Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Founded in 1861, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is an internationally-renowned, private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT employs over 1,000 faculty and professors. Previous and current faculty affiliated with the institute include 52 National Medal of Science recipients, 77 Nobel Laureates, 45 Rhodes Scholars, and 38 MacArthur Fellows.

MIT has 5 academic schools and one college made up of 32 departments that offer some of the best science, applied technology and engineering programs of any higher education institution in the world. In addition to premier science and engineering programs, MIT also offers several arts and humanities programs. In fact, many programs at MIT now combine technology and arts to provide students with broader perspectives.

MIT’s new emphasis on art is reflected in its student organizations. Multiple student dance, music, and theater groups are located on-campus. MIT also sponsors intramural sports and 33 men’s and women’s NCAA athletic programs, including a Division I rowing program.

Unlike many other research universities, MIT employs a European, polytechnic education-model that emphasizes laboratory instruction at both the graduate and undergraduate level. MIT students work closely with industries throughout their education and participate on real-world projects in cooperation with top domestic and international businesses and corporations. In fact, MIT researchers have been involved with the development of current computer technology, integrative cancer research, and inertial guidance systems employed in defense research.

MIT is also one of the most entrepreneurial institutions of higher education in the world. Many MIT graduates have gone on to found and grow some of the most successful companies the world has ever seen. In fact, the total revenue of companies founded by MIT graduates is equal to the annual revenue generated by the 11th largest economy in the world. Currently, MIT has an endowment of about $8 billion and manages over $700 million in research expenditures.

MIT is committed to helping qualified students attend who cannot afford the cost of tuition. Nearly 20 percent of undergraduate students come from middle-class families. Most undergraduate and graduate students receive scholarships, loans, or federal Pell grants.

During the 2011-12 school year MIT had an enrollment of 4,384 undergraduates and 6,510 graduate students. With an average annual acceptance rate of 9%, MIT is a very selective university. Students interested in attending MIT are encouraged to schedule an interview with an admission representative. Students applying for undergraduate study must complete all application materials by January 1. Graduate application requirements differ by program.

MIT has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges since 1929.

Academics

The majority of students that attend MIT are enrolled in graduate or professional programs. Classes begin each year during the fall semester which begins in early September and ends mid-December. Between the end of fall semester, and the beginning of the spring semester in February, is a 4-week “Independent Activities Period” that extends throughout the entire month of January. Spring semester begins in February and ends in late May.

Rankings

MIT is consistently ranked among the top 10 universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, QS World University, Academic Ranking of World Universities and several other national and international reputable college ranking associations. MIT’s School of Engineering has been ranked number one in the world by both the National Research Council and Academic Ranking of World Universities. Many other MIT programs, including their natural science, computer science, economics, business, linguistics, mathematics, philosophy and political science programs are also ranked among the best in the nation.

Undergraduate Programs

MIT consists of four academic schools, one college and 32 departments that offer 44 undergraduate degrees. At the undergraduate level, MIT only offers the bachelor of science. The most popular undergraduate program at MIT is the engineering program which enrolls nearly 63% of all undergraduate students in one of its 19 degree programs. The second most popular undergraduate program at MIT is the science program offered by the MIT School of Science. It enrolls nearly 29% of undergraduate students. The remaining 7 to 8% of students are enrolled in programs offered by the School of Humanities, Sloan School of Management, Arts and Social Sciences, and School of Architecture and Planning. The most popular undergraduate degrees at MIT are in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Computer Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics.

All MIT undergraduate students are required to complete the General Institute Requirements (GIRs), the school’s core general education curriculum. A major component of the core curriculum is the Science Requirement which is also a prerequisite for students pursuing science and engineering degrees. The Science Requirement includes two semesters of calculus, two semesters of physics, one semester of biology, and one semester of chemistry. The second component of the GIRs is the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (HASS) Requirement which includes a minimum of one semester of humanities, one semester of arts, and one semester of social sciences. The final general education requirements include a Communication Requirement (which is completed as part of the HASS) and a physical education component which requires all students to complete four quarters of physical education courses and a swimming test.

Even though the difficulty of MIT’s undergraduate programs has been compared to “drinking from a fire house”, the school’s retention rate is on par with other national research universities. Most of the classes at MIT employ lectures, recitations by graduate students, regular problem sets and exams. Even though undergraduate coursework at MIT is challenging, some of the stress students experience is mitigated by MIT’s “pass/no-record” grading system – which reports nothing more than whether or not a student passes the course.

Graduate Programs

MIT’s graduate degree programs are ranked as some of the best in the nation within their respective discipline. MIT offers a breadth of master’s degrees and comprehensive doctoral programs with degrees in social sciences, humanities, and STEM fields. MIT also offers an extensive selection of professional degree programs.

