GRE requirements · United States

California Institute of Technology GRE requirements (2026)

Caltech sets GRE policy option by option, so there is no single institute-wide rule; some divisions require it, several treat it as optional, and applicants must check their specific option's page.

Updated 12 Jun 2026Last checked 12 Jun 20264 min read

About California Institute of Technology

The California Institute of Technology is a small private research university in Pasadena focused on science and engineering. It has no business school, and its graduate options set their own GRE policies.

QS World University Ranking 2026: #10

GRE requirement by program

California Institute of Technology sets its GRE policy by program, so there is rarely a single university-wide answer. Below is each program we have checked, with its status, a link to the program's own admissions page, and the date we last confirmed it.

Program	Status	Official source	Last checked
Graduate Studies Office (all options) PhD and masters	Varies by program Caltech states GRE policies differ substantially among graduate programs, so applicants must refer to the GRE policy for their specific option.	gradoffice.caltech.edu	Jun 2026
Computing + Mathematical Sciences (incl. Computer Science) PhD and masters	Not accepted The CMS admissions FAQ states the GRE is not required for application for the 2025-2026 academic year.	cms.caltech.edu	Jun 2026
Chemistry and Chemical Engineering PhD and masters	Optional GRE scores are not required and their absence will not be negatively considered, but submitted scores will be reviewed if an applicant chooses to send them.	cce.caltech.edu	Jun 2026
Mechanical and Civil Engineering PhD and masters	Optional The department states that submission of GRE scores is optional.	mce.caltech.edu	Jun 2026
Geological and Planetary Sciences PhD and masters	Required GRE scores are required for all options other than Environmental Science and Engineering and Planetary Science, where the GRE is recommended but not required.	gps.caltech.edu	Jun 2026
Physics (Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy) PhD	Required For the entering cohort, the GRE general test is recommended while the GRE physics subject test is required.	gradoffice.caltech.edu	Jun 2026

Each status was read from the program's own admissions page (last checked 12 06 2026). Policies change between cycles; always confirm on the linked official page before you apply.

Not the program you need? The status is set department by department. Use the three-step check on the is the GRE required page to confirm any program in a couple of minutes.

What GRE score do you need for California Institute of Technology?

There is no single California Institute of Technology GRE cutoff, because programs admit on the whole application and most do not publish a hard minimum. In practice, aim for a score at or above the admitted-student median for your specific program, which some departments share in a class profile or on request. A percentile around the 80th or higher on the section that matters most to your field, Quant for STEM and economics or Verbal for the humanities, is a safe target wherever a score is worth submitting.

Where California Institute of Technology marks a program Optional, a score comfortably above that median can strengthen a borderline application, especially for funded or international applicants. Below it, your effort is usually better spent on the required parts of the file. Where a program is Not accepted, do not send a score, it will not be reviewed.

Unsure where you would land? Sit a free full-length mock and convert your scaled score to its exact official percentile before you decide.

GRE requirements at other universities

Compare California Institute of Technologywith the GRE policies at other top programs. Each page is sourced from the university's own admissions pages and dated.

Stanford University Yale University University of California, Berkeley Princeton University Columbia University in the City of New York Cornell University Carnegie Mellon University University of California, Los Angeles University of Michigan, Ann Arbor University of Chicago

Frequently asked questions

It depends on the option. Caltech says GRE policies differ substantially among its graduate programs; for example, Geological and Planetary Sciences and Physics require it (Physics requires the subject test), while Computing and Mathematical Sciences does not use it and Chemistry and Mechanical/Civil Engineering treat it as optional.

No. The Computing and Mathematical Sciences admissions FAQ states the GRE is not required for application for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Yes. The Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy division states the GRE general test is recommended and the GRE physics subject test is required for its applicants.

ETS reports your GRE scores for five years from your test date, so a score you earn now stays usable across several application cycles. A program can set a shorter window, so confirm the cutoff on California Institute of Technology's admissions page before you apply. A free mock test shows where you would score today.

Every status here is read from the program's own admissions page and dated. Policies change between cycles, so always confirm on the linked official page before you apply. See our editorial standards for how we source and date claims.

GRE policy is set program by program, so two departments at the same university can differ. Use the three-step check on our is the GRE required guide to confirm any program in a couple of minutes.

If you can score at or above the program's admitted-student median, a strong score is a low-risk way to add a signal, especially for funded or international applicants. Below that, focus on the required parts. A free mock is the fastest way to see where you would land.