Caltech

Cost of living in Pasadena, CA

City-median rent is a city-level figure, not a near-campus price; university graduate housing lines are the university's own published rates. Each line is labeled with its own source.

• Rent, 1-bedroom (university graduate housing, single occupant) $1,255 to $1,664/mo Official Caltech-leased off-campus studio $1,255; Catalina 1-bedroom $1,664. 2026-27. Catalina 1-bedroom is per bed; gas and electric extra. Source: Caltech Housing: Contracts and Rates · Verified 2026-09-29
• Rent, 1-bedroom (city median) $2,295/mo Estimated City median 1BR Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (university graduate housing, shared, per person) $830 to $987/mo Official Catalina per bed: 4-bedroom quad $830; 2-bedroom double $987. 2026-27 (Sep 1 to Aug 31), up about 5% from last year. Furnished; gas and electric extra (about $100-$150 per person) plus $20 per month for ethernet. New graduate students are guaranteed first-year housing. Source: Caltech Housing: Contracts and Rates · Verified 2026-09-29
• Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (city median) $1,525/mo Estimated City median 2BR, split two ways Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Utilities (nearest-metro stand-in) $284/mo Estimated Nearest-metro proxy (Los Angeles). No Numbeo figure for this town; Los Angeles stand-in. Excludes internet. Source: Numbeo (Americas table, Sept 27 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Public transit $18/week (weekly fare cap) Official LA Metro 7-day fare cap ($5/day); no monthly pass. Monthly passes were replaced by fare caps. Source: LA Metro fare policy · Verified 2026-09-27
• Public transit $6/week (weekly fare cap) Official LA Metro college/vocational 7-day cap ($2.50/day). Requires enrollment in a participating program. Source: LA Metro college/vocational fares · Verified 2026-09-27
• Parking Not yet available
• Groceries (state-level estimate) $375/mo Estimated State-level estimate (California). About $4,500/yr, single adult; not a city basket. Source: MIT Living Wage food cost via Bankrate · Verified 2026-09-27

About this department

Summaries are paraphrased from the department's own pages. Individual faculty are not listed here; use the official directory.

Confirm deadlines on the department's own page before applying.

• Department Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy - Physics Official Source: physics.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23
• Degrees offered
  • PhD
  Official Source: physics.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23
• Overview Caltech's physics graduate program admits PhD students through the Graduate Studies Office, with applications reviewed by the Physics Graduate Admissions Committee. Applicants interested in astrophysics are also considered for the Astronomy PhD program. Official Source: physics.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23
• Research areas
  • Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Physics
  • Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
  • Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
  • Experimental Cosmology
  • Theoretical Cosmology
  • Experimental High Energy Physics
  • Theoretical High Energy Physics
  • Experimental and Observational Astrophysics
  • Theoretical Astrophysics
  • Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astrophysics
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Physical Biology
  • Quantum Information Science
  Official Source: physics.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23
• Faculty Faculty directory (official) Official Source: physics.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23
• PhD funding (department statement) Not yet available
• PhD application deadline Not yet available
• GRE policy The GRE general test is recommended and the GRE physics subject test is required. General scores are not required but will be considered in evaluations if submitted (applies to the Fall 2027 cohort per the physics page). Official Source: gradoffice.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23
• Application requirements
  • Online application through the Graduate Studies Office
  • fee waivers can be requested in the application. University-wide: completed bachelor's degree or equivalent, transcripts from each institution attended, three letters of recommendation, CV, essays
  • applicants who already hold a PhD are not considered for a second PhD
  • evidence of U.S. work authorization needed for PhD matriculation unless special compensation is arranged.
  Official Source: gradoffice.caltech.edu · Verified 2026-10-23

Master's tuition

Published tuition (before any aid). PhD students usually have tuition waived; their offer letter confirms. This is not part of the stipend-versus-cost-of-living comparison.

• Master's tuition at Caltech Not yet available