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Caltech (California)

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Great place if you're in the right department - Anonymous employee Caltech (California) Employee Review

4.0
Feb 20, 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Beautiful campus and great benefits (Health Care, vacation, sick time). If you push yourself to interact with everything that is offered (talks, clubs, cultural events, and even affiliations with JPL!) you can learn a great deal and have fun outside of work. In the right department, you can be treated well with room to grow. There are amazing people working here in all areas. Associate with the right ones and you will learn and expand your horizons. Get stuck in the wrong group isolating yourself and you'll stagnate and be unhappy.

Cons

Caltech is losing the independent thought and expression that made it great. Corporate thinking is encroaching and there's a strong "do more with less" attitude. Staffing numbers are dwindling in many departments and budgets are shrinking.

Explore other reviews about Caltech (California)

5.0
Jul 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

You get to interact with many smart people

Cons

Dining halls should be better

5.0
Jun 30, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

I really like the people I work with. Managers promote psychological safety and follow through with their commitments . My direct managers are interested in my growth and professional development. There are a lot of affinity groups to connect with. Overall a great community to be a part of. Caltech has good benefits and even mental health counseling available for staff.

Cons

Because the campus is lightly administered/decentralized, policies can vary a lot by department, which can make things really confusing for the initial period. However, if you’re open to talking to others and making connections, it can go a long way in helping you figure out how things work on campus. Another negative is that departmental culture can vary. Working as an admin in one department may be much more difficult than in another department.

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