Talk to any engineering nerd or computer wizard in your orbit, and there is one school that always ends up at the top of their college list: MIT. For most, it’s a dream school that is far out-of-reach. The expectations of the university are so massively high, and the pool they have to pick from is so accomplished and enormous, that the acceptance rate dropped to for the Class of 2029. If that is intimidating, the feeling is valid. Every year, though, students get in — there is a new class each fall, after all.
One of the most critical decisions you need to make if you are eyeing MIT is the major or primary interest that you list on your application. Assuming that you are well-qualified applicant with an SAT over 1520, an ACT over 34, and a basically perfect GPA with additional success in STEM, what you decide to apply for academically is the most important tools in your tool belt. This is because there are programs that are super popular, and subsequently more competitive, at MIT, and programs that don’t necessarily make the university easier to get into, but that create more room for consideration of your application.
The great news is that MIT loves data, so they than nearly any other school to look behind the scenes at what programs are the most popular and which may be less competitive — or even languishing.
The five most popular majors in the 2025-2026 school year at MIT were:
Computer Science and Engineering – 672 students
Mathematics – 379 students
Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making – 372 students
Mechanical Engineering, B.S. – 230 students
Mechanical Engineering, B.S. () – 202 students
If we look backwards to the 2020-2021 school year and the beginning of the decade, we can see how things have shifted a little. That year, there were 100 more students in Computer Science and Engineering, and the Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making major didn’t even exist. In the same year, there were 100 fewer students majoring in Mathematics, and about as many students were pursuing Mechanical Engineering.
What this tells us is that MIT’s majors evolve with the times more rapidly than at probably any other university. They add programs to address emerging technologies, and students shift their focus based on both what is most exciting in the moment and what presents the strongest possible future. That is totally cool once you are into MIT, but the statistics suggest that applying with an Artificial Intelligence degree top of mind isn’t the best idea right now. Below, we give you five alternatives to the top five majors that will increase your odds of admissions without limiting your options.
Getting into an exceptional school requires strong strategy. Get yours here.
The numbers at MIT don’t lie. They offer dozens of majors, but most programs have only a few dozen students – . You need to apply in a way that is authentic to your interests and how you have spent your time in the lead up to writing your application, but you also need to think critically about how best to put that on paper. So, let’s dive into some options that could open up opportunities.
Instead of Computer Science and Engineering, do Computer Science, Economics, and Data Science
is the most iconic and the most popular MIT major by a long-shot. It’s a tech school full of tech junkies, and for the last half century that has revolved nearly entirely around computers. Computer Science is the quickest and most direct way into the field. We recommend taking a slightly different approach on your application, though.
If you are applying to MIT, you have stellar grades across the board, which means we can emphasize something parallel to your obsession with computer science. The major is a perfect match for this strategy.
To pursue this alternative approach, keep doing everything you are already doing to emphasize your Computer Science skills. Then, add an economics course (if available) and an economics club or related extracurricular that will underline that you are actually interested in the field. Even if you don’t have time to add a club or course, you can make this major switch work for you by emphasizing the role of the social sciences and quantitative humanities in your life academically and personally. How does economics impact how you view the world, alongside your computer science work? Answer that, and your application will sing.
Instead of Mathematics, do Mathematics with Computer Science
is another of the top majors at MIT that a ton of students pursue — like a massive number. At any given lunch table, there is probably a math major present. MIT offers a few different variations on the Math major, and we generally prefer aiming for anything that is more than just math on the application. By selecting something that is Math-plus, you are adding a layer of consideration to your application, and giving yourself another pillar to build the argument for your acceptance on.
You don’t want to choose Math, though, simply because it sounds like it may be less competitive or because you think it would be impressive. If your application sounds inauthentic or like you are forcing an interest where one doesn’t truly exist, you are shooting yourself in the foot. This is why we like the program as an alternative to a straight Math major.
