MIT’s yield rate increases from 73% in 2015 to all-time high of 86.6% in 2025
Since 2020, the Institute’s yield rate has surpassed those of Harvard and Stanford
From 2015 to 2025, MIT’s yield rate has increased by more than 10%, from 73.0% to an all-time high of 86.6%, according to data from the MIT Registrar’s Office and MIT Admissions Office.
While MIT’s yield rate had previously increased from 73% in 2015 to 77.6% in 2019, it was lower than Harvard and Stanford’s pre-pandemic yield rates of around 80%. Since 2020, however, MIT’s yield rate has consistently surpassed the other two schools. Despite an unusually low rate of 73% in 2020 due to an increase in gap year students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, MIT’s yield rate has hovered around 85% between 2021 and 2025. In the same time frame, Harvard trailed closely behind with an 83–84% yield rate, whereas Stanford had an 80–84% yield rate, according to the Common Data Set.
The significant increase in MIT’s yield rate has led to an overall decrease in the number of admitted students over the last ten years in an effort to keep first-year class sizes around 1,100. The Class of 2025 is a notable exception due to gap years during the pandemic. In 2015, MIT admitted 1,519 students, whereas only 1,334 were admitted in 2025. Similarly, 2024 and 2023 had 1,284 and 1,291 admitted students respectively, accounting for the lowest numbers to date.
Factors behind the increase in yield rate
Although students are choosing MIT at higher rates than before, Dean of Admissions and Student Financial Services Stu Schmill ’86 admits that the Admission Office’s recruitment and outreach strategy “hasn’t changed that much.” Despite this, he believes that the Admissions Office’s collaborations with the MIT community have been instrumental in informing admitted students about MIT because of the “enthusiasm and authenticity” that students see and experience first-hand.
According to Schmill, one potential reason for the increase in yield rate is significant improvements to MIT’s financial aid. In the last decade, the Institute’s financial aid budget has increased by over 70%, from $95 million in the 2014-2015 academic year to $167.3 million in the 2024-2025 academic year. Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year, undergraduate students with family incomes lower than $200,000 will attend MIT tuition-free. Previously, the threshold for tuition-free attendance was $140,000.
In addition, Schmill cited successful spring admit programs like CPW for encouraging admitted students to commit to MIT, stating that these programs “make our community more energized and connected.” Furthermore, he believes that students and parents in the U.S. are more interested in pursuing a STEM-based education than in the past, causing them to consider MIT more seriously.
Schmill emphasized that while MIT’s yield rate has increased and is now one of the highest in the country, the MIT Admissions team’s primary goal was never to increase its yield rate. “We did these things because we thought they were the right thing to do,” Schmill wrote. “If it has led to more students choosing to enroll here, that is great — but it’s not because we set out to do it.
MIT students explain why they chose MIT
Jeannie She ’26, chose MIT for many factors. Compared to other colleges she was accepted to (Duke, Brown, Georgia Tech), MIT’s financial aid package was the best for She, a first-generation, low-income (FLI) student. In addition, She preferred MIT’s strong bioengineering program and location. “I definitely adore the location and have always wanted to live [somewhere] in the Northeast like Boston,” She added.
Maia Lee DeMeyer ’27 credits CPW (Campus Preview Weekend) for influencing them to choose MIT. DeMeyer stated that they met many people at CPW who shared their FLI background and “push[ed] academic boundaries,” which they felt was especially impactful as they came from a high school where few related with the FLI student experience. “I felt a sense of security at my CPW that I would fit in and be happy at MIT,” DeMeyer wrote. While they acknowledge that the academics at MIT have been challenging, DeMeyer believes that MIT was the right choice and critical for their personal growth.
Gabriel Ramirez-Rios ’29 cited MathRoots, an MIT summer math program for students from underrepresented backgrounds, for inspiring him to apply to MIT via QuestBridge. “For the first time in my life, I started to believe that maybe I could amount to something more and go the full distance,” Ramirez-Rios wrote. Before attending MathRoots, Ramirez-Rios never seriously considered attending college after graduating from high school. He was admitted to MIT in early December of senior year and didn’t consider any other colleges when making his decision.
“I genuinely believe that without MIT, I would be at a completely different place in life, and for that I’m grateful,” Ramirez-Rios wrote.