Location Pasadena is a city of approximately 140,000 inhabitants, located northeast of Los Angeles at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. The city contains both residential and light industrial areas. Caltech is located in the center of a residential area but is within a few blocks of shopping facilities. Most of the cultural activities of the large metropolitan area may be reached in an hour or less by car. Sailing, surfing, windsurfing, hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding, bicycling, and other activities are enjoyed the year round.
Students can attend cultural events from around the world, including music, theater, dance, and art.
A number of college and professional teams play all the major and minor sports, and southern California is the movie, entertainment, and amusement park capital of the world. The Institute The California Institute of Technology is an independent, privately supported institution that was founded in 1891. To this day, this simple, straightforward goal has guided the Institute. There are approximately 17,000 Institute alumni. Twenty-six Caltech professors and alumni have received the Nobel Prize, and 2 are Crafoord laureates.