Published in: Career Opportunities

Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Degree Programs, Eligibility, Tuition Fees & Scholarships

Author Proresumes Team

Published on: August 27, 2026

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers world-class STEM education and research-based learning. It is among the top US universities that provide career-focused degree programs for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral education.

The motto of the university, “Mind and Hand”, links with its mission to advance in fields like science and technology. It was founded in 1861 and now has 1000 faculty and more than 11,000 graduate and undergraduate students.

MIT provides academic excellence and a chance to get higher education in the USA. It offers the best undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science, research, technology, and engineering.

However, MIT is also considered an expensive institute since the cost of getting a degree is around $93,730. This estimated cost of attendance is for the year 2026 to 2027. The university also offers a wide range of financial aid opportunities with merit- or need-based scholarships, tuition assistance, fellowships, and grants.

Learn more about MIT admission eligibility requirements, tuition fees, degree majors, and scholarship opportunities for international & domestic students.

Want to explore the best careers in the USA? Explore various salary and career guides for STEM fields.

Why should you get a Massachusetts Institute of Technology degree?

If you’re innovative and interested in exploring fields like science, mathematics, engineering, and more, you should choose MIT. It offers the following benefits for students admitted in their undergraduate and graduate education programs:

1. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology degrees focus more on practical work instead of theoretical concepts. The university is also a hub for science labs, research centers, and more.
2. MIT alumni have launched 30,000 start-ups after graduating from the university. It offers Martin Trust Center programs to offer fundings for the companies.
3. It offers a range of onsite graduate and undergraduate programs with around 53 majors and 58 minors. Moreover, the university also offers online learning opportunities through MIT Open Learning courses.
4. The PHD students receive a complete tuition waiver along with a monthly stipend and health insurance. This helps the applicants focus entirely on their research projects.
5. The university also provides visa processing, housing, and cultural integration facilities through ISO and OGE.
6. It also offers a Writing and Communication Center, Student Support Services, and MIT libraries.

What are the MIT degree programs and departments?

According to MIT terminology, majors are known as courses, and credits are units. When local or international students apply as first-year applicants, they are not admitted to a specific school.

The first year helps the student decide their field of study through lectures, seminars, and career fairs. Moreover, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology does not demand any additional charges once the applicant has decided on their major.

The coeducational university offers around 53 major programs and 58 minor ones. Moreover, it also offers 5 schools and one college with around thirty departments, including the following:

School of Architecture and Planning

The School of Architecture and Planning, also known as SAP, offers degree programs in the following departments:

• Architecture
• Media Arts and Sciences
• Urban Studies and Planning

School of Engineering

The School of Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a list of undergraduate and graduate degrees in the following majors:

• Aeronautics and Astronautics
• Biological Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Health Sciences and Technology
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nuclear Science and Engineering

School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Students who love creative fields can get a degree through the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. This school offers MIT degrees in the following departments:

• Anthropology
• Comparative Media Studies/Writing
• Economics
• Global Languages
• History
• Humanities
• Humanities + Engineering/Science
• Linguistics
• Literature
• Music and Theater Arts
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Science, Technology, and Society

Sloan School of Management

The Sloan School of Management offers a range of degree programs in the management major.

School of Science

The School of Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers various degree programs in the following majors:

• Biology
• Brain and Cognitive Sciences
• Chemistry
• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
• Mathematics
• Physics

MIT Schwarzman College of Computing

The MIT College of Computing offers degree programs in computer science, AI, and more:

• Data, Systems and Society
• Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

How to get into MIT for domestic and international students?

Here’s a list of Massachusetts Institute of Technology admission eligibility requirements to help you apply for your dream degree: 

First-year applicants

First-year applicants are those students who want to apply to Massachusetts Institute of Technology undergraduate programs after secondary studies. The following admission guidelines are important for first-year local and international students:

• The applicants should visit the MIT application online portal to upload their documents.
• Students should submit the MIT first-year application form with sections to add personal and biographical details, essays, activities, and more. They also need to include test scores or any academic recommendations.
• They have to submit SSR or secondary school reports along with transcripts. The applicants should provide the transcripts from each college or high school.
• They have to submit two letters of recommendation from their teachers. The university requires recommendations from math, science, language, social science, and humanities teachers.
• The applicants are required to provide the test results of the SAT and ACT standardized tests. It is important for the students to take these exams before the due date of admission application submission.
• The Massachusetts Institute of Technology also requires the results of an English proficiency program for non-native speakers and international students. The required score for TOEFL should be 90+, for IELTS 7+, and 120+ for Duolingo.
• Submit the application fee of $75 or request a fee waiver in the application.

Transfer applicants

Students who have studied two semesters or terms in an undergraduate degree are eligible for transfer admissions at MIT. Moreover, here’s a list of admission requirements for transfer undergraduate admission:

• Fill out the MIT transfer application form to include personal details, biographical information, essays, activities, test scores, and more.
• Include the college, university, and high school transcripts.
• Get two recommendation letters from your teachers. One from a science or math teacher while the other from someone who knows you well.
• School official report by the registrar, school counselor or other official.Standardized test results for SAT and ACT. International or non-native students should submit English proficiency test scores.
• Submit a $75 application fee or request a fee waiver from the university.

