Private, non-profit Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of those schools that offer a big education – one that some students might overlook.

One often things of state schools and Ivy Leaguers, like neighboring Harvard, when it comes to quality, but don’t overlook this gem nestled on 168 acres in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

MIT’s school of architecture was the first in the country and is well-known worldwide. MIT has been ranked by “Forbes” and “Washington Monthly” as one of the top universities nationwide. Its school of engineering has been ranked first for its undergraduate and graduate programs by “U.S. News & World Report.”

MIT has a long list of notable alumni, including Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin and former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. MIT offers degrees from a number of schools, including its schools of architecture and planning, the Sloan School of Management and the Whitaker College of Health Sciences and Technology.

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