MIT: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

The great dome over MIT's Barker Engineering Library in Building 10.
Chun-Teh Chen/Getty Images

Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university with an acceptance rate of 6.7%. MIT is one of the nation's top engineering schools and is one of the most selective schools in the country. MIT does not use the Common Application, applicants to MIT will complete their application on the MIT website.

Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the MIT admissions statistics you should know.

Why MIT?

  • Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
  • Campus Features: MIT's 166-acre campus stretches along the Charles River and overlooks the Boston skyline. Dozens of Boston-area colleges are a short walk or train ride away.
  • Student/Faculty Ratio: 3:1
  • Athletics: The MIT Engineers compete at the NCAA Division III level for most sports.
  • Highlights: One of the best schools in the world for engineering, MIT also has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences. MIT also claims to have one of the nation's best college dorms.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, MIT had an acceptance rate of 6.7%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 6 students were admitted, making MIT's admissions process highly competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 21,312
Percent Admitted 6.7%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 78%

SAT Scores and Requirements

MIT requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 75% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 730 780
Math 790 800
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that most of MIT's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to MIT scored between 730 and 780, while 25% scored below 730 and 25% scored above 780. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 790 and 800, while 25% scored below 790 and 25% scored a perfect 800. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1580 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at MIT.

Requirements

MIT does not require the optional SAT essay section. Note that MIT participates in the scorechoice program, which means that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Beginning with the 2020-21 admissions cycle, MIT no longer requires SAT Subject tests.

ACT Scores and Requirements

MIT requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 48% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
English 35 36
Math 35 36
Composite 34 36

This admissions data tells us that most of MIT's admitted students fall within the top 1% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to MIT received a composite score between 34 and 36, while 25% scored below 34 and 25% received a perfect 36.

Requirements

MIT does not require the optional ACT writing section. Unlike many universities, MIT superscores ACT results; your highest subscores from multiple ACT sittings will be considered.

GPA

Massachusetts Institute of Technology does not provide data about admitted students' high school GPAs.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

MIT Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
MIT Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.  Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to MIT. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

MIT has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, MIT has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. Strong application essays and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside MIT's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students, and you can see that most students who were accepted by MIT had 4.0 GPAs, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1400, and ACT composite scores above 30. It is also important to note that many students with perfect GPAs and test scores in the top 1% still get rejected from MIT. Applicants should consider a highly selective school like MIT or one of the Ivy League schools to be a reach school even if their grades and test scores are on target for admission.

All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Undergraduate Admissions Office.

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Grove, Allen. "MIT: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/mit-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-admissions-787190. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). MIT: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/mit-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-admissions-787190 Grove, Allen. "MIT: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/mit-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-admissions-787190 (accessed March 29, 2024).