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Private 4-Year Highly Selective Cambridge, MA NCAA Division III with football

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

4.5%
Acceptance Rate
$85,960/yr
Est. Cost of Attendancesum of published cost components
$20,111/yr
Avg Price After Aid
96.2%
6-yr Grad Rate
4,535
Undergrads

About Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit university with an acceptance rate of 4.5% and undergraduate enrollment of 4,535. The student-to-faculty ratio is 3:1, with a 6-year graduation rate of 96.2%. Cost of attendance is $85,960, and median earnings 10 years after enrollment are $143,372.

Type
Private 4-Year
Undergrads
4,535
Avg Faculty Salary
$221,399
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Endowment
$24.6B
Pell Students
19.3%
First-Gen
25.9%
What Massachusetts Institute of Technology Is Known For
Majors far more concentrated here than at colleges nationally
Economics and Computer Science 39 graduates · 3.5% of degrees here vs 0% nationally 987×
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and... 55 graduates · 5% of degrees here vs 0.32% nationally 16×
Computer Science 323 graduates · 29.4% of degrees here vs 2.26% nationally 13×
Mathematics 98 graduates · 8.9% of degrees here vs 0.73% nationally 12×
Mechanical Engineering 104 graduates · 9.5% of degrees here vs 1.68% nationally
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023, against the national share at the same degree level
Admissions
4.5%
Acceptance rate · Highly Selective
26,904
Applicants
Can I Get In? →
Cost & Aid
$20,111 avg net
Average net price after aid
$-2,533
Under $30K income
$24.6B
Endowment
Can I Afford It? →
Outcomes
$131,633 median
Median earnings 6 years after entering
96.2%
6-yr Grad Rate
$14,768
Median Debt
Is It Worth It? →

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate
4.5%
26,904 applicants
Student:Faculty Ratio
3:1
Undergrad instruction

MIT is an extremely selective private nonprofit university with a 4.5% acceptance rate and 4,535 undergraduates. The institution maintains a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio and achieves a 96.2% six-year graduation rate.

How Selective Is That, Really?
Each dot is one of 100 applicants · Source: school's Common Data Set, else College Scorecard
1 in 22 applicants is admitted · 26,904 applied
10-Year Acceptance Rate Trend
10-year trend · Source: College Scorecard
10 years

SAT & ACT Score Ranges

Where Admitted Students Score
Middle 50% of enrolled students, on the full SAT scale · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS)
Fall 2023
1520–1580
40080012001600
Who Applies, and Who Gets In
First-year applicants, admits and enrollees by gender
Applied Admitted Rate Enrolled
Men 16,568 601 3.6% 551
Women 8,939 630 7% 540
SOURCEIPEDS Admissions — Fall 2023 admissions cycle
How These Admissions Numbers Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Massachusetts Institute of Technology admits 4.5% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 74%.

Acceptance rate
This school
4.5%
Similar colleges (1,009)
73.8%
MA (73)
71.2%
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (79)
72.2%
National (1,934)
78.1%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Tuition, Fees & Cost of Attendance

Avg Net Price
$20,111
Average for all students receiving federal aid, 2023-24
Median Federal Debt
$14,768
Federal Loan Rate
6.7%
Students borrowing federal loans

MIT's cost of attendance is $85,960 annually. The school enrolls 19.3% Pell grant recipients and 25.9% first-generation students, supported by a substantial $24.6 billion endowment.

Cost of Attendance Breakdown
Estimated annual costs · on-campus, 2023-24 · Source: College Scorecard
$85,960
Tuition & Fees
$62,396
73%
Room & Board
$20,280
24%
Books & Supplies
$910
1%
Other Expenses
$2,374
3%

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income
Average net price after all grants and scholarships · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS net price)
Under $30,000
$0aid exceeds cost
$30,001 – $48,000
$93
$48,001 – $75,000
$1,480
$75,001 – $110,000
$11,555
Over $110,000
$48,479
Full Cost of Attendance
Source: College Scorecard
2023-24

Student Loan Debt

How Many Students Borrow
Undergraduates taking on any loan
Take out a loan
52%
Federal loans
7%

Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $157.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How This Price Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

After aid, Massachusetts Institute of Technology costs $20,111 a year — about 11% less than a typical similar college.

