How to Apply to Mathematics at MIT: Admitted to the Institute First, Then Declaring Course 18 or 18C (Mathematics with Computer Science) After Enrolling, with Requirements for Domestic, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Students

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) teaches undergraduate mathematics in the Department of Mathematics in the School of Science, called Course 18 after MIT’s course numbering. Below is what MIT’s websites say, for domestic students, international students (with a separate section for applicants from China) and transfer students. Computer science is not covered in depth here; this site has a separate article on it, and it is mentioned only where it overlaps with the joint mathematics and computer science degree.

1. The mathematics degrees

• Two degrees: both the department’s undergraduate page and the catalog say the department offers a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Course 18) and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with Computer Science (Course 18C). 18C is for students who want to combine mathematics and theoretical computer science in one undergraduate program.
• Which entry year: the major page says the new degree requirements apply to students admitted with a fall 2026 start date and beyond; students who began earlier follow the old requirements. Students applying for fall 2027 entry therefore fall under the new requirements.
• Double majors: the department says nearly half of graduating math seniors are double majors, and popular second majors include computer science, physics and economics.
• After graduation (the department’s wording): “Some go on to graduate school in mathematics, physics, computer science, finance, or engineering. Many begin careers in investment banking, consulting, software engineering, and other domains.”
• Note: the catalog’s department page describes the requirements differently (Differential Equations plus eight Course 18 subjects) from the degree chart summarized in the next section. This article follows the degree chart; check the latest catalog. The pages read do not name separate pure or applied mathematics degrees, and electives are chosen by the student.

2. Course 18 requirements (catalog degree chart)

• Beyond the General Institute Requirements, students choose one subject from each area: Differential Equations (18.03, 18.152 or 18.303), Linear Algebra (18.06, 18.C06, 18.700 or 18.701), Analysis (18.100A, B, P or Q), and Probability and Statistics (18.05, 18.600 or 6.3700).
• There is also one “Advanced Mathematical Subject” (for example 18.330, 18.404, 18.410, 18.510, 18.701, 18.702, 18.703, 18.710, 18.781, 18.901 or 18.950) and six 12-unit restricted electives in Course 18. If 18.701 is used for linear algebra, another subject must be chosen for the advanced requirement.
• At least 7 of the 11 subjects for the major must be advanced Course 18 subjects; units in the major are 132 to 135 and unrestricted electives 60 to 72. The major includes two communication-intensive (CI-M) subjects, chosen from the listed math seminars and a few other subjects.
• 18C: required subjects include Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Design and Analysis of Algorithms (18.410J), 6.100A, 6.1010 and 6.1210, plus one each of discrete mathematics, complexity and an applied computer science subject, four more Course 18 electives and one Course 6 elective. See the department’s 18C page for the full list.

3. How admission works: the Institute first, then declaring a major

• You do not apply to a major: the application pages read are for the Institute and do not ask you to choose the math department or the School of Science, or require department-specific materials. Whether the School of Science has its own admission standard is not published.
• When to declare: the Registrar says most students declare in the spring term of their first year, and those who do not must decide by the end of sophomore year. You meet your advisor and declare by the spring Drop Date of the first year; the declaration takes effect at the start of the summer term, and you are assigned a new advisor in that department.
• Caps and grade requirements: the pages read do not mention an enrollment cap or GPA requirement for the math major; this is not published.
• Double major: the department says to email its staff a completed major application signed by you and your primary advisor, a PDF of your grades and a statement listing the math subjects taken with grades of C or better and those planned.
• Math competitions: the application pages read do not say how competitions are viewed; not published. The department’s undergraduate page links to the Putnam Competition, SPUR and DRP; see the department pages for details.

4. Preparation

• High school courses: MIT says it has no required high school classes, domestic or international, but applicants must show minimum competence in fields they will continue at MIT. The academic foundations page says students are much more likely to succeed when they have taken math throughout high school, including at least some exposure to the foundations of calculus; for other curricula it asks that you be ready for a class covering at least the fundamentals of calculus before the end of high school (such classes may be called A Level Mathematics, Higher Level Mathematics and so on).
• Calculus: MIT says all students, regardless of major, must take (or receive credit for) single-variable calculus (18.01) and multivariable calculus (18.02). For schools without calculus, the website suggests supplemental options on the academic foundations page.
• AP credit: the math department says a 5 on AP Calculus BC gives 12 units of credit for 18.01; there is no credit for AB or for lower BC scores. A 5 on AB, or on the AB portion of BC, allows enrollment in 18.01A. Students seeking 18.01 credit are advised to take the online Calculus Self-Assessment in the summer to confirm they are ready for 18.02.
• Other exams: A-Level Mathematics A* or A; IB 7; French Baccalauréat 16 or more; German Abitur 13 or more; CAPE Pure Mathematics Units 1 and 2 with a 1 each earn 12 units of credit for 18.01. The pages read do not describe credit for AP Statistics or other IB scores; not published.
• Advanced Standing Examinations (ASE): 18.01, 18.02, 18.03 and 18.06 have ASEs; a pass gives full credit. 18.02 requires 18.01 credit first, and 18.03 and 18.06 require homework packets. The department page lists the 2026-2027 dates.
• Honors sequences: the pages read do not describe an honors math entry; the degree chart lists several versions of real analysis (18.100A, B, P, Q), and who each is for is not published, so ask the department.

