California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

At Caltech there are 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. 

There are several graduate programs that fall under each division, with each option supervised by faculty members with closely related interests and research. The graduate student to faculty ratio across all divisions is currently 4:1. 

Almost all of the academic divisions offer the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and a few offer a master’s degree, though this is awarded only under special circumstances. The most popular subjects are chemistry, physics, biology, electrical engineering and chemical engineering.

Admission to Caltech's graduate school is granted only to a select number of students, with the admission process taking place once a year, for enrollment in the fall. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree and are required to submit degree transcripts, GRE standardized test scores, three letters of recommendation, a resume, and the applicant's statement of purpose. The admissions committee may also consider research papers, publications and other original work. 

Candidates should submit their applications as early as possible. Those who already possess a PhD will not be considered, and international candidates whose first language is not English will need to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores, to demonstrate their proficiency in the language. The fee to apply is currently $100. 

The cost of a graduate education at Caltech varies. If tuition, mandatory fees, room, board, and utilities are all taken into account then the total cost can be as much as $80,917 a year. However, most graduate students at Caltech receive full funding for their graduate education. In fact, approximately 99 percent of doctoral students have full financial support, which comes in the form of fellowships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or a combination of fellowship and assistantship support. 

Financial aid is usually awarded on an annual basis and is based on satisfactory academic progress. Caltech is so generous with its financial aid that a separate application for requesting financial aid isn’t even required. The only graduate students who will not receive financial assistance are those taking master’s programs, who in many cases are self-supported.