Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $31,944What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 12%
- Graduation rate
- 93%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 7,304
- In-state tuition
- $66,246Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $66,246
- SAT midpoint
- 1,520
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $114,862Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$31,9441/5
Better than 15% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
93%5/5
Better than 97% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$114,8625/5
Better than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$21,7504/5
Better than 73% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$83,654
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$31,944
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 93% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 98% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $21,750 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $114,862 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $171,264 | 270 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $139,337 | 157 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $95,891 | 151 |
| Systems Science and Theory | $95,598 | 118 |
| Statistics | $93,111 | 172 |
| Economics | $86,284 | 55 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $76,523 | 107 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $66,274 | 42 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $48,514 | 22 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $32,967 | 64 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $32,597 | 13 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Not reported | 111 |
| Chemical Engineering | Not reported | 41 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Not reported | 36 |
| Physics | Not reported | 29 |
| Music | Not reported | 28 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 27 |
| Psychology, General | Not reported | 27 |
| Civil Engineering | Not reported | 26 |
| Materials Sciences | Not reported | 26 |
| Biology, General | Not reported | 25 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 25 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | Not reported | 24 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | Not reported | 24 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | 22 |
| Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering | Not reported | 22 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 22 |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | 20 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | Not reported | 18 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not reported | 15 |
| Cognitive Science | Not reported | 13 |
| Architecture | Not reported | 11 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 10 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Not reported | 8 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | Not reported | 6 |
| History | Not reported | 6 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 6 |
| Biopsychology | Not reported | 5 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 4 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Not reported | 4 |
| East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 4 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Not reported | 3 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | Not reported | 3 |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | Not reported | 3 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 2 |
| Engineering, Other | Not reported | 1 |
| Electromechanical Engineering | Not reported | 1 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Not reported | 1 |
| Social Sciences, Other | Not reported | 1 |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | Not reported | 1 |
| Science, Technology and Society | Not reported | 1 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Political Science and Government | Not reported | Not reported |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Not reported | Not reported |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Marketing | Not reported | Not reported |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Physical Sciences, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Area Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Not reported | Not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | Not reported | Not reported |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | Not reported | Not reported |
| Behavioral Sciences | Not reported | Not reported |
| Physical Sciences, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| International Business | Not reported | Not reported |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Not reported | Not reported |
| Environmental Design | Not reported | Not reported |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Psychology, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer Programming | Not reported | Not reported |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | Not reported | Not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering Physics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other | Not reported | Not reported |
| Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education | Not reported | Not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | Not reported | Not reported |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Urban Studies/Affairs | Not reported | Not reported |
| Operations Research | Not reported | Not reported |
| Medieval and Renaissance Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Nanotechnology | Not reported | Not reported |
All 91 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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