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Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Private, a large city · 7,304 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into CMU?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
11.7%
33,707 applied
SAT, middle half
1500 to 1570
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
34 to 35
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Required
Depends on the college: the School of Computer Science requires an SAT or ACT score; Engineering, Dietrich, Information Systems, Science and Business are test flexible (a score is required to complete the application); the College of Fine Arts is test optional.
What they look at
  • High school GPARequired
  • Class rankConsidered
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programRequired
  • RecommendationsRequired
  • EssayRequired
  • PortfolioRequired

How much does CMU cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees
$68,776
A full year, sticker price
$86,759
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$35,780
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$14,468
$30,001 to $48,000$4,293
$48,001 to $75,000$17,816
$75,001 to $110,000$24,455
Over $110,000$56,003
Room and board on campus
$18,894 a year; $17,084 off campus
Books and supplies
$1,000 a year
The school's own grants
48% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $44,936

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$20K$40K$60K$80K201220142016201820202022CMU

How much do CMU students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$19,000
About $216 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
32%
Get a Pell Grant
19.2%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
1.5%

What do CMU graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$102,216
Ten years after starting
$125,257
Middle half: $74,726 to $209,002
Best-paid program, five years out
$271,805
Computer Science
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$51,643
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft

Do CMU students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
98%
Graduate in six years
94.3%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
94% graduated
3% transferred, 0% still enrolled

Who goes to CMU?

Women
49.1%
First in their family at college
10%
Part-time
2.3%
Students per teacher
5
Background
White 22%, Hispanic 10%, Black 4%, Asian 35%, Two or more 5%, International 19%
Housing
Campus housing, 3,996 beds

What do CMU graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Computer and Information Sciences, General227$137,154$167,793$19,870
Computer Programming0HiddenHiddenHidden
Computer Science525$173,492$271,805$19,000
Computer Software and Media Applications1HiddenHiddenHidden
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications0HiddenHiddenHidden
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management0HiddenHiddenHidden

Engineering

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biological/Biosystems Engineering0HiddenHiddenHidden
Biomedical/Medical Engineering83$88,060$112,390$20,824
Chemical Engineering92$82,295$130,891$21,000
Civil Engineering47$79,750$97,243$21,000
Computer Engineering0HiddenHiddenHidden
Construction Engineering0HiddenHiddenHidden
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians0HiddenHiddenHidden
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering349$150,074$194,896$19,500
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians0HiddenHiddenHidden
Electromechanical Engineering1HiddenHiddenHidden
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians0HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering Mechanics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering Physics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering Science0HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General3HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering-Related Fields0HiddenHiddenHidden
Engineering, General35Hidden$120,035Hidden
Engineering, Other3HiddenHiddenHidden
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering11HiddenHiddenHidden
Manufacturing Engineering0HiddenHiddenHidden
Mechanical Engineering221$89,043$122,102$19,500
Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering45HiddenHiddenHidden
Nanotechnology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Operations Research0HiddenHiddenHidden

Business and commerce

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Business Administration, Management and Operations336$97,419$152,349$19,000
Business/Managerial Economics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations0HiddenHiddenHidden
Finance and Financial Management Services0HiddenHiddenHidden
International Business0HiddenHiddenHidden
Management Information Systems and Services0HiddenHiddenHidden
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods0HiddenHiddenHidden
Marketing0HiddenHiddenHidden

Health sciences and kinesiology

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Health and Medical Administrative Services0HiddenHiddenHidden
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology1HiddenHiddenHidden
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Biology, General46Hidden$72,324$19,000
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology21HiddenHiddenHidden
Biotechnology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy0HiddenHiddenHidden
Natural Resources Conservation and Research7HiddenHiddenHidden
Neurobiology and Neurosciences45$49,430Hidden$19,000
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences1HiddenHiddenHidden

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Applied Mathematics62HiddenHiddenHidden
Astronomy and Astrophysics10HiddenHiddenHidden
Chemistry54Hidden$73,786$20,750
Materials Sciences58$82,424$124,831Hidden
Mathematics55$121,078HiddenHidden
Mathematics and Statistics, Other51$132,059$159,901Hidden
Physical Sciences, General0HiddenHiddenHidden
Physical Sciences, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Physics50HiddenHiddenHidden
Statistics342$116,208$176,087$19,500

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Apparel and Textiles0HiddenHiddenHidden
Archeology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Area Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Economics103$98,098$158,818$19,000
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
International Relations and National Security Studies38HiddenHiddenHidden
Political Science and Government0HiddenHiddenHidden
Psychology, General47$54,429$96,953Hidden
Psychology, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Public Administration0HiddenHiddenHidden
Public Policy Analysis7HiddenHiddenHidden
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication1HiddenHiddenHidden
Social Sciences, Other1HiddenHiddenHidden
Sociology0HiddenHiddenHidden
Urban Studies/Affairs0HiddenHiddenHidden

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics0HiddenHiddenHidden
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics9HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature, General3HiddenHiddenHidden
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other2HiddenHiddenHidden
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics0HiddenHiddenHidden
History20HiddenHiddenHidden
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services6HiddenHiddenHidden
Philosophy27HiddenHiddenHidden
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies28$40,078$74,945Hidden
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics8HiddenHiddenHidden
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics3HiddenHiddenHidden

Education (teaching)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education0HiddenHiddenHidden

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management1HiddenHiddenHidden
Design and Applied Arts79$91,413$131,766$21,000
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft108$39,921$51,643$19,881
Film/Video and Photographic Arts13HiddenHiddenHidden
Fine and Studio Arts35$29,670HiddenHidden
Music57Hidden$66,283$19,500
Visual and Performing Arts, General0HiddenHiddenHidden
Visual and Performing Arts, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden

Architecture and design

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Architectural Sciences and Technology58$57,302HiddenHidden
Architecture26Hidden$70,989Hidden
Environmental Design0HiddenHiddenHidden

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Behavioral Sciences0HiddenHiddenHidden
Biopsychology11HiddenHiddenHidden
Cognitive Science28Hidden$189,418Hidden
Computational Science0HiddenHiddenHidden
Data Analytics0HiddenHiddenHidden
Human Computer Interaction0HiddenHiddenHidden
International/Globalization Studies6HiddenHiddenHidden
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities58Hidden$55,139$22,625
Linguistics and Computer Science0HiddenHiddenHidden
Medieval and Renaissance Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other0HiddenHiddenHidden
Science, Technology and Society1HiddenHiddenHidden
Sustainability Studies0HiddenHiddenHidden
Systems Science and Theory271$106,632$157,826$19,000

Compare CMU with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Or the list of every university, by state.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with Carnegie Mellon University. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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