# Carnegie Mellon University

Private nonprofit college in Pittsburgh, PA. IPEDS ID 211440.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 12% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $31,944 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 94%; beats 98% of PA colleges and 98% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $114,862; beats 100% of PA colleges and 99% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $20,250

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,097 |
| 30-48k | $6,994 |
| 48-75k | $14,468 |
| 75-110k | $24,865 |
| 110k+ | $51,480 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.16 years on average (79% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $114,862 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $9,097 | $37,844 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $6,994 | $29,095 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $14,468 | $60,187 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $24,865 | $103,438 | 1.3 years |
| 110k+ | $51,480 | $214,157 | 2.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $83,654
- Tuition and fees: $66,246
- Housing and meals: $17,468; books: $1,000

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 730–770; SAT math: 770–800; ACT: 34–35 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 33,707 applicants, 3,843 admitted, 1,708 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 12%, ACT 34–35 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 11%, ACT 34–35 (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2024-25 (Fall 2024)
- Very important: rigor, class rank, gpa, extracurriculars, character, volunteer; important: essay, recommendations, talent, first generation; considered: test scores, geography, work experience
- Early decision: not reported; early action: no; waitlist: yes
- Average high school GPA of enrolled first-years: 3.89
- Source: https://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/pdf/cds_2025_26/cds_2025_full_pdf.pdf

## Majors (91 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $171,264 | $268,121 | $21,442 |
| Electrical Engineering | $139,337 | $250,168 | $22,250 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | $187,437 | not reported |
| Cognitive Science | not reported | $162,106 | not reported |
| Business Administration | $95,891 | $160,783 | $23,250 |
| Statistics | $93,111 | $156,743 | $21,375 |
| Systems Science and Theory | $95,598 | $146,929 | $23,250 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | not reported | $145,741 | not reported |
| Economics | $86,284 | $144,886 | $22,020 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $66,274 | $138,588 | $24,500 |
| Materials Sciences | not reported | $119,715 | not reported |
| Chemical Engineering | not reported | $110,378 | $23,125 |
| Engineering | not reported | $110,208 | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | not reported | $109,648 | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | $76,523 | $105,623 | $22,777 |
| Civil Engineering | not reported | $105,199 | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | $82,433 | not reported |
| Architecture | not reported | $73,439 | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | $71,205 | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | $62,027 | $25,515 |
| Studio Art | $32,597 | $53,726 | $21,500 |
| Theatre | $32,967 | $40,073 | $25,000 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $48,514 | not reported | $29,000 |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Programming | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Software and Media Applications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Information Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Operations Research | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electromechanical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nanotechnology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Classics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | $23,506 |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biopsychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Science, Technology and Society | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Behavioral Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physical Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Policy Analysis | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Relations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Urban Studies / Affairs | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Social Sciences, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | $24,431 |
| Arts and Entertainment Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Computer Science → Software developer: median wage $124,500 (Pittsburgh, PA), $126,550 (PA), $135,980 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $85,990 (Pittsburgh, PA), $93,830 (PA), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).