Cost of attendance
This school
$82,730
Similar colleges (1,094)
$49,718
MA (88)
$56,169
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (97)
$42,446
National (3,197)
$25,367
Students taking a loan
This school
52.4%
Similar colleges (998)
91.8%
MA (101)
91.7%
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (115)
91.9%
National (4,096)
86.4%
Median debt at graduation
This school
$14,768
Similar colleges (1,032)
$24,977
MA (110)
$22,610
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (133)
$21,082
National (4,347)
$13,097
Average net price
This school
$20,111
Similar colleges (1,105)
$22,585
MA (119)
$24,402
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (138)
$25,178
National (5,106)
$17,160

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Graduation Rate & Student Outcomes

6-yr Grad Rate
96.2%
Median Earnings 6yr
$131,633
6 years after entering

MIT has a 96.2% six-year graduation rate and median earnings of $131,633 six years after enrollment and $143,372 ten years after enrollment.

Graduate Earnings After College

Median Graduate Earnings Over Time
6 and 10 years after entering · includes all students, not just graduates · Source: College Scorecard
Median Earnings by Gender · 6 Years After Entering
Students working 6 years after entering · Source: College Scorecard
$133,991
Men
$130,698
Women
Graduation Rate: Pell vs. Non-Pell
6-year graduation rate by grant status · Source: College Scorecard
93%
Pell recipients
100%
Non-Pell students

Top Majors & Programs

Top Majors by Graduates
Most recent year available · bachelor's degrees only · Source: IPEDS Completions 2023
MajorGraduates
Computer Science323
Mechanical Engineering104
Mathematics, General98
Electrical and Electronics Engineering58
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and...55
Physics, General49
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering48
Cognitive Science, General44
Economics and Computer Science39
Chemical Engineering32
Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Completing within six years
Asian
98.8%
Black
95.4%
Hispanic
95.3%
White
95.1%
SOURCECollege Scorecard — groups with too few students to report are omitted
Earnings Further Out
The longer horizon

Median earnings eight years after entering Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $135,278, and 87% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How These Outcomes Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Six years after entry, former Massachusetts Institute of Technology students earn $131,633 — 190% more than at a typical similar college.

Median earnings, 10 years
This school
$143,372
Similar colleges (1,077)
$54,064
MA (102)
$53,499
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (117)
$53,085
National (4,696)
$40,782
Median earnings, 6 years
This school
$131,633
Similar colleges (1,077)
$45,468
MA (102)
$46,710
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (119)
$46,673
National (4,847)
$35,433
Graduation rate
This school
96.2%
Similar colleges (1,074)
58.1%
MA (69)
66.8%
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (74)
67.1%
National (2,168)
52.3%
Freshman retention
This school
99.1%
Similar colleges (1,117)
76.6%
MA (65)
83.1%
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (72)
83.1%
National (1,841)
75.7%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Campus, Athletics & Faculty

MIT is a private nonprofit university with an undergraduate enrollment of 4,535 students and a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The institution competes in NCAA Division III athletics and generated $5.1 million in athletic revenue.

Student Demographics
Undergraduate enrollment · Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS
Race & Ethnicity
White
21.3%
Asian
35.2%
Hispanic
14.1%
Black
7.7%
Other Indicators
First-generation
25.9%
Pell grant recipients
19.3%
Women
48.2%
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Athletics
Total Revenue
$5.1M
Total Expense
$5.1M
Athletes
928
503 men · 425 women
Head Coach Salaries
Men's vs Women's programs · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's sports
$44,091
Women's sports
$39,313

Average head coach salary by program gender.

Academic Resources
1,379
Full-time faculty
$221,399
Avg faculty salary
38,252
FT staff
$24.6B
Endowment
Faculty Salary by Gender
All instructional ranks combined · Source: IPEDS Human Resources
Men (avg)
$230,294
Women (avg)
$201,294
Overall avg
$221,399
Who Is on Campus
Beyond the undergraduate headcount
Undergraduates
4,535
Graduate students
7,351

Graduate and professional students outnumber undergraduates here, which shapes class sizes, housing and campus life in ways an undergraduate figure alone doesn't show.

Varsity Athletes
Play a varsity sport
16.6%

755 of 4,538 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.

