The California Institute of Technology is a prestigious university in the United States, located in Pasadena, California, founded in 1891. The school is not large, with only more than 1,000 graduate students and more than 900 undergraduates, but it ranks first in the world in the 2012-2013 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education. In the fields of physics, planetary science, and geography, it is recognized as the first in the United States and the first in the world. In 2006, the Princeton Review ranked Caltech as the sixth most difficult university to apply for in the United States.

The California Institute of Technology has a group of the world's top scientists. In 2008, the American "Exploration" magazine selected the 20 brightest scientists under the age of 40 in the United States. They are regarded as geniuses in their respective research fields and have achieved fruitful results. Among the 20 talented scientists, Caltech professors account for 4 seats.