molly kiefer

mit admissions: the sat, act scores, and gpa you need to get in

mit admissions - image by magoosh

the short answer

because we care about you, and we know you like the short answer.

mit average sat score mit average act score mit acceptance rate mit average gpa
1,550 35.5 7.3% 4.17

surprised meme -magoosh

pretty intimidating stuff…but don’t worry, there’s a lot more to a successful college application than just your gpa and test scores!

however, almost all schools require that applicants submit either sat or act results to be considered for admission. so tackling those tests is a great place to start. and we’re here to help!

now keep reading for a whole lot of information about mit admissions: mit sat scores (…or mit act scores, if that’s what you’re into), gpa, and heaps of demographics and admissions data.

once you know what to aim for, we’ll talk about how to get into mit, especially when it comes to getting your scores where they need to be.

and now…the long answer

so you’re thinking about applying the massachusetts institute of technology. what’s that about?

well–whether you come from an mit legacy family, or just recently learned what the acronym stands for–there are a ton of reasons to set your sights on this gem of a university:

 

    • mit has huge name recognition worldwide…the school is currently ranked as the 3th best national university, the 4th best value school, and holds the number 1 spot in best undergraduate engineering programs
      at schools whose highest degree is a doctorate. it’s definitely one of the best universities out there!

 

    • mit’s median alumni starting salary of $76,900. not bad for a starting salary!

 

    • the student-faculty ratio at mit is 3:1, and the school has 69.6 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students, which is especially impressive for a large research institution.

 

    • mit is known for it’s engineering school, but it also boasts top rated programs in finance and in economics.

 

    • 58% of full-time mit undergraduates receive need-based financial aid, averaging $47,593, which is a nice chunk of change to help offset your costs before that starting salary kicks in.

 

    • you’ll get to spend four years (and then probably also all the years after that) around super smart, inspiring people. you belong together!

 

meme of a black guy pointing on his head

mit sat scores

okay, let’s dive in. here are the most recent mit sat scores for students who submitted sat scores and were admitted to mit in 2020!

mit average sat score mit 25th-75th percentile sat score range: composite mit 25th-75th percentile sat score range: ebrw mit 25th-75th percentile sat score range: math
1550 [1520, 1580] [730, 780] [790, 800]

what does all this mean?

well, for a start, it means the top 25% of students admitted to mit this year earned a combined sat score of over 1580 (which most likely means scoring well over 750 on both parts of the sat).

the middle 50% earned between 1520 and 1580.

and the bottom 25% earned below 1520. therefore, 75% of mit’s current sophomore class scored above a 1520 on the sat…pretty impressive!

it’s generally a good practice to aim for an sat score around the 75th percentile of whatever the school you’re looking at has recently admitted. having a concrete goal will help you focus your studying, and hitting the 75th percentile of mit sat scores will give you a really nice cushion as you go into the admissions process.

check out the tables below for more detailed breakdowns how students scored on what portions of the sat.

mit sat scores (math) applicants admits admit rate
750-800 11,342 1,081 10%
700-740 1,613 23 1%
650-690 758 0 0%
600-640 312 0 0%
< 600 254 0 0%

mit sat scores (ebrw) applicants admits admit rate
750-800 6,557 736 11%
700-740 4,200 276 7%
650-690 2,099 73 3%
600-640 869 12 1%
< 600 554 7 1%

while mit may be your dream school, chances are that there other schools on your list too. for that reason, we’ve put together a post covering the sat score range for each of the top 100 colleges and universities in america. more than one goal score never hurt anyone!

start your sat prep today.

mit act scores

moving on!

mit 25th-75th percentile act score range: composite mit 25th-75th percentile act score range: english mit 25th-75th percentile act score range: math
[35, 36] [35, 36] [35, 36]

same drill as before.

for students who submitted act scores and were admitted to mit in 2020, the 25th percentile of mit act scores came in at 35; the 75th percentile of mit act scores landed one point higher at 36.

shooting for the 75th percentile of mit act scores will make your own score competitive, so try to aim for that perfect 36!

here’s another breakdown, so you can get a better feel for what you’re dealing with than just “aim for a perfect score!” 😉

mit act scores (composite) applicants admits admit rate
34-36 5,597 537 10%

31-33 1,428 54 4%
28-30 467 5 1%
25-27 236 1 <1%
< 25 164 0 0%

mit act scores (math) applicants admits admit rate
34-36 5,551 538 10%
31-33 1,293 55 4%
28-30 630 3 <1%
25-27 304 1 <1%
< 25 114 0 0%

mit act scores (english) applicants admits admit rate
34-36 6,042 535 9%
31-33 868 40 5%
28-30 433 15 3%
25-27 265 5 2%
< 25 284 2 1%

keep in mind that mit also takes act superscores into consideration, so you may want to consider taking the test multiple times!

start your act prep today.

