Cal State Fullerton vs Southern California Institute of Technology

California State University-Fullerton (CSUF) and Southern California Institute of Technology (Caltech) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education in California, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. While CSUF, a public university, boasts an acceptance rate of 52% and a diverse student body of over 40,000 undergraduates, Caltech, a private research university, is highly selective with an acceptance rate of just 8% and a much smaller student population of around 2,300 undergraduates. Both institutions excel in different fields, with CSUF offering a wide range of undergraduate programs in areas like business, education, and health sciences, while Caltech specializes in science, engineering, and technology. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover more about these two esteemed institutions, including their graduation rates, popular majors, and student demographics, and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and goals.
California State University-Fullerton logo

California State University-Fullerton

Southern California Institute of Technology logo

Southern California Institute of Technology

Overview

Location Fullerton, California Anaheim, California
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (For Profit)
Calendar system Semester Non Traditional
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 87.0% 81.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 59.4% 59.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $70
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 45,140 166
Total number of admissions given out 26,827 99
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,219 90
Yield rate 15.7% 90.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A
High school GPA Required N/A
Recommendation letters Not required N/A
High school transcript Not required N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $30,282

Out of state: $42,162
$40,348
Average net price $4,939 $27,298
Tuition
In state: $5,742

Out of state: $17,622
$16,590
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $12,918

Meal plan: $4,374
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

74.0%
Average amount $9,215
94.0%
Average amount $7,413
Students receiving federal student loan 17.0%
Average amount $4,700
76.0%
Average amount $10,279
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $11,380
4.0%
Average amount $10,397

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 35,600
Men 41.2% Women 58.8%
521
Men 95.8% Women 4.2%
Graduate students 5,138
Men 36.8% Women 63.2%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students 0.9% N/A
International students 4.9% N/A
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 2,045 N/A
First year students are required to live on campus? No N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Hawaii Illinois Arizona N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Construction Trades
  • Engineering
  • Engineering Technologies
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 25:1 30:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 71.5% 78.5%
Dropout rate 21.3% 21.0%
Transferred out 1.8% 0.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $145,938
  • Year 2: $157,680
  • Year 3: $165,916
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $138,162
  • Year 2: $114,595
  • Year 3: $130,592
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $113,642
  • Year 2: $110,241
  • Year 3: $114,173
Computer Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,293
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $97,266
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,611
  • Year 2: $86,042
  • Year 3: $94,651
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,934
  • Year 2: $80,779
  • Year 3: $90,936
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $80,382
  • Year 2: $78,971
  • Year 3: $89,837
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $75,840
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $81,048
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,980
  • Year 2: $76,325
  • Year 3: $79,512
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,145
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $78,803
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,237
  • Year 2: $58,221
  • Year 3: $61,340
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,708
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $60,326
Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $45,872
  • Year 2: $43,426
  • Year 3: $49,297
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $35,873
  • Year 2: $35,345
  • Year 3: $41,355
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas)
  • Year 1: $33,935
  • Year 2: $34,704
  • Year 3: $38,552
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $45,529
  • Year 3: N/A

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