Carnegie Mellon University
Private nonprofit four-year university in Pittsburgh, PA that costs an average of $35,780 a year after financial aid, admits 12% of applicants and graduates 94% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$35,780
Acceptance rate
12%
Graduation rate
94%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$125,257
Private nonprofitLarge city7,304 undergraduates
Cost of Carnegie Mellon University
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $86,759 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $68,776 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $18,894 |
| Books and supplies | $1,000 |
| Average net price after aid | $35,780 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $14,468 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $4,293 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $17,816 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $24,455 |
| $110,001+ | $56,003 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships. Get your own estimate with Carnegie Mellon University's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 12% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,546 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 730–770 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 770–800 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 34–35 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 94% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $102,216 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $125,257 |
| Rank in Pennsylvania (earnings) | 1st of 113 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $19,000 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $216 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 19% |
| Students with federal loans | 32% |
Majors and programs at Carnegie Mellon University
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (114)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 525 | $173,492 | $19,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 349 | $150,074 | $19,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 227 | $137,154 | $19,870 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | 51 | $132,059 | — |
| Mathematics | 55 | $121,078 | — |
| Statistics | 342 | $116,208 | $19,500 |
| Systems Science and Theory | 271 | $106,632 | $19,000 |
| Economics | 103 | $98,098 | $19,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 336 | $97,419 | $19,000 |
| Design and Applied Arts | 79 | $91,413 | $21,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 221 | $89,043 | $19,500 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 83 | $88,060 | $20,824 |
| Materials Sciences | 58 | $82,424 | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 92 | $82,295 | $21,000 |
| Civil Engineering | 47 | $79,750 | $21,000 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 58 | $57,302 | — |
| Psychology | 47 | $54,429 | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 45 | $49,430 | $19,000 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 28 | $40,078 | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 108 | $39,921 | $19,881 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 35 | $29,670 | — |
| Anthropology | — | — | — |
| Apparel and Textiles | — | — | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 62 | — | — |
| Archeology | — | — | — |
| Architecture | 26 | — | — |
| Area Studies | — | — | — |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 1 | — | — |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | 10 | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | — | — | — |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | — | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 1 | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | — | — | — |
| Biology | 46 | — | $19,000 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 21 | — | — |
| Biopsychology | 11 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | — | — | — |
| Business/Managerial Economics | — | — | — |
| Chemistry | 54 | — | $20,750 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Cognitive Science | 28 | — | — |
| Computational Science | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | — | — | — |
| Computer Programming | — | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 1 | — | — |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | — | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Construction Engineering | — | — | — |
| Data Analytics | — | — | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | — | — | — |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 9 | — | — |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | — | — | — |
| Electromechanical Engineering | 1 | — | — |
| Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians | — | — | — |
| Engineering | 35 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | — | — | — |
| Engineering Physics | — | — | — |
| Engineering Science | — | — | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 3 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | — | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | 3 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 3 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | — | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | — | — | — |
| Environmental Design | — | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 11 | — | — |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | — | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | — | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 13 | — | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | — | — | — |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | 2 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | — | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | — | — | — |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| History | 20 | — | — |
| Human Computer Interaction | — | — | — |
| International Business | — | — | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 38 | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 6 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 58 | — | $22,625 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 6 | — | — |
| Linguistics and Computer Science | — | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | — | — | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | — | — | — |
| Marketing | — | — | — |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | 45 | — | — |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | — | — | — |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | — | — | — |
| Music | 57 | — | $19,500 |
| Nanotechnology | — | — | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 7 | — | — |
| Operations Research | — | — | — |
| Philosophy | 27 | — | — |
| Physical Sciences | — | — | — |
| Physical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Physics | 50 | — | — |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | — | — | — |
| Psychology, Other | — | — | — |
| Public Administration | — | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 7 | — | — |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | 1 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 8 | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | 1 | — | — |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | 1 | — | — |
| Sociology | — | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | — | — | — |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | — | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | — | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (70)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 652 | $166,093 | $99,122 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 779 | $157,567 | $57,062 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 1,910 | $139,825 | $65,734 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | 207 | $126,849 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 347 | $108,718 | $57,062 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 499 | $103,165 | $53,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 147 | $94,350 | $72,500 |
