"Caltech is short for the California Institute of Technology. (We're not part of the University of California system; we're not affiliated with either of the California Polytechnic universities.)

In a few more words (stand by for official boilerplate):

"Located in Pasadena, California, Caltech is a small, coeducational university dedicated to exceptional instruction and research in engineering and science. The student body is composed of about 900 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students who maintain a high standard of scholarship and intellectual achievement. With an outstanding faculty -- including several Nobel Laureates -- and such off-campus facilities as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Palomar Observatory, and the W. M. Keck Observatory, Caltech is one of the world's major research centers."

Or, to put it more personally: we're a small scholarly community where history and tradition coexist with a passion for innovation, intense intellectual curiosity, and a healthy amount of craziness, where it's relatively easy to find your niche, be known for yourself, and connect with people as colleagues and friends."

www.caltech.edu