Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for California Institute of Technology, University of Southern California, Duke University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | CaltechPasadena, CA | USCLos Angeles, CA | DukeDurham, NC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 2.6% | 9.8% | 5.7% |
| SAT middle 50% | Not reportedCalifornia Institute of Technology reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. | 1450–1550 | 1500–1570 |
| Average net price | $16,07518.0% on Pell grants | $32,74022.2% on Pell grants | $29,61214.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $65,898Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $72,097Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $68,758Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 94.4% | 91.8% | 96.8% |
| First-year retention | 97.4% | 95.9% | 97.9% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 18.0% | 22.2% | 14.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $128,566 | $92,498 | $97,800 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | Not reportedNot reported by California Institute of Technology in the most recent federal collection. | $18,000 | $13,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 3:1 | 9:1 | 6:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 987 | 20,443 | 6,442 |
| Consensus percentile | 3Lower is better | 7Lower is better | 3Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 8 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 8 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 9 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Caltech | USC | Duke |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #11 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #28 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #7 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #24 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #28 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #22 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #2 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #39 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #49 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #45 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #6 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #37 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #11 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | #10 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #146 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #62 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students comparing California Institute of Technology on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of Southern California on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Duke University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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