Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs Stanford University: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

Stanford University is the more selective of the two, admitting 3.6% of applicants versus 4.6% at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $9,013 per year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology versus $5,290 at Stanford University. Massachusetts Institute of Technology's yield rate is 87.0%, versus 82.0% at Stanford University.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs Stanford University: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyStanford University
Overall acceptance rate4.6%3.6%
Early acceptance rate6.0%7.2%
SAT middle 50%1520–15701510–1570
Avg unweighted GPA3.963.96
Yield rate87.0%82.0%
Class size1,1001,693
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$9,013$5,290
Net price, over $110,000 income$41,291$39,717

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is Massachusetts Institute of Technology harder to get into than Stanford University?

No. Stanford University is more selective: it admits 3.6% of applicants, versus 4.6% at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Stanford University?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $9,013 per year at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and $5,290 at Stanford University, so Stanford University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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