The Massachusetts Institute of Technology – or MIT for short – is one of the prestigious private universities located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1861, MIT is patterned after the European polytechnic curriculum.
While it was primarily developed to provide science and engineering education – which are the specializations of 29% and 63% of undergraduate students respectively – it also offers other courses. Here, students can also major in architecture & planning, management, humanities, arts & social science.
On a graduate level, MIT offers Master of Science degrees, Doctor of Philosophy degrees, and Doctor of Science degrees. It also has a joint MD-Ph.D. program with the equally-reputable Harvard University.
Apart from providing world-class education, MIT is also known for its very high research activity. Backed by the Departments of Health & Human Service, Energy, Defense, NASA, and the National Science Foundation – MIT has been at the forefront of radar, transistor, and inertial guidance studies. In this article, we will be looking at MIT scholarships for international students.
International Students at MIT
MIT has 11,276 students. A third of the community – or 33% – is composed of international enrollees. 450 of these are undergraduates, while 2,796 are graduate students. Special graduate and exchange/visiting students amount to 334. Most students come from China (27.15%), followed by India (8.69%) and Canada (6.56%).
Given this high rate of foreign entrants, MIT has established its own International Students Office. Here, students get assistance with regard to immigration, legal status, and life adjustments. Apart from being the advocate of the school’s international community, it also promotes interactions amongst MIT’s diverse population.
Tuition Fee at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for International Students
Undergraduate tuition at MIT costs $55,510. While this includes basic health insurance, it does not include the student life fee of $368.
Other costs associated with MIT schooling involve housing (about $11,550), meals ($6,550), books & supplies ($840), and other personal expenses (about $2,200).
While undergraduate tuition is expensive, foreigners only need to pay about half the amount for graduate education. The full regular tuition for the fall and spring semesters is $27,755. Summer tuition costs about $19,175.
Foreign Ph.D. students, on the other hand, only need to pay $1,390 for the first 3 semesters. Subsequent terms will only cost $4,165 each.
Those who intern outside the campus are eligible for a lower fee of $9,715.
International Admissions Guide
For undergraduate students, you can learn how to apply here. For graduate students, please visit this page to see the application procedure.
MIT Application Fee
Applying to MIT costs $75. However, fee waivers may be given to students who may not be able to afford this amount. Compared to universities, the same minimum cost ($75) applies to graduate applicants. Although this is the case, certain departments such as the Sloan School of Management levy a higher fee of $250.
Admissions Requirements for International Students
Foreign students who wish to take a Bachelor’s degree at MIT must submit the following requirements:
- High school transcript (MIT recommends international applicants to take subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (Calculus level), History/Social Studies (2 years), and English (4 years)
- Accomplished application form (contains general information, essays, activities, and academics)
- Standardized test results (ACT/SAT)
- 2 letters of recommendation (from Math or Science and Humanities, Social Science, or Language teacher)
- Proof of English proficiency (IELTS, TOEFL, Pearson, Cambridge, or Duolingo)
Foreign graduate applicants, on the other hand, have to submit the following:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Completed online application form
- Transcript of records
- CV or resume
- Letters of recommendation
- Statement of objectives
- GRE test scores
- English proficiency scores (IELTS or TOEFL)
Other specific requirements may be needed depending on the program.
MIT Rankings
The World University Rankings body has named MIT as the 5th best school globally. It’s also ranked 2nd in the US College list and 101-200th in the Impact rankings.
Despite being a ‘technological’ school, MIT actually ranks 1st in the field of Social Science. It’s also 2nd in the areas of Humanities and Business & Economics. Its flagship program, Engineering – as well as its Life Science programs – are both ranked 4th. Its Physical Science program, on the other hand, is ranked 5th in the world.
Being a research-centric school, MIT has a score of 99.7 (out of 100) for research citations.
The school is placed a notch higher (#4) in the US News Report National Rankings. The organization also names it the best school for Engineering and Computer Science. It’s also listed as the second-best school for Business and innovation.
While MIT has great rankings, it goes even better in the Top Universities survey. Here, MIT is named the number 1 in the world – as well as the graduate employability survey. It’s also ranked high in the subjects of Architecture & Built Environment, Chemistry, Computer Science, and Economics.
MIT Acceptance Rate
MIT is one of the most selective universities in the US. Its acceptance rate is 7.3% – meaning it only admitted 1,457 out of 20,075 hopefuls. The acceptance rate for foreigners is even lower. Out of 4,149 students, only 142 were accepted – or just 3.42%. All in all, they represent 50 nations. Most admitted students have a 750-800 SAT range for both Math and ERW. As for the ACT composite, the most successful applicants were within the range of 34-36.
MIT Scholarships for International Students
Undergraduate Scholarships
1. Financial Aid
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full Tuition Fees, Room & Board
Foreign applicants are eligible for aid – at a need rate of 100%, just like local students.
There are 2 steps to apply for this MIT scholarship for international students. One is through the CSS profile, where you supply all the information the College Board needs to determine your eligibility.
The documents you need to upload for this are your parent/s’ tax returns or wage statements, bank statements, investment records, and untaxed income records.
Another method to apply by submitting your parents’ tax returns or income documents through the IDOC platform. Such documents should be translated if they are not in English.
2. Private Scholarships and Grants
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Varies by Scholarship
Foreign students may also apply for a private scholarship or grant. This will help reduce the amount of student contribution, which is computed before the school ascertains the amount of your MIT scholarship.
Once granted such an award, the student must fill up an Outside Award Reply form. This will help MIT update the amount of the applicant’s grant.
There are also other scholarships offered by different institutions in USA. Check out the Undergraduate Scholarships Page for more info.
Graduate Scholarships
1. Research and Teaching Assistantships
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full Tuition, Monthly Stipend
Many Master’s and Ph.D. students receive MIT scholarships in form of assistantships. These cover full tuition and provide a good stipend. How many they award is different for different graduate programs, so you should look at your graduate program’s website for more information.
2. Fulbright Foreign Student Program
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Tuition for 9 Months
The Fulbright foreign student program is available to students from over 160 nations who wish to finish their graduate studies at MIT.
Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent (though a Master’s degree is desirable) and a transcript of records. Other needed documents for this MIT scholarship include letters of reference, letter of institutional support, copy of passport ID page, and other supplementary materials.
Fluency in English is mandated – the applicant should have a score of no less than 90 in the TOEFL.
3. American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowships
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: $18,000 ~ $30,000
This is awarded to foreign female students who wish to enroll at MIT for full-time graduate studies. The basic requirement for this fellowship is the completion of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
Winners of these MIT scholarships are chosen according to academic merit and demonstrated commitment to the advancement of the female gender. Five International Master’s fellowships are renewable for the second school year.
4. Presidential Graduate Fellowship Award
- Scholarship Link
- Scholarship Amount: Full tuition, Monthly stipend
Considered the most prestigious fellowship at MIT, the Presidential Graduate Fellowship supports outstanding PhD students through tuition waivers, allowances, and insurance plans. Nominations are submitted by the department heads before a specified day of the year, so students must complete their admission applications early to be considered. 120 fellows are chosen to be Presidential Fellows annually.
Info regarding other MIT graduate fellowships is available here. If you are interested in other universities’ scholarships, check out Master’s Scholarships and PhD Scholarships Page!
I hope that this article on MIT Scholarships for international students was helpful. If you are interested, visit the USA Scholarships Page!