Carnegie Mellon University
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Net price / year
$31,944
after grants & scholarships
higher than 84% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
12%
Graduation rate
93%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$132,971
4 years after graduating
higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Carnegie Mellon University at a glance
- What is the tuition at Carnegie Mellon University?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $66,246 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at Carnegie Mellon University?
- The average cost of attendance is $83,654 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Carnegie Mellon University?
- The average net price is $31,944 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Carnegie Mellon University?
- About 12% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- What SAT and ACT scores are typical at Carnegie Mellon University?
- The middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores had an SAT total of about 1500–1570 and an ACT composite of 34–35 (fall 2024). Test policy reported: Considered if submitted, but not required.
- What is the graduation rate at Carnegie Mellon University?
- 93% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn?
- The median graduate earns $132,971 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- Graduates earn a median $132,971 four years after finishing, more than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- 93% of students graduate on time or within 150% of normal time, higher than 98% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Only 12% of applicants are admitted, which makes this a highly selective school.
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 1.3 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- At $31,944 a year, the average net price is higher than 84% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Carnegie Mellon University
Average net price
$31,944 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Carnegie Mellon University net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$127,776
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $9,097
- $30–48k $6,994
- $48–75k $14,468
- $75–110k $24,865
- $110k+ $51,480
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $83,654
- Tuition & fees$66,246
- Books & supplies$1,000
- Room & board$18,166
- Other expenses$1,400
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $66,246
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $66,246
Carnegie Mellon University acceptance rate and SAT/ACT scores
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Carnegie Mellon University
Graduation rate
93%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
98%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$231
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
1.3 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.2×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 2.1%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 94%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $72,560 · median $114,862 · 75th percentile $182,769
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Carnegie Mellon University ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 121 | $268,121 | 1 yr$171,2644 yrs$268,1215 yrs$251,632 | U.S. median $107,009 U.S. middle half $74.8K–$152K · Above the U.S. median | $21,442 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering Bachelor's · Graduates: 113 | $250,168 | 1 yr$139,3374 yrs$250,1685 yrs$183,814 | U.S. median $100,647 U.S. middle half $84.6K–$122.4K · Above the U.S. median | $22,224 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 43 | $187,437 | — | U.S. median $92,374 U.S. middle half $64.2K–$128.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Cognitive Science Bachelor's · Graduates: 16 Small sample | $162,106 | — | U.S. median $81,496 U.S. middle half $53.3K–$130.4K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's · Graduates: 119 | $160,783 | 1 yr$95,8914 yrs$160,7835 yrs$159,088 | U.S. median $68,257 U.S. middle half $47.6K–$93.6K · Above the U.S. median | $23,250 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 86 | $156,743 | 1 yr$93,1114 yrs$156,7435 yrs$155,025 | U.S. median $92,425 U.S. middle half $64.6K–$125.5K · Above the U.S. median | $21,000 |
| Systems Science and Theory Bachelor's · Graduates: 91 | $146,929 | 1 yr$95,5984 yrs$146,9295 yrs$133,740 | U.S. median $88,036 U.S. middle half $56.2K–$134.9K · Above the U.S. median | $23,250 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other Bachelor's · Graduates: 22 Small sample | $145,741 | — | U.S. median $88,839 U.S. middle half $63.9K–$125.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 46 | $144,886 | 1 yr$86,2844 yrs$144,8865 yrs$132,407 | U.S. median $82,686 U.S. middle half $58.2K–$116.3K · Above the U.S. median | $22,020 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 41 | $138,588 | 1 yr$66,2744 yrs$138,588 | U.S. median $51,490 U.S. middle half $33K–$70.6K · Above the U.S. median | $24,500 |
Show all 22 programs
| Materials Sciences Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $119,715 | 4 yrs$119,7155 yrs$82,065 | U.S. median $94,684 U.S. middle half $73.4K–$112.8K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 57 | $110,378 | 4 yrs$110,3785 yrs$122,523 | U.S. median $98,158 U.S. middle half $80.3K–$118K · Above the U.S. median | $23,125 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 26 Small sample | $110,208 | — | U.S. median $89,359 U.S. middle half $73.4K–$108.8K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering Bachelor's · Graduates: 38 | $109,648 | — | U.S. median $93,451 U.S. middle half $74.1K–$113.9K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 116 | $105,623 | 1 yr$76,5234 yrs$105,6235 yrs$115,666 | U.S. median $92,135 U.S. middle half $77.7K–$109.1K · Above the U.S. median | $22,777 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 29 Small sample | $105,199 | 4 yrs$105,1995 yrs$106,890 | U.S. median $86,517 U.S. middle half $73.9K–$101.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $82,433 | 4 yrs$82,4335 yrs$59,771 | U.S. median $50,706 U.S. middle half $35.7K–$67.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 26 Small sample | $73,439 | 4 yrs$73,4395 yrs$75,908 | U.S. median $66,914 U.S. middle half $54.2K–$78.6K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies Bachelor's · Graduates: 28 Small sample | $71,205 | 4 yrs$71,2055 yrs$92,686 | U.S. median $48,471 U.S. middle half $32.2K–$67.3K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $62,027 | 4 yrs$62,0275 yrs$53,183 | U.S. median $53,072 U.S. middle half $35.8K–$73.3K · Above the U.S. median | $25,515 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 21 Small sample | $53,726 | 1 yr$32,5974 yrs$53,726 | U.S. median $41,367 U.S. middle half $26.2K–$56.7K · Above the U.S. median | $21,281 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft Bachelor's · Graduates: 65 | $40,073 | 1 yr$32,9674 yrs$40,0735 yrs$26,137 | U.S. median $39,775 U.S. middle half $25.5K–$55.4K · Above the U.S. median | $25,000 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 21.6%
- Black or African American 4%
- Hispanic or Latino 10%
- Asian 34.5%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0%
- Two or more races 5.4%
- U.S. nonresident 19.1%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 5.5%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 50.9%
- Women 49.1%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
1%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 7,304
- Part-time students
- 2%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 16%
- Receive federal loans
- 34%
- Students per faculty member
- 5 : 1
- Setting
- City
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Net price $28,699Earnings $124,586
-
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA
Net price $36,931Earnings $101,748
-
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
Net price $34,433Earnings $91,758
-
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA
Net price $38,509Earnings $91,041
-
Duke University
Durham, NC
Net price $29,612Earnings $115,722
-
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Net price $29,167Earnings $109,275
Where it ranks
This college appears in the top 50 of these TuitionScope rankings.
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania
National rankings
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Carnegie Mellon University?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Carnegie Mellon University reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $66,246. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Carnegie Mellon University?
The average cost of attendance at Carnegie Mellon University is $83,654 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $31,944 a year. That is higher than 84% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Carnegie Mellon University get?
16% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 34% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $9,097 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $51,480 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Carnegie Mellon University?
Carnegie Mellon University admitted about 12% of applicants in fall 2024. That makes admission highly selective.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Carnegie Mellon University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% had an SAT total of about 1500–1570 and an ACT composite of 34–35 (fall 2024). That is a guide, not a cutoff. Reported test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Carnegie Mellon University?
93% of first-time, full-time students at Carnegie Mellon University finish within 150% of normal time. 98% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Carnegie Mellon University graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $132,971 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $88,268.
Is Carnegie Mellon University worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Carnegie Mellon University, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 1.3 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $21,750, about 0.2 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 93% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things