A private R1 research university in Pittsburgh, PA, admitting 11.66% of applicants with $114,862 median earnings at ten years.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Carnegie Mellon University is a private R1 research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as Carnegie Technical Schools and achieving university status in 1967 following a merger with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research. It enrolls 7,304 undergraduates and 8,511 graduate students across seven colleges: the School of Computer Science (SCS), the Carnegie Institute of Technology (College of Engineering), the Tepper School of Business, the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Fine Arts (CFA), the Mellon College of Science, and the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy.
Computer science, engineering, mathematics, and business account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. Carnegie Mellon holds a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity (R1) Carnegie classification and is accredited through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). Carnegie Mellon is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required.
Official website: cmu.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), Carnegie Mellon scores 81.95 overall, rated Strong. Outcomes (97.93) reflects a 94.13% six-year graduation rate and six-year median earnings of $105,360, the highest in this peer group. Value scores 76.93, reflecting strong graduate outcomes partially offset by an average net price of $31,944 that is high relative to peers. Affordability scores 10.87, the weakest pillar, driven by a high average net price and a federal loan rate of 33.57%. All scores use verified federal data only.
Carnegie Mellon is among the most selective universities in the country, admitting 11.66% of applicants. Carnegie Mellon is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. Students who submit scores typically average 1,546 on the SAT, with the middle 50% ACT range between 34 and 35. Carnegie Mellon uses the Common App with supplemental essays tailored to the applicant's chosen college.
The Early Decision deadline is November 1 (binding); the Regular Decision deadline is January 1. Students apply directly to one of Carnegie Mellon's seven colleges, and the admissions standards differ by school: the School of Computer Science and College of Engineering are the most competitive, while the College of Fine Arts requires a portfolio or audition. The applicant pool is heavily concentrated in computer science, engineering, and related fields.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Carnegie Mellon University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Carnegie Mellon charges $66,246 in tuition plus $18,166 in room and board, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $84,000 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $31,944. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $9,097. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the average net price is $6,994. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $24,865. For families earning above $110,000, it averages $51,480. Carnegie Mellon's federal loan rate of 33.57% reflects that aid packages have historically included loans; the average median debt among completers is $21,750.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $75 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
Carnegie Mellon completes the large majority of the students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 94.13% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. First-year retention stands at 97.50%. Carnegie Mellon's federal loan rate of 33.57% and median debt of $21,750 are higher than at Ivy League schools with no-loan policies, reflecting different aid structures.
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn substantially above the national median for private research universities. Median earnings are $105,360 six years after first enrolling and $114,862 at ten years, the highest six-year earnings figure of any institution in this peer group. At the ten-year mark, 91.47% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate.
The earnings profile reflects Carnegie Mellon's concentration in computer science, software engineering, and electrical and computer engineering, fields that command above-market starting salaries in technology, finance, and research. Computer science and engineering graduates from CMU's SCS and CIT programs are among the most recruited in the country, with strong placement at major technology and financial services firms.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Carnegie Mellon enrolls 7,304 undergraduates on the main Homewood campus in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with additional campuses in Silicon Valley and the Middle East. Asian students account for 34.49% of undergraduates; white 21.59%, Hispanic 9.98%, and Black 4.00%. International students (non-resident aliens) account for 19.06% of undergraduates, reflecting Carnegie Mellon's global reputation in technology and engineering.
Sixteen percent of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 9.95% are first-generation college students. Pittsburgh has emerged as a major technology hub with significant presence from Google, Uber's autonomous vehicle research, and numerous CMU spinout companies in robotics and AI; the city's lower cost of living relative to San Francisco or New York is a genuine advantage for students entering the job market.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Carnegie Mellon University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Carnegie Mellon University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 150 distinct programs across 20 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
Carnegie Mellon operates at a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio, among the lowest at any research university in the country. 92.47% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $41,024 per year. The endowment stands at $5.56 billion.
Carnegie Mellon is home to the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), funded by the Department of Defense; the National Robotics Engineering Center; and CyLab, one of the largest university-based security and privacy research programs in the world. The School of Computer Science is consistently ranked first or second globally across computer science, machine learning, and robotics specializations.
1,235 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 429 | 35% | $189,037 |
| Associate Professors | 288 | 23% | $133,615 |
| Assistant Professors | 296 | 24% | $118,913 |
| Instructors | 1 | 0% | $187,560 |
| No Rank | 221 | 18% | $60,107 |
Carnegie Mellon's defining strengths are its SCS computer science program (consistently ranked #1 or #2 globally), a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio, six-year median earnings of $105,360 (highest in this peer group), and depth of research infrastructure in robotics, AI, and cybersecurity. UCD 81.95 Strong reflects these strengths, with Outcomes at 97.93. The trade-offs are primarily financial: Affordability scores 10.87, the lowest of any Strong-rated institution; the average net price of $31,944 is high relative to comparably selective schools; and the 33.57% federal loan rate and $21,750 median debt signal that aid packages have historically included loans.
Pittsburgh is a genuine asset for students who prefer a city with lower cost of living and a growing tech sector over the higher-cost markets of New York or San Francisco. Best fit for students targeting computer science, engineering, robotics, AI, architecture, or the arts-technology intersection who have strong academic profiles and either qualify for need-based aid or are full-pay.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about Carnegie Mellon: how selective admissions are, which programs are strongest, how financial aid works, and what graduates earn.
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