National university
#7 Best colleges in AmericaMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $20,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $14,768 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for finance in America#1 of 744
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#2 of 1,238
- Best colleges for business in America#4 of 1,563
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#2 of 704
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#2 of 682
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#5 of 1,358
Show 23 more
- Best colleges in America#7 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#6 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#6 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#6 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#6 of 1,162
- Best colleges for computer science in America#4 of 750
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#6 of 1,116
- Best colleges for music in America#6 of 1,063
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#3 of 430
- Best mid-size colleges in America#5 of 667
- Best colleges for economics in America#6 of 788
- Best colleges for engineering in America#6 of 749
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#5 of 598
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#6 of 704
- Most selective colleges in America#7 of 683
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#19 of 1,829
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#12 of 681
- Best colleges in the Boston area#1 of 51
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#19 of 693
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#20 of 690
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in America#11 of 239
- Best value colleges in America#46 of 674
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#51 of 684
In Massachusetts
- Best colleges in Massachusetts#1 of 67
- Best colleges for business in Massachusetts#1 of 50
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Massachusetts#1 of 47
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Massachusetts#1 of 47
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Massachusetts#1 of 47
- Best colleges for English in Massachusetts#1 of 46
Show 23 more
- Best colleges for history in Massachusetts#1 of 46
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Massachusetts#1 of 46
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Massachusetts#1 of 46
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Massachusetts#1 of 45
- Best colleges for mathematics in Massachusetts#1 of 43
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Massachusetts#1 of 41
- Best colleges for chemistry in Massachusetts#1 of 40
- Best colleges for economics in Massachusetts#1 of 39
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Massachusetts#1 of 38
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Massachusetts#1 of 38
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Massachusetts#1 of 38
- Best colleges for computer science in Massachusetts#1 of 33
- Best colleges for music in Massachusetts#1 of 31
- Best mid-size colleges in Massachusetts#1 of 30
- Best colleges for finance in Massachusetts#1 of 23
- Most selective colleges in Massachusetts#2 of 46
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Massachusetts#3 of 67
- Best colleges for engineering in Massachusetts#1 of 22
- Best value colleges in Massachusetts#3 of 46
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in Massachusetts#3 of 46
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Massachusetts#4 of 47
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Massachusetts#5 of 46
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Massachusetts#6 of 47
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.96%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.99%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,560 · ACT 35
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.3 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$99,057
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $82,730 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 4,576 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 52% · Women 48% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 26% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 91% |
| Total students | 11,920 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $20,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $82,730 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $14,768 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 96% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 91% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 92% |
| First-year retention | 99% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $143,372 |
| Admission rate | 5% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $75 |
| Early action deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 1 |
| Regular decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 4 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1560 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 740–780 |
| SAT math | 780–800 |
| ACT composite | 34–36 |
| Test policy | Required |
Value: Exceptional · Top 5% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Mathematics | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Physics | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Applied mathematics, Architecture, Biology, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Business (general), Chemistry, City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning, Civil engineering, Cognitive Science, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Economics, Economics and Computer Science, English, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Finance, Geology and earth science, History, Linguistics, Management science, Materials Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Music, Neuroscience, Nuclear Engineering, Philosophy, Political science, Science, Technology and Society, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Engineering | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Mathematics and statistics | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Physical sciences |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $20,280 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 3 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 7%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 99%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $1,989,603IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)About 4 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Town population | 118,796Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BostonAbout 4 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 28°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Jamaica Plain, MA, about 4 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Questions families ask
- What is Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 1% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Massachusetts Institute of Technology cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $20,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Massachusetts Institute of Technology?
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology admitted 5% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s graduates do?
- 96% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $143,372; the median federal debt at graduation is $14,768.
Ask the school
Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.
Reviews
Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.
No reviews yet.
Sign in to write a review.
My rating and notes
Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.
About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 166683
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Report an error or a newer source
- Respond as this school
Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs California Institute of Technology · Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs Stanford · Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs Harvard · Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs Princeton
More in Massachusetts · Massachusetts rankings