For undergraduate research, is Dartmouth or MIT better?

MIT is the stronger place for undergraduate research overall. Its research culture is built into the undergraduate experience through UROP, which is one of the most established and visible undergrad research systems in the country. Students often join labs very early, there are many funded and for-credit options, and the campus expectation is that undergraduates can contribute to real ongoing projects rather than just observe.

MIT also has a stronger day-to-day research culture among undergrads. At many schools, research is something students seek out on the side. At MIT, it is much closer to a campus norm, and faculty and departments are used to undergraduates wanting serious involvement. That matters if early access is a priority, because the process is more institutionalized and less dependent on informal networking.

Dartmouth is still very good, especially if you want closer faculty relationships and a smaller undergraduate setting. Because Dartmouth has fewer graduate students in many areas, undergrads can sometimes get more direct responsibility in a lab or project. Its quarter system and programs like WISP can also support meaningful research involvement.