MIT, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, may well be the most famous schools in the United States and one of the most well-known globally. The acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was 4.6%, and has held steady between 3% and 5% in recent years.

In the 2024-2025 admissions cycle, MIT’s acceptance rate dipped to 4.55%. While not their lowest ever, it reflects a growing trend of this prestigious school’s acceptance rate trending ever downwards. But what does a 4.55% acceptance rate actually mean? MIT, like many schools, publishes raw admissions data in the Common Data Set (CDS), which is used by publishers such as U.S. News & World Report, the College Board, and Peterson’s to compile their rankings. Fortunately, it also provides us with a wealth of knowledge we can draw on to help our clients develop a data-driven strategy.

Receiving an Early Action rejection from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is understandably early-shaking. This is not the way things were supposed to go. You knew MIT is exceptionally hard to get into — but you expected a deferral, at least. The big question in this moment is: what comes next? 

MIT, or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is widely recognized as one of the best universities in the world for studying STEM. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT is in an academic, research, and technology hub that offers students opportunities and that attracts an exceptional caliber of professors. Resources like the MIT Media Lab incubate innovation, while the on-campus culture encourages exploration, growth, and discovery within and beyond STEM subjects. There are about 12,000 students with 4,500 undergraduates. The acceptance rate is 4.5%.