Graduate applicants

To get admission to the MIT graduate degree programs, provide the following details or documentation:

• Local and international applicants should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• The required GPA should be around 3.5.
• Provide standardized test scores for the GRE for general programs and the GMAT for MBA.
• Provide the test results of English language proficiency according to the guidelines.
• Provide a statement of purpose, video statement, CV or resume, and answer all the questions in the application.
• Submit $75 for the application fee or ask for a waiver. Applicants for the Sloan School of Management need to submit an admission fee between $95 and $250.

How much is the MIT tuition fee and cost of attendance?

The cost to get a single degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology is around $93,730 for 2026-2027. The following is the breakdown of the cost of attendance at MIT along with tuition fees:

Cost of attendance at MIT for 2026-2027

Here’s a list of all the expenses and costs related to undergraduate courses if you want to study at MIT:

• The MIT annual tuition fees cost $66, 720 and covers specific or non-waivable services by MIT Health. It is required to pay for faculty members, focus on infrastructure, or student support programs.
• The MIT student life fee is around $420 and funds the clubs and organizations joined by the student. It is also utilized for club activities.
• The MIT housing costs $14, 090 and covers the living expenses of the first year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s campus.
• MIT food expenses, included in the MIT cost of attendance, are $8,104 and cover multiple meal plans and cooking.
• The cost for any expense, including books, equipment, course materials, and more, is around $930.
• The personal expenses cost at Massachusetts Institute of Technology is around $2,496.

Meanwhile, the cost of attendance for graduate courses at MIT includes the following:

However, the tuition and charges for the Sloan School of Management programs differ from the above-mentioned.

Undergraduate tuition fees

The tuition fees for undergraduate courses at Massachusetts Institute of Technology include:

Graduate tuition fees

The tuition fees for graduate courses at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is:

What are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology financial aid programs?

MIT University admits students through need-blind admissions. The financial aid opportunities offered by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for undergraduates and graduates include:

Need based

This MIT need-based aid is offered for undergraduates. It is a kind of scholarship that depends on the financial condition of the student’s family.

Pro Tip: If your family’s income is below $200,000, then you can easily get a tuition waiver.

Full need

The MIT full scholarship program offers 100% financial aid for the student. This program offers scholarships, grants, and student employment opportunities to cover the financial needs of the students for their education.

Fellowship

The MIT fellowship programs cover the partial or full tuition fees of graduate students. Moreover, this type of financial aid also covers living expenses, health insurance, and a monthly stipend for selected students.

Appointment

The MIT graduate funding opportunities for research or teaching appointments offer a complete or partial tuition waiver. It also offers health insurance, salary, and other benefits for the students.

Note: The salary rates vary every year according to the decisions of MIT and the MIT Graduate Student Union.

Reminder: Students only get eligible for funding and financial aid after getting admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

What are the MIT scholarship requirements for local and international students?

The Office of Student Financial Services at MIT University processes all the applications for financial assistance, grants and aid.

Domestic students

Here’s how you can apply for MIT scholarships and aid as a local US citizen:

• To get a need-based MIT scholarship, students need to fill out the CSS Profile. It is a tool offered by the institute to confirm a student’s eligibility. It is an online application that covers the following elements:
• Bank statements
• Parents’ income tax return and wage statements (from the last two years)
• Records of investment
• Records of money earned
• Records of untaxed income

• To get federal or state-level student aid, the students are required to fill out the FAFSA form. It is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid that offers grants, student loans, and aid from the US government.

The students will need the following details for the FAFSA:

1. Parents’ federal income returns and W-2s from the previous two years
2. Record of money earned
3. Current bank account balance
4. Records of investments
5. Records of untaxed income

• The students are also required to submit the parental tax returns and income documents. These documents can be submitted through the IDOC platform.

International students

The requirements for the MIT scholarships for international students include the following:

• International students who need financial assistance to afford their studies need to submit a CSS Profile. The documents required for it are similar to the ones required for local students.
• The international students are also required to submit the tax returns and income documents of their parents through the IDOC. If the parents of the applicants aren’t US citizens, they will have to provide the tax returns of their country with an English translation.

Note: Students who don’t have a permanent US visa or citizenship aren’t eligible for federal student loans. This is why international students at MIT are not required to fill out the FAFSA forms.

Need a student resume to apply for a specific degree course at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology? Get the help of professional resume writing experts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is MIT harder than Ivy League Schools?

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is considered an Ivy League alternative and dominates the STEM fields in the education sector. It offers a 4% acceptance rate for students, while Harvard University has a 3.5% acceptance rate.

This means that MIT University is as hard as the Ivy League schools that include Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Yale, and more.

Q. Does MIT offer a second bachelor’s degree?

No, both domestic and international students can’t get a second bachelor’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The university has a strict policy and doesn’t offer a second degree even when a student wants to shift their major.

However, the university offers opportunities like MIT graduate and doctoral programs, open learning, or professional education. These educational opportunities are ideal for candidates who couldn’t qualify for the undergraduate first-year or transfer applications.

Q. What GPA do I need to enter MIT?

There are no official MIT GPA requirements included in the eligibility criteria. However, the university selects students both domestically and internationally with high scores.

According to AdmissionSight, many students who are enrolled at MIT have nearly a 4.0 GPA. However, students with a low GPA require achievements, upward trends, and a strong context.

Q. What are the top five majors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology?

MIT University is considered the best institute for engineering, science, and technical studies. The following is a list of the best majors at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with the largest number of graduates:

1. Computer Science
2. Multi-Disciplinary Studies
3. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
4. Mechanical Engineering
5. Electrical, Electronics and Communication Engineering