Many students applying to MIT for math are already also interested in computer science. It may not be their main focus, but they are interfacing with it in some way and for some reason that connects to that mathematics core. Telling the story of this link for you is a crucial to pulling off this major on your application, but it can have a big impact if you do it right.
Instead of Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making, do Computation and Cognition
As we laid out statistically, and as you know intrinsically simply by existing in this moment, you know that artificial intelligence is the conversation of the moment. Not simply the conversation in tech, either, as it’s dominating the international dialog. It makes sense, then, that the rather new major at MIT is skyrocketing in popularity. No, it may not be the #1 major at MIT yet, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it became the top major fairly soon.
Demand is way higher than MIT can accommodate, and most students who apply with this major on their application will be rejected. Not because they wouldn’t thrive at MIT, but because MIT needs students to fill all of their majors, not just the AI-centric one. This is why we encourage students to choose on their application instead.
The Computation and Cognition majors has similarities with Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making, but approaches computer science through the power of the human mind, rather than the power of a fake one. Students within the major take courses in neuroscience, cognitive science, statistics, and, yes, AI. So, it’s an AI-adjacent major without an AI name, and that means far fewer students are selecting it on their application. This is win for you.
Instead of Mechanical Engineering, B.S., do Materials Science and Engineering
is for students who want to build things. Not virtual things or intangible things, but physical things. If you are interested in mechanical engineering, you’ve probably been building things for a while. You may be in a robotics club, love tinkering on cars, and even build tools for making your daily life easier (automatic breakfast maker, anyone?).
The problem with the Mechanical Engineering major, though, is that nearly anyone who likes making things that they can pick up and play with ends up picking it as a top option at MIT. This it simply too many people for too few spots. This is why we point people who like tinkering towards a major that examines the world on a more molecular scale — literally.
The major empowers students to explore the world on an atomic level. Students learn how to turn tiny building blocks, literally atoms and molecules, into novel materials that shape our world. They don’t expect you to have already been doing this, so keep doing what you are doing as a Mechanical Engineering-minded student while immersing yourself in materials science literature and possibly assisting a researcher in a local lab.
Instead of Mechanical Engineering, B.S. (), do Mechanical and Ocean Engineering
Okay, so this one is a bit of a cheat. It’s still Mechanical Engineering, but the major is so popular at MIT that they have a few difference versions of it — two of which are in the top five majors at the university. Everything we’ve already said about mechanical engineering still applies here, with one difference: the approach.
If students are interested in the Mechanical Engineering 2-A major, we point them towards the option as an alternative on their applications. Similarly for the previous major, they don’t expect you to already be doing oceanic work, but they most certainly expect you to be getting your hands dirty in something engineering-centric. You should be building things, breaking things, and then building them again.
Alongside this, you need to be showing real interest in ocean engineering breakthroughs and other big moments in the field. You can do this through research, an internship, or a mix of the two!
If you are set on pursuing the more competitive of the majors, you need a strong strategy for standing out from the glut of applicants vying for only a few seats. They most crucial piece of the strategy must be actually doing work in the ‘field’ outside of organized coursework, school extracurriculars, or camps. MIT wants to see you coloring outside of the lines and creating opportunities for yourself that didn’t exist otherwise.
Whatever major you pick for your MIT application, we also recommend adding a humanities major or minor as a secondary area of interest. Then, you need to really sell it. Your grades are already strong across the board, but if you are going to put a language minor on your application for your humanities tie-in, you need to be taking the highest level offered in that language in your school. This logic applies to anything in the humanities. If you aren’t truly pursuing it — and excelling in it — as a secondary passion alongside your STEM work, they won’t buy it.
The key, here, is combining strong strategy with clear actions. When we work with students, we help them in crafting plans that are unique to them and that set them up for the most likely path to success in applying to MIT. It’s a combination, of course, of what you do to prepare to apply, what you select as an applicant, and how you tell your story. No piece of this triangle can be left out if you want to succeed. To build your plan, get in touch.
We help strong students get into outstanding colleges. Contact us to Learn more.