mit acceptance rate

as we mentioned in the short answer, the mit admissions rate in 2020 was 7.3%. well strap in, because things are about to get a lot more specific:

freshman applications 20,075
freshman admits 1,457
percentage admitted 7.3%
early action applicants 8,384
admitted early action 687
deferred to regular action 5,880
deferred applicants admitted
during regular action
238
regular action applicants 10,234
total considered during regular action (including deferred students) 16,114
admitted regular action
(including deferred students)
770
offered a place on the wait list 621
number admitted from the wait list 0
u.s. citizens/permanent residents applied 15,926
u.s. citizens/permanent residents admitted 1,315
international students applied 4,149
international students admitted 142

mit gpa average

mit actually doesn’t officially report the gpas of its admitted students–but based on data from more than 1,000 schools, the average gpa of a freshman at mit is 4.17.

as you probably are aware, high schools generally use a weighted gpa out of 4.0, meaning you would have to be taking plenty of ap or ib classes (and racking up a’s across the board) to be averaging a 4.17.

mit freshmen profile

ready to go all the way down the rabbit hole? if i remember anything about applying to college, it’s that i was obsessed with any and all information about which students were getting into my school of choice (even when it was bad for me, like cate blanchett in indiana jones).

mit freshman profile (2020-2021)

mit admissions -magoosh

with that in mind, here’s demographic data on mit’s most recent incoming class…almost certainly more than you could ever want to know about how to get into mit.

male 51%
female 49%
other gender identity <1%
white/caucasian 39%
american indian/alaskan native 2%
black/african american 11%
hispanic/latinx 14%
asian/asian america 42%
native hawaiian/pacific islander 1%
us citizens & permanent residents 90%
international citizens 10%
number of countries represented 50

mit admissions faq

just in case you still have any mit admissions questions, we threw together some handy faqs:

mit admissions -magoosh

q. tell me how to get into mit…do i need perfect test scores?
a. well, the higher your scores, the better, but honestly you’d be better off applying with average test scores and impressive extracurriculars than with perfect scores and mediocre extracurriculars. mit wants to admit people, not statistics! according to ashley c. from transizion:

image of ashley c. from transizion

“mit seeks students who are prepared to join a community ‘dedicated to applying science and technology to solutions that improve the world.’ the admissions team would love to hear about your high school robotics club or the gadgets you’ve created in your spare time.

as you sit down to work on your application, brainstorm the following:

  • how can you convey your passion for science, mathematics, and technology? what do you love about these fields? what makes you curious? how do you pursue these interests in your spare time?
  • have you used your stem skills to solve problems or give back to your community?
  • how do you envision using these skills in the future, and why is mit the best school to help you achieve your goals?

this doesn’t mean you should only talk about stem in your application; feel free to discuss your basketball handles, love of jazz music, or stellar baking skills as well. but write from the heart about your passion for stem and your innovative, curious spirit.

weave specific details about your relevant interests, intellectual pursuits, and meaningful experiences throughout the application, and you’ll show that you’re a great fit for mit.”

according to ronayw on admitsee, the summer is a great time to pursue the interests that mit likes to see!

image of ronayw

“i came from a smaller high school in a non-competitive state, so i didn’t know anything about how to spend my summers in high school! after coming to mit, i heard about so many opportunities i wish i’d known about. if you’re interested in math, look into ross or promys. if you like science, there’s ssp and clark scholars and for girls there’s wtp. for humanities folks, there’s the leadership program notre dame runs, as well as tasp. and apply early [to these programs]! keep on top of deadlines, many are in january or february.”

q. is mit is super-competitive and cutthroat?
a. actually, mit is a very collaborative place…probably because the programs are so challenging that everyone could use the help!

q. will it be easier to get into mit if i apply as a humanities major?
a. no.

q. can i survive at mit without being a child prodigy?
a. it’s more important to be hardworking than brilliant. everyone meets their boundaries eventually, and when that happens, you’ll need a good work ethic in order to keep on pushing.

the takeaway

mit is extremely selective, so a high standardized test score and gpa will be vital to your chances of getting in. and while you can’t go back in time and change your grades, you can always retake the sat or act if you aren’t satisfied with your scores.

but before you head to the testing center, make sure you’re well prepared. after all, these exams are long, difficult, and cost money.

find a study schedule that suits your needs, using a test prep program that works for you…i recommend checking out the free 1-week sat trial or the free 1-week act trial from magoosh–maybe it’ll be your cup of tea.

we’re here to help you build the best possible college application…but whatever test prep you end up using, just make sure it’s high quality.

if you’ve prepared yourself to the best of your ability, then there’s nothing to regret.

meme of a black cat caught while biting food

with any luck you’ll be heading to massachusetts in the fall.

but for now, you better get studying! 🙂

author

  • molly kiefer

    molly is one of magoosh’s content creators. she designs magoosh’s graphic assets, manages our youtube channels and podcasts, and contributes to the magoosh high school blog.

    since 2014, molly has tutored high school and college students preparing for the sat, gre, and lsat. she began her tutoring journey while in undergrad, helping her fellow students master math, computer programming, spanish, english, and philosophy.

    molly graduated from lewis & clark college with a b.a. in philosophy, and she continues to study ethics to this day. an artist at heart, molly loves blogging, making art, taking long walks and serving as personal agent to her cat, who is more popular on instagram than she is.

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