MIT Common Data Set: What You Need to Know

Sifting through scattered numbers and opinions about MIT can be frustrating. If you want a single, reliable source for the facts, the MIT Common Data Set is where to look. This annual report from MIT includes verified data on admissions, enrollment, financial aid, class size, and student life. It’s designed to give you a full view of the Institute using accurate, up-to-date numbers.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the MIT Common Data Set for 2024–2025 and explain what the data reveals about getting in, what life on campus is like, and how much it really costs to attend.

• What’s on the MIT Common Data Set?
• MIT Admissions: By the Numbers
• Academic Profile of Admitted MIT Students
• Enrollment and Persistence at MIT
• MIT Transfer Admission
• Annual Expenses at MIT
• MIT Financial Aid 
• Instructional Faculty and Class Size at MIT
• MIT Student Life
• Key Factors in MIT’s Admission Process
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

What’s on the MIT Common Data Set?

Before looking at the numbers, it helps to understand how the MIT Common Data Set is organized. The report is divided into sections, each focusing on a different part of the Institute. This structure makes it simple to find the exact information you need, whether it’s admissions statistics, tuition details, or insights into student life.

Here’s what the MIT Common Data Set includes:

Each section builds on the last to give you a complete picture of MIT’s academic environment, resources, and student experience.

Now that you know what’s included, we can go step by step through the key sections and see what the numbers reveal about MIT.

MIT Admissions: By the Numbers

The “first-time, first-year admission” section of the MIT Common Data Set provides detailed insight into MIT’s competitiveness. It includes details on who applied, who was admitted, and who enrolled in the first-year class.

Here’s the exact breakdown for Fall 2024:

Total applicants

For Fall 2024, 28,232 students applied to MIT as first-time, first-year applicants. This total includes all applications submitted to MIT’s single admission process.

• Men who applied: 17,210
• Women who applied: 8,975
• Another gender who applied: 997
• Unknown gender who applied: 1,050

MIT traditionally receives more applications from men due to its strong STEM focus, but the applicant pool is still highly diverse.

Total admitted

Out of the 28,232 applicants, 1,284 were admitted to MIT:

• Men admitted: 606
• Women admitted: 612
• Another gender admitted: 36
• Unknown gender admitted: 30

MIT’s overall acceptance rate was 4.5%, placing it among the most selective universities in the world.

Total enrolled

From the 1,284 admitted students, 1,106 enrolled as first-year students in Fall 2024:

• Men enrolled: 547
• Women enrolled: 499
• Another gender enrolled: 34
• Unknown gender enrolled: 26

This results in a yield rate of 86%, meaning nearly nine out of ten admitted students chose MIT over other offers.

Residency breakdown

The MIT Common Data Set also reports where students come from, showing how many are from Massachusetts, other states, or other countries.

The vast majority of MIT applicants come from outside Massachusetts. Of the 1,106 enrolled students, 127 are international, making up 11% of the class. Out-of-state students form the largest group, with 880 enrolled.

MIT’s admissions data shows just how competitive the process is:

• Out of every 100 applicants, only about four to five were admitted.
• Nearly nine out of ten admitted students chose to enroll.
• The incoming class reflects MIT’s national and global reach, with students from 49 U.S. states and 59 countries.

These numbers from the MIT Common Data Set give you a realistic view of what it takes to join MIT’s first-year class.

Academic Profile of Admitted MIT Students

The MIT Common Data Set presents comprehensive information about the academic strength of MIT’s incoming class. These numbers highlight just how competitive it is to earn a spot at MIT.

MIT GPA requirements

MIT does not publish average GPAs for admitted students. In fact, many high schools use different grading systems, so GPA alone is not a reliable way to compare applicants. While there’s no official minimum GPA, most admitted MIT students have historically had a GPA of 3.5 or higher and near-perfect grades across the most challenging courses offered at their school.

MIT’s admissions site makes it clear that what matters most is how well you did in context. This means excelling in advanced math, science, and other rigorous classes available to you.

Class rank

Although not every high school reports class rank, the MIT Common Data Set shows just how strong MIT’s admitted students are compared to their peers. For those who submitted a class rank in the 2024–2025 cycle, almost all were near the very top of their graduating class:

Only 30% of enrolled students reported rank, but among those who did, the vast majority were in the top 10% of their class. This shows just how academically exceptional MIT’s incoming students are.

Standardized test scores

Since 2022, MIT has reinstated its SAT/ACT requirement for all future admissions cycles. As a result, every applicant must submit either SAT or ACT scores. You don’t need to take the ACT writing or science sections, and the SAT optional essay is also not required. Both paper and digital SAT formats are accepted. 

For Fall 2024, 83% of enrolled students submitted SAT scores, and 29% submitted ACT scores. Some students submitted both.

