Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private · Large city · Carnegie R1/R2 · CMU · Carnegie Mellon
Private institution in Pittsburgh, PA · 7,187 undergraduates · 11% acceptance rate · $114,862 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 1%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 1%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 1%Average SAT
- Top 1%Median ACT
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $31,6711,770th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $63,8291,964th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $63,8291,964th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $80,5141,902nd cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,750859th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $114,86214th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $105,36010th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 92.5%59th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 97.0%88th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 11.4%41st most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 154510th highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 349th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 7,187356th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 5.0:159th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 15.2%1,907th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 168 mi (IAD)
On 16 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
- Social Sciences#2
- Business#3
- Visual & Performing Arts#3
- Most Selective Colleges in Pennsylvania#3
- Multidisciplinary Studies#4
- Best Early-Career Earnings, 6 Years After Enrolling#6
- Philosophy & Religious Studies#6
- Mathematics & Statistics#8
- Physical Sciences#8
- Appear on the Most Lists#8
- the Highest SAT Averages#10
- Graduates Earn the Most 10 Years Out#11
- Architecture#12
- Best Student-to-Faculty Ratios#13
- Resume Signal — Top 100 Undergraduate Brands#16
- Computer Science#19
Applying
- EDNov 3
- RDJan 5
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $75
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- Yes
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 86 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | bachelors | $156,488 | $160,116 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $118,465 | $114,223 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, OtherMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $106,421 | — |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $97,071 | $95,295 |
| Systems Science and TheoryMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $89,968 | $84,393 |
| StatisticsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $87,183 | $88,506 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $81,997 | $80,196 |
| Design and Applied ArtsVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | $80,391 | $89,859 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $77,401 | $75,432 |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $74,845 | $69,338 |
| MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $72,899 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $71,575 | $94,408 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1900source
- Athletic nickname: "Tartans"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIIsource
- School colors: Red and Blacksource
- Mascot: Scotty the Scottish Terriersource
- Motto: ""My heart is in the work" – Andrew Carnegie"source
- Campus size: about 157 acressource
- Formerly known as "Carnegie Technical Schools" (1900–1912)source
- Formerly known as "Carnegie Institute of Technology" (1912–1967)source
- Formerly known as "Mellon Institute of Industrial Research" (1913–1967)source
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]]}} institutionsource
- Plays for the "Academic Bowl" (since 1986)source
- 3 Nobel laureates affiliatedsource
- Fight song: ""Fight for the Glory of Carnegie""source
- Notable alum: Andy Warholsource
- Notable alum: Kurt Vonnegutsource
- Notable alum: Ethan Hawkesource
- Notable alum: Holly Huntersource
- Notable alum: John L. Hallsource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division III with football · NCAA Division III
Athletic scholarships not allowed · Athletic aid $0 (M $0 · W $0)
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Athletic scholarships are not allowed by association rule; non-athletic merit or need-based aid may still be available.
Campus news
- Where Cybersecurity Research Could Make the Biggest Difference
- Carnegie Mellon University Reaches Historic High at No. 14 in U.S. News Rankings, Takes No. 1 Spot for Computer Science
- Michael Luca Named Director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Block Center for Technology and Society
- Global Conference in Pittsburgh Puts Carnegie Mellon’s Robotics Leadership in the Spotlight
- CMU Cognitive Psychologist’s Work Has Generated Over 14,000 Language Studies
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to Carnegie Mellon University’s 7,187 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In PA
- Villanova UniversityVillanova, PA · 7,005 undergrads
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main CampusIndiana, PA · 6,893 undergrads
- Slippery Rock University of PennsylvaniaSlippery Rock, PA · 6,728 undergrads
- Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown, PA · 6,348 undergrads
- Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · 8,134 undergrads
- Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA · 5,803 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Loyola Marymount UniversityLos Angeles, CA · 7,171 undergrads
- Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL · 7,171 undergrads
- State College of Florida-Manatee-SarasotaBradenton, FL · 7,161 undergrads
- Marshall UniversityHuntington, WV · 7,149 undergrads
- Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN · 7,143 undergrads
- Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WI · 7,238 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitecmu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 211440)
- Compare colleges in PARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in PennsylvaniaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Villanova UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: Carnegie Mellon University vs Villanova UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.