Caltech

Caltech (the California Institute of Technology) is a private research university in Pasadena, founded in 1891. With just over 2,400 students, Caltech is far smaller than most major research universities, yet it ranks among the most selective institutions in the Los Angeles area, and its discoveries have a global impact.

The Big Bang Theory features its main characters as physicists employed at Caltech, and the show has referenced the Institute multiple times; although the series was mostly filmed on set, it anchors its story in Caltech’s scientific culture.