The table below shows the middle 50% range of scores for enrolled first-year students:

The data shows that MIT’s admitted students consistently perform at the highest level of standardized testing.

For the SAT, the middle 50% of composite scores range from 1520 to 1570, which means that most admitted students are scoring very close to the maximum of 1600. In SAT Math specifically, the median score is a perfect 800, showing the exceptional quantitative skills of MIT’s incoming class.

On the ACT, the middle 50% of composite scores fall between 35 and 36, which is just shy of the perfect score. This reflects the same high level of academic achievement across MIT’s admitted students.

Score distribution

The MIT Common Data Set also provides a detailed look at the percentage of first-year students who scored within specific ranges:

SAT Evidence-Based Reading & Writing (EBRW):

• 93.36% scored between 700–800
• 5.88% scored between 600–699
• 0.76% scored between 500–599
• 0.00% scored between 400–499
• 0.00% scored between 300–399
• 0.00% scored between 200–299

SAT Math:

• 100.00% scored between 700–800
• 0.00% scored between 600–699
• 0.00% scored between 500–599
• 0.00% scored between 400–499
• 0.00% scored between 300–399
• 0.00% scored between 200–299

SAT Composite:

• 98.80% scored between 1400–1600
• 1.20% scored between 1200–1399
• 0.00% scored below 1200

ACT Composite:

• 99.70% scored between 30–36
• 0.30% scored between 24–29
• 0.00% scored below 24

These numbers make it clear that nearly every admitted MIT student scores in the top tier nationally, especially in math and science. The data reflects MIT’s focus on students with exceptional academic preparation and the ability to handle one of the most rigorous STEM curricula in the world.

Enrollment and Persistence at MIT

The MIT Common Data Set gives a detailed breakdown of student enrollment for the 2024–2025 academic year. This includes both undergraduate and graduate populations, split by enrollment status and gender.

Full-time undergraduates

Part-time undergraduates

Graduate students

Persistence

From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, MIT awarded a total of 3,814 degrees across all programs. 

Here’s the breakdown by degree type:

• Bachelor’s degrees: 1,099
• Master’s degrees: 2,023
• Doctoral degrees (research/scholarship): 692

These figures show that MIT has a strong balance between undergraduate education and advanced graduate research. Although MIT’s undergraduate population is smaller, the high number of graduate degrees reflects its strong focus on research and innovation.

MIT Transfer Admission

MIT received 1,346 transfer applications for Fall 2024. Of these, 32 students were admitted (a transfer acceptance rate of about 2.4%), and 28 enrolled.

Here’s the gender breakdown of admitted and enrolled students:

• Men: 22 admitted, 18 enrolled
• Women: 8 admitted, 8 enrolled

Requirements for transfer applicants

To apply as a transfer student, you must submit:

• College transcript(s)
• Essay or personal statement
• Statement of good standing from your current or most recent institution
• High school transcript
• SAT or ACT scores

MIT’s transfer process is extremely selective, so strong college coursework in math and science, high grades, and clear evidence of initiative are essential.

Annual Expenses at MIT

The MIT Common Data Set gives a clear look at what you can expect to pay each year as a full-time undergraduate. For the 2024–2025 academic year, here’s the estimated breakdown of yearly costs for students living on campus:

If transportation costs are included, the total may be slightly higher depending on where a student is traveling from and how often they return home.

MIT lists food and housing as double occupancy with a 19-meal-per-week plan or the maximum meal plan. Required fees include charges all full-time students must pay, such as registration, health, or activity fees. Optional fees like parking or lab usage are not included in this estimate.

MIT Financial Aid

MIT’s financial aid program is deeply committed to making its education affordable and accessible to talented students, regardless of their financial background. The MIT Common Data Set shows exactly where financial aid comes from and how it’s distributed.

For the 2024–2025 academic year, here’s the detailed breakdown of the total aid awarded to MIT students:

These figures illustrate the sources of MIT’s financial aid and how the funds are distributed among students:

• Scholarships and grants total over $174 million combined, and these do not need to be repaid.
• The majority of aid comes from MIT’s own funds, with $158 million awarded through institutional scholarships and grants.
• External scholarships, such as National Merit and private programs, added another $7.2 million in support.
• Federal Work-Study contributed about $701,000, helping students earn money while enrolled.
• While MIT doesn’t automatically include loans in its aid packages, families can still borrow through parent loans, which reached $2.6 million this year.

The majority of financial aid at MIT is need-based and grant-based, meaning most students pay significantly less than the published cost of attendance. Through its MIT free tuition initiative and commitment to meeting 100% of demonstrated need, the school guarantees that admitted students can afford to attend without taking on heavy debt.

Instructional Faculty and Class Size at MIT

The MIT Common Data Set breaks down faculty numbers and class sizes so you can get a clearer idea of what learning at MIT is really like. These numbers highlight how personal and interactive your classes could be.

