Caltech often flies under the radar during larger discussions comparing top 20 universities. With only a few hundred undergraduate students per class and a vanishingly small acceptance rate, the university enjoys an almost peculiarly elite status for such a miniscule cohort.
Famous scientists are known to come from its halls: Linus Pauling, Richard Feynman, and Robert Oppenheimer, to name a few. A total of 48 Nobel Laureate alumni in all, which is far and away the most laureates per capita of any university in the world.
So, what is Caltech doing right? And how is that reflected in their computer science programs? Are there any downsides to studying CS at such a small institution, despite its reputation? Let’s take a look at what CS students can expect at this state-of-the-art university.
The CS department at CalTech defines its mission in preparing students with ‘a strong grounding in the mathematical and algorithmic foundations of computing’. In practice, this looks like providing students with a world-class education in pure and applied mathematics coupled with cutting-edge research in the latest developments in digital technology. Due to CalTech’s mystifying 3:1 student/faculty ratio, students advance quickly through the curriculum and engage in graduate level work. These are not typical undergraduates, these are comprehensively trained young scientists in every sense of the word.
This is also not a framework that is peculiar to the CS major at Caltech, which is why ‘majors’ at the school are referred to as ‘options’ and are joined with exceptional preparation for professional-level thinking and writing in STEM. In fact, the other related options offered by the CS department at CalTech are a Data Science + Informatics program (which is pretty standard in well-equipped faculties) and the Applied + Computational Mathematics option.
You may wonder what the difference between the latter program with the CS route even is, since CS is so mathematical at CalTech. The answer is in a fine distinction between studying CS as a subject in-itself mathematically and studying CS specifically as a tool to solve mathematical problems—regardless of where they arise, be that biology, finance, or sociology.
This is the area where CalTech’s program experiences limitations based on its size: the university has excellent connections with a number of exceptional tech companies, but it’s somewhat more limited than peer institutions in this space. Household names include Activision, Facebook, and Samsung, but many of the other CMS EE (Computing and Mathematical Sciences and Electrical Engineering) Partners are either in FinTech or Big Data, which is not necessarily the usual fare for students looking at top 20 CS programs.
CalTech boasts a strong placement record in industry jobs, but it lags behind top programs like UIUC and the UW’s Paul Allen school in this regard. Students who are interested in pursuing the absolute apex of academic inquiry in CS or related fields should seriously consider CalTech over these sorts of programs, but if your goal is a cushy salary out the gate: you may want to examine other top programs first.
All of the top programs in the country have their own quirks and nuances that may or may not be accessible in the public awareness. Working with an industry professional helps you get insights into these differences, and how your child might benefit from certain kinds of offerings.
Our counselors at PathIvy are especially well-equipped to guide you through this process because we are obsessed with finding the perfect fit for your family. Come schedule a call with us today so that we can ensure your child is empowered to make the most of their post-secondary education.