Massachusetts Institute of Technology Graduation Rate & Retention Rate (2024)

by our College Data Analytics Team

Unbiased Factual Guarantee

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2023 Graduation & Retention Report

Make an informed decision about your education by understanding MIT retention and graduation rates. First year retention rates let you know how many first-time, full-time students students come back for their second year. Graduation rates tell you how many students complete their degree and how long it takes.

• MIT Retention Rate
• MIT Graduation Rate
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Full Time
  • Non-First Time Undergrads Attending Part Time
• MIT Drop Out Rate

MIT Retention Rate

The percentage of first-time / full-time students who return for their second year is tracked as the freshmen retention rate.

With 98% students making it past their freshmen year, MIT has freshmen retention rates above the national average.

Nationwide, the average first to second year retention rate is 70.57%.

When looking at just colleges and universities in Massachusetts, the average is 73.02%.

MIT Graduation Rates

How many of the estimated 1,094 students in the class of 2015 completed their degree within eight years?

After four years 85% of the cohort graduated. After six years 94% had completed their degree, and 95% after eight years.

The official graduation rate of MIT is 94%. This is the percentage of students who completed their degree within 150% of the published time. That means six years for a standard bachelor's degree program.

The typical MIT student takes 4.11 years to complete their bachelor's degree.

MIT Graduation Rates vs. National Average

MIT Drop Out Rate

Approximately 58 students or 5% of the cohort did not complete their degree within eight years.

What happened to the 58 students who did not complete their degree?

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 50 transferred to another institution.

• MIT lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.

MIT Graduation Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Some Students Take More Time To Graduate

First-time, full-time students, under the age of 25 are known as traditional students. These students are more likely to graduate in four years than so called 'non-traditional' students that includes part-time students, transfer students, or adult learners. Some schools cater to non-traditional students and it may affect their overall graduation rates.

Traditional Students:

First-time, full-time students under the age of 25.

Non-Traditional Students:

Any student that is not first-time, full-time, and under the age of 25.

The majority of students at MIT are considered 'traditional students' who are first-time attending full-time.

How does this school do graduating the type of student you are most concerned bout?

First-Time / Full-Time MIT Graduation Rates

First-time / full-time students at Massachusetts Institute of Technology represent 96% of the students in the class of 2015, and 96.07% of MIT bachelor's degree graduations.

With a four-year graduation rate of 85%, first-time students in the MIT class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time.

After six years, the MIT graduation rate was 94%, and by the eight year mark, 95% of the cohort had completed their degree.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is 37.92% after four years, 46.43% after six years, and 47.82% after eight years.

MIT First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

First-Time / Full-Time MIT Drop Out Rates

55 first-time / full-time students or 5% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 3 are still enrolled.

• 47 transferred to another institution.

• MIT lost contact with the remaining 3 who we assumed dropped out.

First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on MIT first-time, part-time students.

Non First-Time / Full-Time Students

46 MIT students were classified as full-time / not first-time. This represents 3.92% of the students in the class of 2015.

Non first-time students could include transfer students or adults who have returned to school after an absense.

With a six year graduation rate of 93%, returning students in the class of 2015 and attended classes full-time had a graduation rate higher than the national average for students in this category.

After eight years, the graduation rate was 93%.

Nationwide, the average graduation rate for non first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 49.57% after four years, 53.83% after six years, and 55.07% after eight years.

MIT Non First-Time / Full-Time Graduation Rate vs. National Average

Non First-Time / Full-Time MIT Drop Out Rates

3 non first-time / part-time students or 7% did not complete their degree within eight years.

Of those who did not finish:

• 0 are still enrolled.

• 3 transferred to another institution.

• MIT lost contact with the remaining 0 who we assumed dropped out.

Non First-Time / Part-Time Graduation Rates

Unfortunately, we don’t have access to data on MIT returning, part-time students.

More Resources:

• An Explanation of Freshman Retention Rates.

• How Common is it to Transfer to a Different College?

• Are Non-Traditional Students Less Likely to Graduate?

• How Many People Drop-Out of College?

• How Average Time to Graduate Can Affect the Value of Your Degree.

References

• National Center for Education Statistics

• Image Credit: By InSapphoWeTrust under License