10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$773,386at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
⌖ Cambridge, MA · 21 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Strong payoff
+$773,386 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At this price, the reported earnings produce a wide margin over the comparison salary.
2.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
+297%Modeled 10-year ROI
$148,383Observed earnings · year 5
$213,458Maximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
The price benchmark is $193,347 per year below this threshold.
Includes direct price and earnings forgone while studying. Assumes $45,000 in alternative annual earnings and no wage growth. How we calculate itWhat the numbers say about Massachusetts Institute of Technology
What does Massachusetts Institute of Technology cost?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology reports an average annual net price of $20,111 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $148,383 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $14,768. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Massachusetts Institute of Technology worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 21 field-and-credential outcomes at Massachusetts Institute of Technology; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$853,830
$20,000Current college-wide context+$773,830
$40,000Annual price+$693,830
$60,000Annual price+$613,830
$80,000Annual price+$533,830
$100,000Annual price+$453,830
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- New England Commission on Higher Education
- Main award level
- Bachelor’s degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Selective admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- Land-grant institution
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$20,111Average net price / year
$82,730Cost of attendance
$14,768Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$157/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$148,383Median earnings · year 5 after completion
96.4%Completion rate
4.5%Admission rate
4,535Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$109,923Year 1
$161,961Year 4
$148,383Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Business/Commerce, General · Master's Degree$258,1522Systems Engineering · Master's Degree$227,0523Computer Science · Bachelor's Degree$225,1414Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Doctoral Degree$214,0705Mechanical Engineering · Master's Degree$200,7326Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Master's Degree$199,2457Biology, General · Doctoral Degree$189,1448Chemical Engineering · Doctoral Degree$184,436Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's Degree · $147,998 reported+179%vs same-degree national median$11,935federal debt2MathematicsBachelor's Degree · $174,951 reported+152%vs same-degree national median$10,003federal debt3Computer ScienceBachelor's Degree · $225,141 reported+110%vs same-degree national median$12,000federal debt4Business/Commerce, GeneralMaster's Degree · $258,152 reported+105%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Biology, GeneralDoctoral Degree · $189,144 reported+103%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Mechanical EngineeringMaster's Degree · $200,732 reported+73%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt
Comparable colleges in MA
Currently operating private nonprofit institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Cambridge, MA
Harvard University
- Annual net price
- $19,066
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $124,581
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +211%
Franklin W Olin College of Engineering
- Annual net price
- $25,171
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $112,565
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +141%
Babson College
- Annual net price
- $40,514
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $113,760
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +101%
Bentley University
- Annual net price
- $37,930
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $105,451
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- +82%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | Master's Degree | $258,152 | Not available | Not reported |
| Systems Engineering | Master's Degree | $227,052 | Not available | Not reported |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's Degree | $225,141 | $12,000 | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Doctoral Degree | $214,070 | Not available | 51 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Master's Degree | $200,732 | Not available | Not reported |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Master's Degree | $199,245 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biology, General | Doctoral Degree | $189,144 | Not available | 44 |
| Chemical Engineering | Doctoral Degree | $184,436 | Not available | 33 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $174,951 | $10,003 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Doctoral Degree | $167,374 | Not available | 42 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $161,118 | $11,935 | Not reported |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Master's Degree | $151,237 | Not available | Not reported |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's Degree | $147,998 | $11,935 | Not reported |
| Chemistry | Doctoral Degree | $137,404 | Not available | 50 |
| Mechanical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $131,967 | $11,334 | Not reported |
| Physics | Bachelor's Degree | $131,025 | $18,500 | Not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $122,093 | $15,209 | Not reported |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $114,620 | $17,724 | Not reported |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Bachelor's Degree | $111,738 | $13,000 | Not reported |
| City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | Master's Degree | $100,130 | Not available | Not reported |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | Master's Degree | $87,003 | Not available | Not reported |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.