At the graduate level MIT offers academic degrees including the Master of Science (SM), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and Doctor of Science (ScD). Other graduate degrees include Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of City Planning (MCP), Master of Finance (MFin), Master of Engineering (MEng), and various interdisciplinary programs such as the MD/PhD degree that is offered in cooperation with Harvard Medical School.

Graduate admissions at MIT are done through the individual department and/or degree program. The vast majority of students pursuing doctoral degrees at MIT are supported by grants, research assistantships, fellowships, or teaching assistantships.

The largest graduate degree programs at MIT are the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Sloan MBA, and Mechanical Engineering.

Library system

The library system at Massachusetts Institute of Technology consists of five individual, discipline-specific libraries including the Barker Library (Engineering), Lewis Library (Music), Hayden Library (Humanities and Science), Dewey Library (Economics), and Rotch Library (Arts and Architecture). The MIT library system also includes a few smaller specialized libraries and archives. MIT’s library system is home to nearly 3 million printed volumes, 2 ½ million microforms, over 650 reference databases and nearly 50,000 electronic or print journal subscriptions.

Traditions and Activities

Unlike several popular Ivy League and research universities, MIT does not award honorary degrees. Two of the core values espoused by both faculty and students are, technical proficiency and meritocracy. However, MIT did award honorary professorships to Winston Churchill and Salman Rushdie, in 1949 and 1993 respectively.

It is not uncommon to see MIt students and alumni sporting a large, heavy, and very distinctive ring called the “Brass Rat”. The ring’s official name is the “Standard Technology Ring” and while several derivations of the ring exist, they all feature a three-piece design, displaying the MIT seal, the class year, and an image of a beaver.

Campus

MIT resides on a 168-acre campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the north side of the Charles River basin. The campus is split down the middle by Massachusetts Avenue, with student housing, dormitories and student facilities located to the west and the majority the school’s academic buildings located on the east side of campus. The neighborhood surrounding the MIT campus includes a mix of high-tech companies and residential neighborhoods.

While most of the buildings on campus have a name, they’re also assigned a number which typically corresponds to the order in which they were built. Offices and academic buildings are usually referred to by their number and student residence halls by their name. MIT’s campus buildings are connected by an extensive network of underground tunnels so students can get around campus in comfort during cold winter months.

Architecture

MIT’s School of Architecture (whose name was recently changed to the “School of Architecture and Planning”) was the first of its kind in the United States and is well known for designing progressive buildings, as exemplified by many of the buildings found across MIT’s campus. MIT’s first buildings were constructed in 1916 and were named the “Maclaurin buildings” in honor of MIT’s President, Richard Maclaurin, who commissioned and oversaw their construction. The Maclaurin buildings, designed by William Bosworth, were the first non-industrial buildings to be built with reinforced concrete. The Building 7 atrium which runs along Massachusetts Avenue is considered the entrance to the Infinite Corridor, as well as the rest of the MIT campus.

While MIT’s campus is considered a contemporary campus by many, others see it as a less-than-attractive, hodgepodge of disparate architectural concepts and influences. In fact, MIT was included in The Princeton Review list of twenty colleges whose campuses are “tiny, unsightly, or both”.

Housing

All entering freshman at MIT are guaranteed housing for their freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years in one of MIT’s 12 undergraduate dormitories. Undergraduate students who choose to live on-campus in one of MIT’s dormitories can look forward to mentoring and academic support from live-in, graduate student tutors, faculty housemasters, and resident advisors. As students are allowed their preference of on-campus housing, several unique and diverse social atmospheres have been developed over the years. In fact, according to the Yale Daily News Staff’s The Insiders’ Guide to the Colleges 2010 there appears to be a noticeable social difference between East Campus and West Campus. In addition to on-campus, undergraduate housing, MIT also has 5 dormitories dedicated to graduate students and 2 apartment complexes designated for student family housing.

While MIT is considered one of the most prestigious, academic institutions in the World, it is also known for its active and vibrant campus life. MIT has a well-developed Greek housing system that includes 36 fraternities, sororities and independent living groups. About 90% of undergraduate students live in MIT housing, with 50% of the men living in fraternities and over 30% of the women living in sororities.

General Information

Tuition & Fees

Financial Aid

All Degrees and Programs

Admissions Information

Enrollment Statistics

Graduate Attendance Status

Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity

Retention and Graduation Rates

Graduation Rates for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees

6-Year Graduation Rate by Gender for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees

6-Year Graduation Rate by Race/Ethnicity for Students Pursuing Bachelor’s Degrees

Undergraduate Majors

*We do not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.