Address: 77 Massachusetts Avenue, 02139 Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Engineering, Computer Science, Physical Sciences
Founded in 1861, MIT is a world-renowned private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, known for its leadership in science, engineering, and technology innovation. It emphasizes hands-on learning (“mens et manus” – mind and hand) and interdisciplinary research.
MIT sits on the north bank of the Charles River, about a mile of waterfront facing Boston’s Back Bay. The campus runs along Massachusetts Avenue, and its neoclassical Great Dome and the long Infinite Corridor are the best-known features. The Institute moved from Boston to Cambridge in 1916. It has roughly 11,900 students, most of them graduate students, and a faculty and staff of around 14,000. Five schools cover engineering, science, architecture and planning, management, and the humanities, arts and social sciences.
Research is the identity of the place. The Radiation Laboratory, created in 1940, developed radar for the Allied war effort, and the Instrumentation Laboratory under Charles Stark Draper built the guidance system used in the Apollo missions. Claude Shannon wrote his foundational work on information theory while associated with MIT, and the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Laboratory for Computer Science, merged in 2003 as CSAIL, trained generations of computer scientists. The Media Lab, founded in 1985, blends design, sensing and computation.
Undergraduates are expected to build things. Student teams construct solar cars, robots and rockets, and the annual hacks, elaborate pranks left on the Great Dome and nearby buildings, are part of campus lore. The UROP programme places undergraduates in real research groups from their first year. Many alumni have founded companies, and Kendall Square, next to the campus, is one of the densest biotechnology and software clusters in the world.
Admission is highly selective and judged on a full application, with no separate early specialisation. Applicants from abroad are admitted on the same basis as Americans, and financial aid is need-based for all admitted undergraduates. Check the current tariff for tuition, which is high, although many families pay much less after aid. Teaching is in English.
Housing is available on campus, and the Red Line subway stops at Kendall Square, a short walk from the main buildings.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Engineering, Materials, Mathematics, Physics, Robotics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Extensive partnerships with industry (e.g., IBM, Google, Boeing via research centers like MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab), government (e.g., DoD, DoE, NASA via Lincoln Laboratory and other centers), and international research institutions. Hub for startups (Kendall Square).
Research:
A leading global research institution with profound contributions in AI, robotics, aerospace, materials science, biotechnology, quantum computing, and economics. Over $1 billion in annual research expenditures. Home to numerous Nobel laureates.
Famous Alumnis:
Buzz Aldrin, Richard Feynman, Kofi Annan, Benjamin Netanyahu, Shirley Ann Jackson, Tim Berners-Lee, Andrea Ghez
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
14200
Current students***:
11900
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
143000
Pros
World-leading in STEM research and education, exceptional innovation ecosystem, unparalleled resources and faculty, strong entrepreneurial culture, significant global impact.
Cons
Extremely competitive admissions, intense and demanding workload, high cost of attendance (though with significant financial aid), fast-paced environment.
Best For
Exceptionally talented students and researchers passionate about science, engineering, and technology, seeking to solve global challenges through innovation and entrepreneurship.
Among national alternatives, Stanford University stands out for its focus on physics, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and it is slightly larger, at about 17,800 students against roughly 11,900 here, and is also a private institution.
Princeton University sits close to this school on physics, mathematics and AI and machine learning; it is also a private institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Also strong in physics, materials and AI and machine learning, California Institute of Technology makes a sensible second look at home; it is far smaller, with about 2,400 students against roughly 11,900 here, and is also a private institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of robotics, AI and machine learning and software engineering can consider Georgia Institute of Technology, and it is also a private institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Both schools build their programmes around physics, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and Columbia University is the one to compare first within the country, since it is also a private institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
For a study option in the United Kingdom with a comparable spread of physics, mathematics and materials, Imperial College London is the reference point: it covers life sciences as well, and is larger, enrolling about 20,500 students against roughly 11,900 here.
In India, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay teaches much the same core subjects, robotics, materials and AI and machine learning, and it is public, whereas this school is private, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on robotics, physics and mathematics is Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, and it has almost the same size, at about 12,348 students, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
Students considering a move abroad can look at Indian Institute of Technology Madras in India, where robotics, materials and AI and machine learning also form the core, and it is slightly smaller, at about 10,000 students against roughly 11,900 here, and is public, whereas this institution is private.
Looking internationally, Heriot-Watt University in the United Kingdom is where robotics, physics and mathematics get a comparable treatment; it is public, whereas this institution is private, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is MIT?
On Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, Massachusetts, facing Boston across the Charles River.
When was it founded?
In 1861, and it moved to its Cambridge campus in 1916.
How large is it?
About 11,900 students, mostly graduate students, and around 14,000 faculty and staff.
What schools does it have?
Engineering, science, architecture and planning, management, and humanities, arts and social sciences.
What did the Radiation Laboratory do?
It developed radar for the Allied war effort, starting in 1940.
What is CSAIL?
The Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, formed in 2003 from two older laboratories.
What is UROP?
A programme that places undergraduates in real research groups, including in their first year.
What is the Media Lab?
A research lab founded in 1985 that blends design, sensing and computation.
Is financial aid available to international students?
Aid for undergraduates is need-based, and applicants from abroad are admitted on the same basis as Americans. Check the current tariff.
How do you reach the campus by public transport?
The Red Line subway stops at Kendall Square, a short walk away.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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