Is MIT or Purdue more affordable for an undergraduate student?

For most Indiana residents without substantial demonstrated financial need, Purdue will be more affordable; for students from lower- and many middle-income families, MIT’s need-based aid can make MIT cost less than Purdue, including for out-of-state students.

Purdue’s key advantage is its lower resident tuition. Indiana residents begin with a much lower published price. Nonresidents pay considerably more, however, so the price gap between Purdue and MIT narrows before aid is applied. Purdue offers need-based and merit aid, but an out-of-state student should not assume those awards will reduce the cost to the Indiana-resident level.

MIT’s published cost is much higher, but its financial-aid policy is unusually generous. MIT meets demonstrated financial need with need-based grants and does not require loans in its standard aid package.

Family assets, number of siblings in college, and unusual financial circumstances can matter as much as income. MIT does not award merit scholarships, so a family that is unlikely to qualify for need-based aid may find Purdue, especially at the in-state rate, far less expensive. The most reliable comparison is each school’s net price calculator, since the sticker-price comparison alone is misleading in this particular matchup.