Faculty overview

The table below shows an overview of MIT’s faculty for the 2024–2025 academic year:

This data showcases MIT’s skilled faculty and the strong academic network available to students

Student-to-faculty ratio

For Fall 2024, MIT’s student-to-faculty ratio is 3:1, calculated using:

• 4,504 undergraduate students
• 1,466 faculty members counted for the ratio

This low ratio means students benefit from frequent interactions with professors and more personalized learning experiences, even in technically rigorous courses.

Class size breakdown

Class sizes at MIT are generally small, especially in higher-level courses and labs. Here’s the exact breakdown for Fall 2024:

Most MIT classes have fewer than 30 students, which promotes collaboration, hands-on learning, and close connections with faculty. Only a small portion of courses, such as large introductory lectures, have over 100 students.

MIT Student Life

For the Fall 2024 incoming class, 91% of first-year students and 91% of all undergraduates came from out of state. This shows MIT’s strong national reach and diverse student body.

Fraternities and sororities play a role in campus social life. Among first-year men, 50% joined fraternities, while 41% of all undergraduate men are members. For women, 34% of first-years and 25% of undergraduates belong to sororities.

MIT has a strong residential culture. Every first-year student lives in college-owned or affiliated housing, which builds a tight-knit community on campus. Overall, 92% of undergraduates live on campus, while the remaining 8% either commute or live off-campus.

The average age for full-time first-year students is 19, while the average age for all undergraduates is slightly higher at 20.

Students have a wide range of housing options, including coed residence halls, women’s dorms, fraternity and sorority houses, cooperative housing, theme housing, wellness housing, and living-learning communities. Apartments are also available for both single and married students, plus independent living group housing and housing for students with children.

The university offers nearly every activity listed in the MIT Common Data Set, except opera and pep band. This broad selection provides many ways to get involved, whether you’re interested in the arts, leadership, or student-run organizations.

All three ROTC branches—Army, Naval, and Air Force ROTC—are available on campus, allowing students to pursue military training while earning their degrees. This adds another layer of opportunity for leadership and service.

Key Factors in MIT’s Admission Process

The MIT Common Data Set outlines the academic and non-academic factors that play the biggest role in admissions decisions. This breakdown shows you which elements MIT places the most weight on when reviewing applications.

Understanding these priorities can help you focus on what matters most and improve your chances of getting admitted:

MIT takes a holistic approach to admissions. While every part of your application is reviewed, the most weight is placed on academic performance and meaningful personal achievements. This means your coursework, standardized test scores, essays, and character all play important roles in the decision-making process.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a Common Data Set?

A Common Data Set is a standardized report that compiles important data about a university. It includes details on admission rates, financial aid, class size statistics, and student life. This resource is especially valuable for prospective students who want a clear picture of what to expect before applying.

2. How competitive is MIT admissions?

MIT admissions is highly competitive, with thousands of exceptional students applying each year for a limited number of spots. The MIT Common Data Set outlines what the university values most in its review process, such as academic rigor, standardized test scores, essays, and recommendations. By understanding these factors, you can better prepare your application and increase your chances of joining MIT student life.

3. What is MIT student life like?

MIT student life is dynamic and community-oriented, with 92% of undergraduates living on campus. This close-knit environment makes it easier to connect with peers and professors. According to the MIT Common Data Set, students can choose from a variety of organizations and events, balancing academics with social and cultural experiences, which enriches their time at the university.

4. How does MIT financial aid work?

MIT financial aid makes sure that cost is never a barrier to education. The university meets 100% of demonstrated financial need through scholarships and grants, significantly reducing the amount families need to pay. Data from the MIT Common Data Set shows that most students receive some form of MIT financial aid, making the actual cost of attendance far lower than the sticker price.

Takeaways

Here are the main insights, distilled from the MIT Common Data Set. Use these takeaways to review your plans and decide on your next move:

• The MIT Common Data Set confirms that MIT admissions is ultra selective. Only about 4.5% were admitted, yet yield hit 86%. Read the MIT Common Data Set to see the exact applicant, admit, and enroll counts before you apply.
• Costs look high at first glance, but the MIT Common Data Set shows how financial aid shifts the real price. Most funding is grants, not loans, and MIT meets full need.
• The MIT Common Data Set reports a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio and many courses under 30 students. Use the MIT Common Data Set class distribution to judge whether MIT class sizes match how you learn best.
• Campus living is central to MIT student life. The MIT Common Data Set shows 100% of first-years and 92% of undergrads in MIT housing, with deep involvement in organizations across arts, media, and leadership.
• Want personalized help turning the MIT Common Data Set into a clear action plan for your application strategy? A college admissions consultant can break down the data and show you exactly what steps to take next, so you can move forward with confidence.