Minneapolis College of Art and Design vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) stand as two distinct beacons of higher education, each offering unique opportunities for students to pursue their academic and creative passions. MCAD, a private art and design college, fosters a close-knit community where students thrive in an environment dedicated to artistic expression and innovation. In contrast, MIT, a world-renowned research university, is known for its rigorous academic programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, attracting brilliant minds from around the globe. While both institutions share a commitment to excellence, they differ significantly in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	99.0%	77.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	4.1%	65.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $75 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	33,240	638
Total number of admissions given out	1,365	418
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,177	163
Yield rate	86.2%	39.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$58,920	$55,702
Average net price	$30,958	$28,520
Tuition	$55,510	$41,344
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,550 Meal plan: $6,550	Room/dormitory: $5,980 Meal plan: $1,200
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $32,562	100.0% Average amount $25,957
Students receiving federal student loan	6.0% Average amount $5,112	96.0% Average amount $5,416
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $17,891	20.0% Average amount $15,914

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,638 Men 51.9% Women 48.1%	675 Men 31.6% Women 68.4%
Graduate students	7,296 Men 62.0% Women 38.0%	100 Men 22.0% Women 78.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	44.4%
International students	29.2%	4.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	6,280	288
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California Texas New York Florida New Jersey	Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Iowa South Dakota

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Architecture Mathematics and Statistics	Visual & Performing Arts Communications Technology Business Communication and Journalism Precision Production
Students to faculty ratio	3:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	96.2%	66.2%
Dropout rate	3.0%	18.6%
Transferred out	N/A	15.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $34,987 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,412 Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $34,268 Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $25,993 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $28,847 Graphic Communications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,090 Year 2: $18,771 Year 3: $26,963 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,098 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: $25,223 Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,078 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.