Admission

The selection process at MIT is holistic and student centered: each application is evaluated within its unique context. No school, state, or regional quotas are applied; neither is preference given to those with alumni relations. Selection is based on outstanding academic achievement as well as a strong match between the applicant and the Institute, including:

• Alignment with MIT’s mission
• Collaborative and cooperative spirit
• Initiative and risk-taking
• Hands-on creativity
• Intensity, curiosity, and excitement
• Balancing hard work with downtime

Selected 2016 undergraduate admissions statistics:

• 19,020 applications for freshman admission
• 1,511 offers of admission (8%)
• 1,113 freshmen enrolled
• 46% female
• 67% had attended public high schools
• 15% were among the first generation in their family to attend college
• 10% were international citizens from 63 countries
• 49 US states represented

Applicants for graduate degree programs are evaluated for previous performance and professional promise by the department in which they wish to register.

Selected 2016 graduate admissions statistics:

• 26,463 applications for graduate study
• 3,480 offers of admission (13%)
• 2,277 students registered in advanced degree programs (65%)