affordability

Tools to help make mit more affordable

Students walking together in front of Building 10.


OUR COMMITMENT TO AFFORDABILITY

Our goal is to help make MIT as affordable as possible. We believe every admitted student is meant to be here, regardless of financial need.

We are one of only nine schools in the country that is need blind, need based, and full need for all students, international and domestic. This means that we don't consider your ability to pay for college in the admissions process, and we are fully committed to meeting 100% of your family’s demonstrated financial need for all four years of undergraduate study. And need based means we don't offer aid for merit, athletics, or anything else.

We're excited to share two financial aid enhancements that will begin with the 2025–2026 academic year!  

$0 Parent contribution
For families whose total income is less than $100,000 (with typical assets), parents are not expected to contribute toward their student’s MIT education. Students, however, are still expected to contribute toward their own expenses from their summer savings contribution and student employment during the school year.

Tuition-free
Students whose family income is under $200,000 a year (with typical assets) attend MIT tuition-free.⁠ This means that your total grant and scholarship aid will cover at least the cost of MIT’s tuition.

Check out the Student Financial Services website for more information.

HOW TO APPLY FOR AID

If you haven't applied for financial aid yet, don't worry! You can still apply. The process to apply for financial aid is different depending on if you are a domestic or an international student. Visit the Student Financial Services website—where you can see what your family will need to submit in order to be considered for financial aid—and use our step-by-step guide to help you with the process.

If you have already APPLied FOR AID

Early Action: The application deadline for Early Action was November 30 and awards will be released in mid-January. Awards are released on a rolling basis for those who apply after the November deadline.  

Regular Action: Financial aid awards will be released in mid-to-late March for those who applied by February 15. Awards will be released on a rolling basis for those who apply after the February deadline.

Make sure all required documents have been submitted. You can check your portal to track your submitted aid documents.

WORKING at MIT

All students, regardless of their financial need, may work during the academic year, and most of our students do. They work on campus in labs, departmental offices and centers, as well as in the community. If you want a job, you will find one!

95% of students do at least one semester of paid research as an undergraduate through our Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. We also have internship programs, work abroad programs, and resources to find jobs on and off campus.

In 2022–2023, 74% of undergraduates earned wages from MIT and/or Federal Work-Study employment. Typically, undergrads earn about $1,700 a semester for 6–8 hours of work per week.

Group of students in an auditorium.
A group of parents interacting.

39%

MIT undergraduates who received scholarships and grants equal to or greater than tuition in 2023–2024

87%

MIT undergraduates who graduated debt-free in 2024

$126,438

average starting salary