Columbia vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Columbia University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two of the most prestigious universities in the world, each offering a unique educational experience. Columbia, located in the heart of New York City, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including strong liberal arts and pre-professional offerings. MIT, situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its exceptional STEM programs, particularly in engineering and computer science. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Columbia University logo

Columbia University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Overview

Location New York, New York Cambridge, Massachusetts
Campus setting City: Large City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester 4-1-4
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 99.0% 99.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.1% 4.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $120
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
SAT range 1470 - 1570 N/A
ACT range 34 - 35 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 43.0%
Students submitting ACT score 28.0%
Total number of applicants 61,110 33,240
Total number of admissions given out 2,524 1,365
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,641 1,177
Yield rate 65.0% 86.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $90,882 $58,920
Average net price $12,411 $30,958
Tuition $60,514 $55,510
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,450

Meal plan: $6,000
Room/dormitory: $11,550

Meal plan: $6,550
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

53.0%
Average amount $57,726
100.0%
Average amount $32,562
Students receiving federal student loan 7.0%
Average amount $5,511
6.0%
Average amount $5,112
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $34,119
1.0%
Average amount $17,891

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 8,832
Men 50.6% Women 49.4%
4,638
Men 51.9% Women 48.1%
Graduate students 24,944
Men 44.8% Women 55.2%
7,296
Men 62.0% Women 38.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 37.0% 29.2%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 13,071 6,280
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A California Texas New York Florida New Jersey

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Architecture
  • Mathematics and Statistics
Students to faculty ratio 6:1 3:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 97.4% 96.2%
Dropout rate 1.7% 3.0%
Transferred out 0.7% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $193,362
  • Year 2: $180,752
  • Year 3: $230,020
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $162,427
  • Year 2: $170,426
  • Year 3: $179,305
Management Information Systems and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $153,730
  • Year 2: $160,605
  • Year 3: $167,216
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,851
  • Year 2: $143,033
  • Year 3: $166,695
Operations Research (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,312
  • Year 2: $114,503
  • Year 3: $148,040
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,903
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $135,658
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $115,222
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $131,926
Construction Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,322
  • Year 2: $110,878
  • Year 3: $125,926
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $111,569
  • Year 2: $109,659
  • Year 3: $119,899
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $92,223
  • Year 2: $100,127
  • Year 3: $118,332
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $144,716
  • Year 2: $150,045
  • Year 3: $183,153
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $170,089
  • Year 2: $165,236
  • Year 3: $182,183
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,191
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $163,496
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,796
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $155,540
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,685
  • Year 2: $137,214
  • Year 3: $155,079
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,229
  • Year 2: $121,226
  • Year 3: $139,548
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $141,603
  • Year 2: $126,504
  • Year 3: $132,987
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $112,885
  • Year 3: $124,425
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,266
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $112,404
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,955
  • Year 2: $104,749
  • Year 3: $109,672

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