Skip to content
Back

MIT

By Sean Khottavong

For the Class of 2028, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) maintained its status as one of the most selective universities in the world, admitting only 1,284 students from a pool of 28,232 applicants—an overall acceptance rate of just 4.5%. The Early Action program, which had an acceptance rate of 5.26%, resulted in 661 admits, making up approximately 51.48% of the incoming class.

Standardized Testing

Unlike many peer institutions, MIT requires standardized test scores as part of the application process. All applicants must submit either SAT or ACT scores, and the testing data for admitted students reflects the university’s rigorous academic standards. Note that 100% of students admitted who submitted SAT Math scores scored between 700–800. This is reflective of MIT’s rigorous Math curriculum as internal research at MIT shows that students without SAT scores of 780-800 will not be successful at the school. 

In Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, 91.4% scored between 700–800. On the ACT, 98.5% of students scored between 30–36, with only a small percentage scoring below that. These figures underscore MIT’s emphasis on quantitative and analytical ability as part of its holistic admissions process.

Class of 2028Overall Acceptance RateEarly Action Acceptance RateTotal Number of Applications ReceivedTotal Number of Applications AcceptedNumber of Students Admitted Early ActionPercentage of the Class Admitted Early Action
MIT4.50%5.26%28,232128466151.48%
SAT Score Ranges for First-Year Admitted Students SAT Evidence-Based Reading and WritingSAT Math
700-80091.40%100%
600-6998.30%0%
500-5990.30%0%
ACT Composite Score Ranges for First-Year Admitted Students 
30-3698.50%
24-291.50%


Latest Posts

Show all
Swarthmore College ivy-covered campus building representing the complete admissions guide to Swarthmore College, one of the most academically demanding liberal arts colleges in the United States.

How to Get Into Vassar College: The Complete Admissions Guide

TL;DR: Vassar College is a top-ranked liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, with an overall acceptance rate of approximately 17.7% for the Class of 2029 (see Vassar Office of Admission). Vassar is one of the most distinctive elite LACs: originally a Seven Sisters women’s college founded in 1861 and coed since 1969, with a … Continued

Swarthmore College ivy-covered campus building representing the complete admissions guide to Swarthmore College, one of the most academically demanding liberal arts colleges in the United States.

How to Get Into Smith College: The Complete Admissions Guide

TL;DR: Smith College is a top-ranked liberal arts college in Northampton, Massachusetts, with an overall acceptance rate of 22% for the Class of 2029 and an enrolled class of 703 students (per Smith’s official “Meet the Class of 2029” page). Smith is the largest of the historically women’s colleges that remain women’s institutions and is … Continued

Swarthmore College ivy-covered campus building representing the complete admissions guide to Swarthmore College, one of the most academically demanding liberal arts colleges in the United States.

How to Get Into Claremont McKenna College: The Complete Admissions Guide

TL;DR: Claremont McKenna College is a top-10 liberal arts college in Claremont, California, with an overall acceptance rate of approximately 9.4% for the Class of 2029 and an Early Decision acceptance rate of 22% (per IvyCoach Claremont McKenna ED tracker, historical data). CMC’s defining institutional features are its preprofessional identity (the strongest among elite LACs … Continued

Classic colonial university building representing the complete admissions guide to Wake Forest University, a top-30 private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a 20.8% acceptance rate for the Class of 2029.

How to Get Into Carleton College: The Complete Admissions Guide

TL;DR: Carleton College is the top-ranked liberal arts college in the Midwest with an overall acceptance rate of 20% for the Class of 2029 (1,451 admits from 7,449 applications, 518 enrolled, per Carleton’s official Class of 2029 Profile). Carleton’s defining institutional features are its trimester academic calendar (a distinctive 10-week-term structure that allows for deeper … Continued

Swarthmore College ivy-covered campus building representing the complete admissions guide to Swarthmore College, one of the most academically demanding liberal arts colleges in the United States.

Wellesley vs. Smith vs. Mount Holyoke: How to Choose Between the Three Most Cross-Applied Women’s Colleges

TL;DR: Wellesley, Smith, and Mount Holyoke are the three most cross-applied historically women’s colleges in elite admissions, and the choice between them is fundamentally a choice between three distinct institutional propositions: Wellesley (the most selective at 13.7% for the Class of 2029, with the strongest brand and the tightest cross-registration with MIT), Smith (the largest … Continued

Classic colonial university building representing the complete admissions guide to Wake Forest University, a top-30 private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with a 20.8% acceptance rate for the Class of 2029.

How to Get Into Middlebury College: The Complete Admissions Guide

TL;DR: Middlebury College is a top-10 liberal arts college in Vermont with an overall acceptance rate of 13.9% for the Class of 2029 (per the Middlebury Campus newspaper, May 10, 2025), based on 11,831 applications received – a five-year low representing a 6% drop from the prior year. Middlebury’s defining institutional features are its world-renowned … Continued

Sign up for our newsletter