Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) are two highly regarded universities with distinct characteristics. MIT, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is renowned for its strength in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. UNC, a public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, offers a wide range of academic programs, including strong liberal arts and sciences, business, and health sciences. While both universities provide excellent educational opportunities, they differ in terms of acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university better aligns with your academic interests, campus preferences, and career aspirations.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology logo

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill logo

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Overview

Location Cambridge, Massachusetts Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Small
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Public
Calendar system 4-1-4 Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 99.0% 97.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 4.1% 20.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $85

Graduate: $95
SAT range N/A 1140 - 1380
ACT range N/A 22 - 27
Students submitting SAT score 2.0%
Students submitting ACT score 12.0%
Total number of applicants 33,240 50,729
Total number of admissions given out 1,365 10,348
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,177 4,690
Yield rate 86.2% 45.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $58,920
In state: $24,770

Out of state: $52,633
Average net price $30,958 $11,508
Tuition $55,510
In state: $7,019

Out of state: $34,882
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,550

Meal plan: $6,550
Room/dormitory: $6,878

Meal plan: $5,004
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $32,562
42.0%
Average amount $16,076
Students receiving federal student loan 6.0%
Average amount $5,112
17.0%
Average amount $4,244
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $17,891
3.0%
Average amount $14,032

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 4,638
Men 51.9% Women 48.1%
19,845
Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students 7,296
Men 62.0% Women 38.0%
11,796
Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 16.2%
International students 29.2% 6.8%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 6,280 9,984
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas New York Florida New Jersey North Carolina Georgia Maryland New York Pennsylvania

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Architecture
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 3:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation New England Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 96.2% 90.5%
Dropout rate 3.0% 3.7%
Transferred out N/A 5.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $144,716
  • Year 2: $150,045
  • Year 3: $183,153
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $170,089
  • Year 2: $165,236
  • Year 3: $182,183
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $118,191
  • Year 2: $127,993
  • Year 3: $163,496
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,796
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $155,540
Systems Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $133,685
  • Year 2: $137,214
  • Year 3: $155,079
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $104,229
  • Year 2: $121,226
  • Year 3: $139,548
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $141,603
  • Year 2: $126,504
  • Year 3: $132,987
Mechanical Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $112,885
  • Year 3: $124,425
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,266
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $112,404
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,955
  • Year 2: $104,749
  • Year 3: $109,672
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $168,979
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $238,213
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $135,965
  • Year 2: $127,836
  • Year 3: $150,089
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,248
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $128,102
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,961
  • Year 2: $103,078
  • Year 3: $117,488
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,271
  • Year 2: $86,036
  • Year 3: $96,602
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,162
  • Year 2: $72,083
  • Year 3: $95,204
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,938
  • Year 2: $73,823
  • Year 3: $89,917
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,557
  • Year 2: $57,770
  • Year 3: $87,057
Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,899
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $86,155
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,205
  • Year 2: $68,666
  • Year 3: $82,520

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