The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recorded 286 students from India during the 2025–26 academic year, according to statistics published by MIT’s International Students Office.
MIT, which holds the No. 1 position in the QS World University Rankings 2027, remains one of the most sought-after US universities among students interested in engineering, science, technology and research.
MIT’s appeal to international students is also supported by its long-standing global performance. See why MIT Cambridge has ranked No. 1 for 15 consecutive years.
How Many Indian Students Are at MIT?
The 286 students from India were divided into four categories:
- 16 undergraduate students
- 242 graduate students
- 3 special graduate students
- 25 exchange or visiting students
India was MIT’s second-largest source of international students by citizenship after China during the academic year.
The corresponding totals were 346 in 2023–24 and 329 in 2024–25. However, these figures should not be interpreted as the number of Indian students admitted each year. They include students from different class years, graduate programs and exchange or visiting categories.
MIT’s publicly available statistics do not show how many students apply from India or how many Indian applicants receive admission offers annually.
How Competitive Is MIT Admission?
MIT received 29,281 first-year applications for the Class of 2029 and offered admission to 1,334 applicants. That produced an overall undergraduate admission rate of 4.6%.
A total of 1,155 first-year students enrolled, and 11% were international citizens representing 56 countries. MIT did not publish a country-level breakdown for the incoming class.
MIT says applications are evaluated in their individual context, without school, state or regional admission quotas.
Cost and Financial Aid at MIT
MIT’s estimated undergraduate cost of attendance for 2025–26 was $89,340 before travel expenses. This included tuition, housing, food, fees, books and personal expenses.
MIT provides need-based undergraduate financial aid and says it meets each admitted student’s demonstrated financial need. It does not award merit-based financial aid.
Srikanth Bolla’s Journey From India to MIT
Indian entrepreneur Srikanth Bolla received multiple fellowships from MIT’s Priscilla King Gray Center. One fellowship supported a pilot project that later developed into Bollant Industries.
Bolla, who is visually impaired and grew up in Andhra Pradesh, became widely known for building a company associated with inclusive employment. His story was later portrayed in the Hindi-language film Srikanth.
His journey shows that studying at MIT can lead beyond academic achievement to entrepreneurship and social impact.
For Indian applicants, the numbers underline both MIT’s international reach and the intense competition for admission. Strong academic performance matters, but applicants must also demonstrate curiosity, initiative, collaboration and a clear fit with MIT’s mission.
Read also: QS World University Rankings 2027: Top Seven Universities Revealed