| Public Policy Analysis | 117 | $80,486 | $63,052 |
| Public Administration | 30 | $73,597 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 132 | $73,181 | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 33 | $69,636 | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 53 | $57,438 | $77,283 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 113 | $53,641 | $73,807 |
| Music | 89 | $32,360 | $41,000 |
| Applied Mathematics | 193 | — | — |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 67 | — | — |
| Architecture | — | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 2 | — | — |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Biological/Biosystems Engineering | 20 | — | — |
| Biology | 2 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 95 | — | — |
| Biotechnology | 20 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 83 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 9 | — | — |
| Computational Science | 200 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 439 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 142 | — | — |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 158 | — | $161,583 |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | 241 | — | — |
| Construction Engineering | 2 | — | — |
| Data Analytics | 126 | — | $52,000 |
| Data Science | 17 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | — | — | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 30 | — | — |
| Economics | 10 | — | — |
| Engineering | 31 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | 6 | — | — |
| Engineering Science | 35 | — | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 95 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 170 | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | 101 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | — |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 18 | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 1 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 13 | — | — |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | — | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 62 | — | — |
| History | 7 | — | — |
| Human Computer Interaction | 56 | — | — |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | 15 | — | — |
| Journalism | — | — | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 12 | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | 5 | — | — |
| Manufacturing Engineering | 5 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 88 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 32 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 1 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 11 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 12 | — | — |
| Physics | 20 | — | — |
| Psychology | 5 | — | — |
| Psychology, Other | — | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | — | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | — | — | — |
| Statistics | 61 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 43 | — | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts | 4 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (53)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applied Mathematics | 1 | — | — |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | 5 | — | — |
| Architecture | — | — | — |
| Behavioral Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | — | — | — |
| Biology | 13 | — | — |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | 16 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 18 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | — | — | — |
| Chemical Engineering | 25 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 23 | — | — |
| Civil Engineering | 22 | — | — |
| Cognitive Science | — | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 93 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 8 | — | — |
| Computer Science | 57 | — | — |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | — | — | — |
| Construction Engineering | 3 | — | — |
| Data Analytics | 3 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 10 | — | — |
| Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 5 | — | — |
| Economics | 1 | — | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 71 | — | — |
| Engineering | 26 | — | — |
| Engineering Mechanics | 4 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 2 | — | — |
| Engineering, Other | 3 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | — | — | — |
| English Language and Literature/Letters, Other | 4 | — | — |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 1 | — | — |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | 8 | — | — |
| History | — | — | — |
| Management Information Systems and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 10 | — | — |
| Materials Sciences | 43 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 17 | — | — |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | — | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 66 | — | — |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | 44 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 14 | — | — |
| Operations Research | 6 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 5 | — | — |
| Physics | 20 | — | — |
| Psychology | 2 | — | — |
| Psychology, Other | — | — | — |
| Public Administration | — | — | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | 1 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 6 | — | — |
| Science, Technology and Society | — | — | — |
| Social Sciences, Other | 1 | — | — |
| Statistics | 19 | — | — |
| Systems Science and Theory | 1 | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (10)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 3 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 12 | — | — |
| Computational Science | 3 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | — | — | — |
| Computer Engineering | 1 | — | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 112 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | — | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | — | — | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | 4 | — | — |
| Music | 79 | — | — |
Similar colleges in Pennsylvania
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova University | Villanova | $41,536 | 27% | $115,382 |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | $25,272 | 26% | $116,342 |
| Duquesne University | Pittsburgh | $37,704 | 84% | $81,698 |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | $29,577 | 5.4% | $121,687 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | Philadelphia | $33,840 | 89% | $85,980 |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | $37,529 | 79% | $92,338 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg | $50,021 | 29% | $109,954 |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia | $25,555 | 81% | $78,311 |
About Carnegie Mellon University
| Type | Private nonprofit four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Pittsburgh, PA |
| Setting | Large city |
| Undergraduates | 7,304 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 5 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Middle States Commission on Higher Education |
| Website | cmu.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is Carnegie Mellon University's acceptance rate?
Carnegie Mellon University admits 12% of applicants, making it highly selective. Admitted students average 1,546 on the SAT.
How much does Carnegie Mellon University cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $86,759 a year (tuition and fees: $68,776). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $35,780 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $14,468.
How much do Carnegie Mellon University graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $125,257 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 1st of 113 similar colleges in Pennsylvania. The best-paid bachelor's program is computer science ($173,492 a year after graduation).
What is Carnegie Mellon University's graduation rate?
94% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 98% of first-year students return for a second year.