snowboarding Club, Soccer Club, Space Society, Symphony Orchestra, Social Activism Speaker Series, Student Investment Fund, Shorinji Kempo Club, Shotokan Karate Club, Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics, Society for Neuroscience, Society of Women Engineers, Swim Club, Theatre Arts at Caltech, Triathlon Club, Vegetarian Club, Caltech Votes!, Men's Volleyball Club, Water Polo Club, Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology, Caltech Y
• Student papers: (Appears as submitted by school) The California Tech (weekly), Caltech Undergraduate Research Journal (semi-annual), The Big T (annual yearbook), The little t (annual guidebook for Caltech students)

Travel

• Nearest airport(s) (distance in miles): Los Angeles International Airport (28), Burbank (17)
• Nearest train(s) (distance in miles): Los Angeles (10)
• Nearest bus-station(s) (distance in miles): Pasadena (3)
• Public transportation serves the campus.
• All students are permitted to have cars on campus.
• 60% of students have a car on campus

Employment

• School employment is available.
• 34% of undergrads are employed with average earnings of 3,713
• Freshman are discouraged from working.

• There are 0 fraternities
• 0 fraternity houses
• There are 0 sororities
• 0 sorority houses

ROTC

• Army ROTC: Offered at cooperating institution (University of Southern California)
• Navy ROTC: Not offered
• Airforce ROTC: Offered at cooperating institution (University of Southern California, California State University--

Additional Policies

class attendance policies set by individual instructors, honor code, hazing prohibited