U.S. News #2 · 2026
MIT
Student size 4,535 · admission rate 4.6%
Data methodology
School-level earnings use institutional College Scorecard data, prioritizing median annual earnings 10 years after entry. Major-level earnings below use program-level College Scorecard data, measured in the fourth full year after completing the credential.
- In-state tuition / year
- $62,396
- Out-of-state or international tuition / year
- $62,396
- Tuition year
- 2025-2026
- Tuition source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Ranking source
- U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities 2026
- Earnings source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Earnings measure
- 10 years after entry median earnings
- Completion rate
- 96.4%
- Median debt
- $12,462
Tuition residency and loan estimate
U.S. colleges commonly price tuition differently for in-state and out-of-state students. This model uses four years of tuition as the loan principal and excludes room, board, scholarships, taxes, and opportunity cost. Fixed-payment formula: payment = principal x monthly rate / (1 - (1 + monthly rate)^-months).
| Annual tuition | $62,396 | |
| Four-year tuition | $249,584 | ROI percentages use this as the denominator |
| 5-year ROI | $467,276 | 187% |
| 8-year ROI | $897,392 | 360% |
| Monthly payment estimate | $2,771 | 10 years, 6% APR |
| Total interest estimate | $82,923 | Fixed-rate amortization estimate only |
Major earnings, tuition, and loan-adjusted ROI
Major-level earnings are College Scorecard program data: median annual earnings in the fourth full year after completing the credential among people who are working and not enrolled. Loan-adjusted ROI equals cumulative earnings minus estimated total loan repayment, with the percentage shown against four-year tuition.
| Major | Major earnings | Four-year tuition | Total loan repayment | 5-year ROI | 8-year ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Computer Science Sample 389 · quality 5/5 | $225,141 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $793,198 318% | $1,468,621 588% |
Mathematics Sample 139 · quality 4/5 | $174,951 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $542,248 217% | $1,067,101 428% |
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Sample 87 · quality 5/5 | $161,118 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $473,083 190% | $956,437 383% |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Sample 11 · quality 5/5 | $147,998 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $407,483 163% | $851,477 341% |
Mechanical Engineering Sample 141 · quality 5/5 | $131,967 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $327,328 131% | $723,229 290% |
Physics Sample 79 · quality 3/5 | $131,025 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $322,618 129% | $715,693 287% |
Chemical Engineering Sample 39 · quality 3/5 | $122,093 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $277,958 111% | $644,237 258% |
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering Sample 57 · quality 4/5 | $114,620 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $240,593 96% | $584,453 234% |
Biomedical/Medical Engineering Sample 54 · quality 3/5 | $111,738 | $249,584 | $332,507 | $226,183 91% | $561,397 225% |
Anthropology Sample 0 · quality 2/5 | N/A | $249,584 | $332,507 | N/A N/A | N/A N/A |
Applied Mathematics Sample 17 · quality 2/5 | N/A | $249,584 | $332,507 | N/A N/A | N/A N/A |
Architecture Sample 10 · quality 2/5 | N/A | $249,584 | $332,507 | N/A N/A | N/A N/A |