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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA 4,571 Undergrads 96.9% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$79,850
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,813
After Aid
Median Earnings
$143,372
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$19,813
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$143,372
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate96.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients18.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time99.3%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS95.0%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
4.7%
SAT Avg
1,553
SAT Reading
25th: 730-75th: 780
SAT Math
25th: 780-75th: 800
ACT Composite
25th: 34-75th: 36
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$1.1M
+$732k
+$644k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$1.1M
+$661k
+$573k
Full Cost$80k/yr
+$841k
+$445k
+$357k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
24
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
26
804%
Full Cost$80k/yr
33
124%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return326%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return32%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
BachCIP: 1402
Median Debt
$17,724
Earnings (5yr)
$138,934
Lifetime Value Added
+$561k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$144k
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology
BachCIP: 2611
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$94,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$274k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$13,000
Earnings (5yr)
$106,402
Lifetime Value Added
+$320k
Business/Commerce, General
BachCIP: 5201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$142,355
Lifetime Value Added
+$586k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$17,000
Earnings (5yr)
$124,650
Lifetime Value Added
+$456k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$11,077
Earnings (5yr)
$220,064
Lifetime Value Added
+$1154k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$110,878
Lifetime Value Added
+$404k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$10,967
Earnings (5yr)
$190,731
Lifetime Value Added
+$943k
Materials Engineering
BachCIP: 1418
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$98,069
Lifetime Value Added
+$258k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
$9,751
Earnings (5yr)
$226,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$1197k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$11,507
Earnings (5yr)
$106,765
Lifetime Value Added
+$323k
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
$18,500
Earnings (5yr)
$126,258
Lifetime Value Added
+$468k
Master's Degrees
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
MastCIP: 1402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$155,401
Lifetime Value Added
+$874k
Architecture
MastCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$87,746
Lifetime Value Added
+$298k
Business/Commerce, General
MastCIP: 5201
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$264,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$1765k
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
MastCIP: 0403
Median Debt
$40,833
Earnings (5yr)
$109,410
Lifetime Value Added
+$484k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$95,276
Lifetime Value Added
+$362k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$250,263
Lifetime Value Added
+$1655k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$45,290
Earnings (5yr)
$159,366
Lifetime Value Added
+$908k
Real Estate Development
MastCIP: 0410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$110,878
Lifetime Value Added
+$554k
Systems Engineering
MastCIP: 1427
Median Debt
$44,052
Earnings (5yr)
$194,940
Lifetime Value Added
+$1209k
Doctoral Degrees
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
DocCIP: 1402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$126,504
Lifetime Value Added
+$473k
Biology, General
DocCIP: 2601
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$115,925
Lifetime Value Added
+$341k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
DocCIP: 1405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$170,826
Lifetime Value Added
+$736k
Chemistry
DocCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$120,827
Lifetime Value Added
+$376k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
DocCIP: 1410
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$156,904
Lifetime Value Added
+$636k
Mechanical Engineering
DocCIP: 1419
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$167,643
Lifetime Value Added
+$713k
Nuclear Engineering
DocCIP: 1423
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$112,923
Lifetime Value Added
+$369k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.