Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Founded 1861. The world's benchmark engineering school, nearly 100 Nobel laureates, birthplace of companies worth trillions.

Overview

MIT opened after the Civil War began, built on William Barton Rogers' plan for polytechnic education by doing. Its radar lab at the radiation laboratory shortened World War II, and its Building 20 hosted Noam Chomsky and the first atomic clock era. Alumni and faculty found companies from Boeing leadership to Qualcomm, Bose, and Dropbox; a famous study found MIT alumni companies would combine into one of the largest economies on earth. The Stata Center and infinite corridor anchor the Cambridge campus. With about 11,500 students and 100 Nobel affiliates, MIT leads most engineering and computer science rankings.