MIT
Private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, ranked the world’s best by QS for more than a decade running.
25 figures on MIT, drawn from 2 Modern MBA case studies.
The figures
US dollars10
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual value of the endowment in billions of dollars · 2025 | $28B | 5th of 7 · top $57B | Why college is so expensive in America |
| University endowments against the cash reserves of leading corporations, in billions of dollars | $27.4B | 6th of 10 · top $56.9B | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Restricted against unrestricted endowment, in billions of dollars · Restricted | $20B | 4th of 7 · top $47B | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Annual value of the endowment in billions of dollars · 2010 | $8B | 5th of 7 · top $28B | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Restricted against unrestricted endowment, in billions of dollars · Unrestricted | $8B | 5th of 7 · top $18B | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Endowment distribution against net tuition revenue in 2025, in millions of dollars · Endowment distribution | $1,230M | 5th of 8 · top $2,498M | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Endowment distribution against net tuition revenue in 2025, in millions of dollars · Net tuition revenue | $436M | 6th of 8 · top $1,577M | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Annual compensation of university leaders · Endowment manager | $3.8M | 6th of 7 · top $7.8M | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Annual compensation of university leaders · President | $1.8M | 3rd of 7 · top $2.6M | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Annual cost of attendance including tuition, room, and fees, 2025 | $89,334 | 6th of 7 · top $98,900 | Why college is so expensive in America |
Percentages9
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of undergraduates who live on campus | 92% | 4th of 12 · top 97% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Percentage of accepted undergraduates who actually enroll · 2025 | 86% | 1st of 7 · top 86% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Percentage of accepted undergraduates who actually enroll · 2005 | 67% | 4th of 7 · top 79% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Endowment payout as a percentage of academic operating costs | 50% | 3rd of 8 · top 70% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Share of undergraduate alumni that donate | 19% | 7th of 10 · top 44% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Ten-year annualized returns net of fees, against Vanguard's S&P 500 and total market funds | 10.7% | 4th of 10 · top 15.4% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Operating margins of elite universities · 2025 | 5% | 3rd of 7 · top 6% | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Probability of getting into the Texas Monthly Top 50 relative to other competitive selections | 4.7% | 1st of 6 · top 4.7% | How much a Texas BBQ joint actually makes |
| Operating margins of elite universities · 2015 | 2% | 6th of 7 · top 6% | Why college is so expensive in America |
Counts6
| Against its own chart | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Size of the freshman class · 2025 | 1,155 | 6th of 6 · top 2,395 | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Composition of professors by tenure track · Non-tenured | 1,013 | 6th of 10 · top 2,826 | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Size of the freshman class · 2005 | 995 | 6th of 6 · top 2,410 | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Composition of professors by tenure track · Tenured | 839 | 8th of 10 · top 1,268 | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Years since founding, as of 2026 | 165 | 8th of 10 · top 390 | Why college is so expensive in America |
| Undergraduates per varsity sports team, 2024 | 137 | 12th of 12 · top 3,730 | Why college is so expensive in America |
Case studies covering MIT
Case study — ServicesWhy college is so expensive in AmericaHarvard holds $57B and charges $82,866 a year. Tuition isn't the business — the undergraduate is the seed, not the customer.16 min read
Case study — Food & beverageHow much a Texas BBQ joint actually makesOne in three fail, brisket yields 40%, and the biggest variable in whether you survive is one magazine editor's palate.16 min readNew episodes
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