STAT+: MIT says research has fallen 10%, and grad student enrollment is down

STAT PlusPolitics MIT says research has fallen 10 percent, and grad student enrollment is down Graduate admissions for the 2026-2027 academic year are down 20 percent Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Aidan Ryan — Boston GlobeMay 14, 2026 MIT President Sally Kornbluth said Thursday that the school’s research enterprise has shrunk 10 percent from a year ago and warned of a persistent drop in graduate admissions as the university grapples with federal funding challenges and policy changes. Kornbluth — who spoke in a video message — said that federal funding cuts, an increased taxes on large university endowments, and changes in immigration policies that have discouraged international students from applying have contributed to the drop in research funding and admitted graduate students.Advertisement “The fact is that we’re looking at a real drop in research being done by the people of MIT,” Kornbluth said. “Frankly, it’s a loss for the nation.

When you shrink the pipeline of basic discovery research, you choke off the flow of future solutions, innovations and cures — and you shrink the supply of future scientists.” STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account?

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