SOURCEIPEDS enrollment; Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filings
Online & Distance Learning
How much of the teaching happens remotely
Undergrads fully online
0%
Undergrads taking any
0%
Grad students fully online
0.9%

0 of 4,576 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 65 of 7,344 graduate students.

SOURCEIPEDS Fall Enrollment, distance education status

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education.

How This Campus Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Massachusetts Institute of Technology spends $53,296 per student on research — about a typical similar college.

Pell grant share
This school
19.3%
Similar colleges (1,171)
32.8%
MA (126)
31.6%
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (145)
30.6%
National (5,367)
40.1%
Research spending per student
This school
$53,296
Similar colleges (1,164)
$6,264
MA (92)
$8,492
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (101)
$8,334
National (2,823)
$5,605
Students per faculty member
This school
3:1
Similar colleges (1,191)
12:1
MA (130)
12:1
Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT (149)
12:1
National (5,427)
15:1

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Every Major at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
33 fields of study, bachelor's degree level, grouped by subject area
1,099 graduates
Engineering 355 grads · 10 majors
Mechanical Engineering 104
Electrical and Electronics Engineering 58
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and... 55
Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 48
Chemical Engineering 32
Materials Engineering 23
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 17
Nuclear Engineering 9
Environmental/Environmental Health... 5
Civil Engineering, General 4
Computer and Information Sciences 342 grads · 2 majors
Computer Science 323
Artificial Intelligence 19
Mathematics and Statistics 117 grads · 2 majors
Mathematics, General 98
Financial Mathematics 19
Multidisciplinary Studies 103 grads · 4 majors
Cognitive Science, General 44
Economics and Computer Science 39
Mathematics and Computer Science 19
Climate Science 1
Physical Sciences 79 grads · 3 majors
Physics, General 49
Chemistry, General 26
Geology/Earth Science, General 4
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 52 grads · 3 majors
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 23
Computational Biology 22
Neuroscience 7
Architecture 16 grads · 2 majors
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning 9
Architecture 7
Business and Marketing 15 grads · 2 majors
Management Sciences and Quantitative... 9
Management Science 6
Social Sciences 10 grads · 2 majors
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 6
Political Science and Government, General 4
Liberal Arts and General Studies 6 grads · 1 major
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 6
English Language and Literature 2 grads · 1 major
Creative Writing 2
Philosophy and Religious Studies 2 grads · 1 major
Philosophy 2
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023 — first majors only, so a student with a double major is counted once

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Location & Campus Safety

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is in Cambridge, MA, in what IPEDS classifies as a midsize city setting. The campus sits about 1.7 miles from the center of Cambridge. There are 42 other colleges within 25 miles, and Boston, MA is 4.1 miles away.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Other colleges within 30 miles
Midsize city
Campus Setting
1.7 mi
To City Center
42
Colleges Within 25 mi
117,794
Cambridge Population
Living in Cambridge
Cost of living and getting around, for the whole city — not the campus
ACS 2023
$2,742
Median Rent / mo
$126,469
Median Household Income
27.9%
Rent as % of Income
How People Commute
Drive alone
20.9%
Walk
19.3%
Public transit
19.4%

Middlesex County scores 12.0 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index — above average walkable. The index is a county-wide average of block groups, so it describes the surrounding area rather than the campus itself.

Undergraduates make up about 14.2% of Cambridge's residents.

SOURCEU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates; EPA National Walkability Index
Colleges Near Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Within 30 miles, at least 500 students, by straight-line distance
Berklee College of Music 7,468 students 0.9 mi
Boston University 18,248 students 0.9 mi
Northeastern University 17,326 students 1.3 mi
SOURCEIPEDS campus coordinates, Massachusetts Institute of Technology to each campus

Campus Safety at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported for 2024.

21
On-Campus Offenses
7
In Residence Halls
1.8
Per 1,000 Students
21
Domestic, Dating & Stalking

Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.

Reported On-Campus Offenses by Year
Criminal offenses reported on campus, including residence halls · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Clery Act disclosures
2022
19
2023
10
2024
21
What Was Reported in 2024
On-campus criminal offenses by category
Sexual offenses
11
Burglary
3
Motor vehicle theft
3
Aggravated assault
3
Arson
1

Separately, Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported 15 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.

SOURCEU.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety and Security — Clery Act disclosures, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Massachusetts Institute of Technology admissions, costs, and outcomes.