MIT scholarships and merit aid
The short answer
Do not spend time looking for a merit scholarship here. MIT says its aid is based on financial need.
3 school sources to explore
Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.
Explore the aid policy
Start with the financial aid office
This research does not list a merit award. Explore the recorded policies below and ask MIT's financial aid office about current options.
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The Great Dome at MIT
What makes MIT different
MIT does not offer merit scholarships of any kind — financial aid is based only on financial need. Families with income below $100,000 (typical assets) have zero expected family contribution. Families below $200,000 pay no tuition (effective 2025-2026). MIT meets 100% of demonstrated need.
Start with the aid policy
Find the right kind of aid.
This research does not list a merit award. Check the school's financial aid options and application requirements; an empty award list is not proof that no aid is available.
- Read the selection rules
Look for the school's stated criteria and whether an additional application is needed.
- Check the application dates
Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.
- Know what happens next year
Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.
The fine print / Three questions to carry forward
Before you count on it.
Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.
Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.
Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.
A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.
See what could change an award
What families often miss
MIT's FAQ is unambiguous: 'MIT does not offer merit scholarships of any kind.' No academic, athletic, or artistic merit awards exist. The CDS confirms 0% of freshmen received non-need institutional merit aid.
Effective 2025-2026, MIT expanded its tuition-free threshold to families earning up to $200,000 (with typical assets). Many upper-middle-class families who assumed MIT was unaffordable now qualify for significant aid.
See costs and school data
Who this school may work for
Families who need to understand that MIT is not a merit-optimization target, even for top STEM students. A perfect score on the math SAT does not earn a merit scholarship. MIT's need-based system is generous: 57% of full-time undergraduates received an MIT Scholarship in 2024-2025, and the median net price actually paid by aid recipients was about $10,268. The $200,000 tuition-free threshold (effective 2025-2026) makes MIT accessible to a much wider range of families than most expect.
- Tuition & fees
- Housing & food
- Books
- Personal
Standard budget; travel allowance calculated separately by address (excluded).
Cost and graduation facts
Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at MIT, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.
| Family income | Average net price paid |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $0 — grants exceeded costs by $2,533 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $93 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $1,480 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $11,555 |
| $110,001+ | $48,479 |
| All income levels (average) | $20,111 |
A net price shown as "$0 — grants exceeded costs" means average grant aid for students in that income bracket was greater than the full cost of attendance that year — a genuine reported outcome, not a data error.
Sticker price vs. what students actually pay
- Published tuition & fees, AY 2022-23
- $62,396
- Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
- $20,111
That works out to roughly a 76% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $82,730 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).
Outcomes for students who enrolled here
- Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
- 96%
- First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
- 99%
- Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
- $14,768 (~$157/mo on a 10-yr plan)
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
- $143,372
- Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
- 20%
- Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
- 7%
See other scholarships and cost examples
If your student brings another scholarship
Outside scholarships first cover the student contribution (up to $5,400). Excess reduces the MIT Scholarship. Students may use a portion toward a one-time computer purchase or health insurance before the MIT Scholarship is reduced.
Outside scholarships first replace the student contribution (up to $5,400 per year). Any excess must reduce the MIT Scholarship. Students may use a portion of outside awards toward a one-time computer purchase or health insurance before the MIT Scholarship is reduced. Contact your MIT financial aid counselor for case-specific options like multi-year payment timing.
More school data
From the MIT Common Data Set 2024-2025:
MIT merit aid FAQ
Does MIT offer merit scholarships for top STEM students?
No. MIT does not offer merit scholarships of any kind. All financial aid is based solely on financial need. The CDS confirms 0% of freshmen received non-need institutional merit aid. Academic excellence is expected of all admitted students; it is the baseline, not a basis for extra funding.
What does MIT cost for families earning under $200,000?
Families with income below $100,000 (typical assets) have zero expected family contribution. Starting in 2025-2026, families earning up to $200,000 (typical assets) pay no tuition. 57% of full-time undergraduates received an MIT Scholarship in 2024-2025, and the median net price actually paid by aid recipients was approximately $10,268. MIT awarded $162 million in need-based aid in 2024-25 and planned $176 million for 2025-26.
How does MIT handle outside scholarships?
Outside scholarships first replace the student contribution (up to $5,400/year). Any excess reduces the MIT Scholarship. Students may apply a portion toward a one-time computer purchase or health insurance before the MIT Scholarship is reduced.
See sources and other schools
How MIT compares
- 145 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use loan-first displacement.
MIT is in a recognizable cluster (145 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.
Sources used on this page
Every claim is checked against MIT’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.
- Policy pageMIT stacking policy
- Common Data SetMIT Common Data Set
- Cost of attendanceMIT cost-of-attendance worksheet
Compare with similar schools
- BU Wheelock merit aid. Massachusetts private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
- WPI merit aid. Massachusetts private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
- Northeastern merit aid. Massachusetts private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
- Bentley merit aid. Massachusetts private school — compare automatic merit, amounts, and stacking.
Keep exploring MIT merit aid
- MIT scholarship stacking. Whether outside awards land as upside or quietly displace institutional aid.
- Does MIT displace outside scholarships?. The dollar math on a $5,000 outside award, plus peer schools that handle it differently.