Private nonprofit · Institute

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts · Midsize city

#1 for grad earnings in Massachusetts#2 most selective in Massachusetts#2 graduation rate in Massachusetts
4.5%
Admit rate
$20,111
Avg net price
96%
Graduation rate
$143,372
Median earnings

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Cambridge, Massachusetts (midsize city setting), enrolling 4,535 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 4,535 undergradsMidsize cityHighly selective · 5% admitNCAA Division III with football · New England Women's & Men's Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowyNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Massachusetts Institute of Technology's admitted students.

Admit rate
4.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1520–1580
Avg GPA (est.)
4.00

Enter a test score to see where you land against Massachusetts Institute of Technology's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Massachusetts Institute of Technology's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of European contact, the area was inhabited by Naumkeag of the Pawtucket Confederacy to the north and Massachusett to the south. Manufacturing was an important part of Cambridge's economy in the late 19th and early 20th century. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
2 miles to Boston, MA
To the ocean
2 miles
Nearest airport
4 miles to Boston Logan (BOS) · major hub

How Massachusetts Institute of Technology compares

Selectivity4.5%

More selective than 99% · #2 most selective of 63 in Massachusetts

SAT average1560

Higher than 99%

Graduation rate96%

Higher than 99% · #2 of 66 in Massachusetts

First-year retention99%

Higher than 97%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$143,372

Higher than 99% · #1 of 67 in Massachusetts

Average net price$20,111

Cheaper than 50% · #15 cheapest of 65 in Massachusetts

Median debt at graduation$14,768

Lower than 91%

Student–faculty ratio3 : 1

Lower than 98%

Undergraduate enrollment4,535

Larger than 76%

Percentiles compare Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

11,886students
  • Undergraduate4,53538%
  • Graduate7,35162%

Undergraduates by gender

4,535undergrads
  • Women1,68737%
  • Men2,84863%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White21%
  • Black7.7%
  • Hispanic14%
  • Asian35%
  • Other or multiracial22%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,535
Graduate enrollment
7,351
Student–faculty ratio
3 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
19%
First-generation students
26%
Students over 25
1%
Median family income
$53,870
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$217,593
Endowment
$24,572,716,000

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,091 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Massachusetts8.3%
  • Other U.S. states80%
  • International11%

A national draw — only 8% of first-years come from Massachusetts; 80% arrive from other states.

11% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
4.5%
Test scores
Required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1520–1580
SAT average
1560
SAT reading
740–780
SAT math
780–800
ACT composite
34–36
Average GPA (estimated)
4.00

Cost

In-state tuition
$62,396
Room & board
$20,280
Books & supplies
$910
Total cost of attendance
$82,730
Average net price
$20,111

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
96%
Graduated on time (4 years)
83%
First-year retention
99%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$131,633
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$143,372
Median debt at graduation
$14,768
Students with federal loans
7%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
90%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
83%
Low-income (Pell)
87%
First-generation
87%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
7,610
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
100%+
Housing charge (year)
$12,380
Meal plan (year)
$7,010
Application fee
$75
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
986 (554 men · 432 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (19)

Rowing135
Track and Field (Outdoor)121
Track and Field (Indoor)119
Swimming and Diving (combined)71
Football69
Soccer63
Lacrosse61
Cross Country49
Fencing43
Volleyball39
Sailing39
Basketball36
Baseball30
Tennis27
Field Hockey23
Softball20
Water Polo15
Squash14
Rifle12

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
40
Property offenses (2022–2024)
10

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (11,886 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

17reported offenses a year
13 violent a year3.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
6.3
Fondling
4.7
Aggravated assault
2.3
Burglary
1.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.3
Arson
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
-$2,533
$30–48k
$93
$48–75k
$1,480
$75–110k
$11,555
$110k+
$48,479

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$6,235

$1,480/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

57%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$55,983
average award, among those who get one

Massachusetts Institute of Technology discounts heavily: 57% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $55,983. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,136 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$143,372
Typical debt at graduation
$14,768
Debt vs. one year's pay
10%
Out-earn a HS grad
87%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$146,123
Men
$142,810

Women out-earn men by $3,313 (2%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
19°F
Annual rain
49.4″
Annual snow
49.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Jamaica Plain, MA US station (4.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Massachusetts Institute of Technology side by side →

Colleges near Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.