5. Dates and materials (fall 2027)

• First-year deadlines: Early Action closes November 1 with decisions in mid-December; Regular Action closes January 4 with decisions in mid-March; reply by May 1. The page prints no year, so check that these are for fall 2027 entry. You may apply only once per entry year, in either EA or RA.
• Materials: the MIT application form (with essays and activities), a Secondary School Report with transcript, two teacher letters of recommendation, the SAT or ACT, and a USD 75 fee (or fee waiver). MIT recommends one letter from a math or science teacher and one from a humanities, social science or language teacher.
• Interview: after you apply, an MIT Educational Counselor may contact you if one is available; if none is, the interview is waived and your application is not adversely affected.
• Testing: MIT requires the SAT or ACT, not the ACT writing or science sections or the SAT essay; paper and digital SAT are accepted. There are no cutoff or recommended SAT/ACT scores. Tests must be taken before November 30 (EA) or December 31 (RA). Scores are self-reported and verified on enrollment; the highest section scores across sittings are considered.
• Supplements: optional creative portfolios go through SlideRoom and are not covered here.

6. Domestic students

• Cost: MIT lists the full price for 2026-2027 as USD 92,760 and says most students pay far less. The pages read do not distinguish in-state from out-of-state tuition or mention preference or a guarantee for state residents; not published.
• Aid: MIT says it is need-blind and meets 100% of demonstrated need. From 2025-2026, students from families with income under USD 200,000 (with typical assets) attend tuition-free, and the page says that families with income under USD 100,000 (with typical assets) are not expected to contribute toward their student’s MIT education. Financial aid is applied for separately: November 30 for EA and February 15 for RA.
• Figures MIT prints: the median annual price paid by an undergraduate with an MIT Scholarship in 2024-2025 was USD 10,268; 88% of the Class of 2026 graduated debt-free; borrowers’ median debt at graduation was USD 20,288. MIT also says the average starting salary for graduates entering industry is USD 145,820 (from the Graduating Student Survey, covering all MIT graduates, not mathematics alone).
• Department scholarships: the mathematics pages read do not list a math-specific scholarship; not published. Ask the department or Student Financial Services.

7. International students

• Who is international: anyone who is not a US citizen or permanent resident, wherever they live or study. The page says this does not change when or how you apply, or the aid you are offered.
• Grades: MIT does not convert foreign grades to the US system, has no country caps or quotas, and wants a transcript with three years of grades and results of any external exams (IB, A Levels, French Baccalauréat, CBSE and so on). No minimum GPA is listed. Predicted grades can be sent; only admitted students send final grades.
• English: MIT strongly recommends an English proficiency test for non-native speakers who have used English for fewer than five years or do not speak English at home or in school. Accepted: TOEFL, IELTS, PTE Academic, Duolingo, and Cambridge C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency. Minimum and recommended scores: TOEFL iBT taken before January 21, 2026, 90 and 100; on or after January 21, 2026 (1 to 6 scale), 5 and 5.5; IELTS 7 and 7.5; PTE Academic 65 and 70; Cambridge 185 and 190; Duolingo 120 and 125. RA applicants can take them through January 31.
• Financial documents and credential evaluation: the application pages read do not describe them; not published. Ask MIT Admissions.
• Aid for international students: need-based aid is offered the same way to domestic and international applicants; see Student Financial Services for how to apply.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the application pages read do not say whether or how Gaokao results are used; not published. Ask MIT Admissions.
• Transcripts: the general international requirement applies: a Secondary School Report and transcript from your school counselor or an equivalent official, with three years of grades and external exam results. The pages read do not list China-specific exam-certificate or credential-evaluation requirements; not published.
• China-specific guidance: no page for Chinese applicants was found; not published.
• Other curricula: for IB and A-Level credit see section 4.

9. Transfer students

• Eligibility: transfer applicants have finished high school and will have completed at least two terms of full-time study by entry; those with more than five terms may not be eligible because of residency requirements. MIT does not award second bachelor’s degrees.
• Dates (printed with years): fall 2027 entry closes March 1, 2027; spring 2027 entry (US citizens and permanent residents only) closed October 15, 2026. You may apply only once per entry year.
• Materials: transfer application, all high school and college transcripts, two college instructor letters (one from a math or science instructor), a School Official Report, the SAT or ACT (taken by March 31 for fall entry), and a USD 75 fee.
• Preparation: MIT recommends single-variable calculus, multivariable calculus, calculus-based physics, introductory biology and introductory chemistry. There is no minimum GPA, but competitive applicants generally have 3.5 or above and mostly A’s in math and science.
• Credit: credit is evaluated by departments after admission. The math department allows transfer credit for 18.01, 18.02, 18.03, 18.05 and 18.06 with a B- or better in a substantially equivalent subject, not from high school work, and most online and dual-enrollment subjects are not eligible. MIT says transfers typically lose at least one semester of coursework and most enter as sophomores.

Checklist

Domestic students:

• Take math through at least the foundations of calculus; apply by November 1 (EA) or January 4 (RA) after checking the year
• Take the SAT or ACT and ask two teachers for letters, ideally one in math or science
• Apply for aid separately (November 30 or February 15); declare a major in the spring of the first year

International students (including those from China):

• Same dates and materials; the SAT or ACT is required, and non-native speakers should submit an English test as described
• Ask MIT Admissions how Gaokao results are used and what proof of funds is needed
• Use the department’s credit table for AP, A-Level and IB results in calculus

Transfer students:

• At least two terms completed; apply by March 1, 2027; take calculus, physics, chemistry and biology first

Sources: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mathematics: undergraduate; Mathematics: the math major; Mathematics: Course 18C; Mathematics: AP and international exam credit; Mathematics: Advanced Standing Exams; Mathematics: transfer credit; Catalog: Department of Mathematics; Catalog: Course 18 degree chart; Registrar: declaring a major; First-year deadlines and requirements; Tests and scores; International applicants; Academic foundations; Transfer eligibility; Transfer deadlines and requirements; Transfer academic preparation and credit; Cost and affordability. The first-year deadlines page does not print a year, so check that the dates are for fall 2027 entry; costs are for 2026-2027. Check MIT’s website for the latest.