MIT vs. Olin College

Should I go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology or Olin College of Engineering? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MIT or Olin College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Harvard Stanford Princeton Caltech Yale RPI Cornell RIT Northeastern Carnegie Mellon BU NJIT
Massachusetts Institute of Technology vs. Olin College of Engineering comparison
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Olin College of Engineering College 3 College 4
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Olin College of Engineering
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

MIT Olin College
Location Cambridge, MA Needham, MA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 11,920 402
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #7
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mit.edu olin.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

MIT Olin College
Tuition (In State) $59,750 $59,972
Tuition (Out of State) $59,750 $59,972
Room & Board $19,390 $19,820
Avg Net Price $21,519 $40,370
Avg Grant Aid $58,331 $41,116
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 100%

Admission

MIT Olin College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 26,904 928
Admitted 1,274 201
Acceptance Rate 4.7% 21.7%
Enrolled % 85.6% 48.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.96 3.9
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 34/36 34/35
SAT Range 1510/1580 1480/1560
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026 Jan 1, 2026

Academics

MIT Olin College
Student to Faculty Ratio 3:1 9:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (41%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (13%)
  • Physical Sciences (10%)
  • Mathematics (8%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Engineering (100%)

Outcomes

MIT Olin College
Graduation Rate 93% 96%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $142,100 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 92% -
Median Student Loan Debt $17,316 $14,710
Median Loan Payment $179 $152

Diversity

MIT Olin College
% Men 37% 4%
% Women 25% 3%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 37% 53%
% Black 6% 0%
% Hispanic 15% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 6% 7%
% International 10% 8%
% Unknown Race 2% 11%

Students

MIT Olin College
% In-State 8% 12%
% Out-of-State 81% 79%

Campus

MIT Olin College
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology is larger than than Olin College based on total student enrollment (11,920 students vs. 402 students)

MIT vs. Olin College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MIT or Olin College?

  • Olin College of Engineering is 0.4% more expensive to attend than MIT for in-state tuition ($59,972.00 vs. $59,750.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.4% higher at Olin College than Massachusetts Institute of Technology ($59,972.00 vs. $59,750.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than Olin College ($21,519 vs. $40,370)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are 2.2% lower than costs at Olin College of Engineering ($19,390 vs. $19,820)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Olin College of Engineering than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (100% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students is 41.9% larger than aid received Olin College of Engineering ($58,331 vs. $41,116)

MIT vs. Olin College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MIT or Olin College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Olin College or MIT .

  • The average SAT score at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1507) is 1 points higher than at Olin College (1506)
  • Incoming MIT students have at the same average ACT score (34) as students at Olin College (34)
  • Accepted freshman MIT students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.96) than students at Olin College (3.9)
  • Olin College has a higher acceptance rate (21.7%) than MIT (4.7%)

MIT vs. Olin College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MIT or Olin College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Olin College and MIT.

  • The graduation rate at Olin College is higher than Massachusetts Institute of Technology (96% vs. 93%)
  • Olin College of Engineering students graduate with a $2,606 lower median federal student loan debt than MIT graduates. ($14,710 vs. $17,316)
  • Olin College graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than MIT graduates. ($152 vs. $179)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/