Carnegie Mellon University — College Profile

About

Carnegie Mellon University is a world-renowned private research institution celebrated for its powerhouse programs in computer science, robotics, engineering, business, and the dramatic arts. Distinctively bridging cutting-edge technology with creative innovation, the university uniquely houses both elite technical divisions like the School of Computer Science alongside prestigious conservatory training within the College of Fine Arts. Campus life is fast-paced, intensely collaborative, and populated by passionate problem-solvers, all tied together by beloved traditions like the annual student-engineered Buggy races and the continuous repainting of the historic campus Fence.

Wikipedia:Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. In 1912, it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology and began granting four-year degrees. In 1967, it became Carnegie Mellon University through its merger with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research, founded in 1913 by Andrew Mellon and Richard B. Mellon and formerly a part of the University of Pittsburgh.

Location

Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-3890 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

PIT · Pittsburgh

16 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

These figures are federal data and may be out of date.

YoursEveryone

Tuition & fees$66,246

Housing & food (on campus)$18,166

Books & supplies$1,000

Cost of attendance$83,654

Average net price$31,944

Same price for all students

Tuition & fees$66,246

Housing & food (on campus)$18,166

Books & supplies$1,000

Cost of attendance$83,654

Average net price$31,944

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Net price by family income · 2023-24

$0–30k

$9,097

$30–48k

$6,994

$48–75k

$14,468

$75–110k

$24,865

$110k+

$51,480

Your family's actual price → Carnegie Mellon University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$12,949

First-years who got one32

Source: Carnegie Mellon University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

93%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

81%

Back for yr 2

98%

Transferred

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

93% graduated · 3% transferred · 4% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$105,360

10 yrs after entry$114,862

Debt

Median at graduation$21,750

Monthly payment$231

Middle 50% owe$14k–$30.8k

90th percentile$37,912

Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: 70% graduate within 6 yrs, $63,395 earned 10 yrs after entry.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

12%

Test policy

Test optional

Checked Sep 2026

SAT average

1546

R 730–770 · M 770–800

ACT midpoint

Comp 34–35 · E 33–36 · M 34–36

SAT middle 50%: 1500–1570

40080012001600

Application deadlines · first-year, fall 2027 entry

Early Decision

Nov 2 2026

binding in 31 days

If admitted, you must enroll and withdraw other applications.

Regular Decision

Jan 4 2027

in 94 days

Not binding: the standard deadline.

Checked Sep 2026 · cmu.edu · Confirm on the school's site before you apply.

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at Carnegie Mellon University: Important (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: Carnegie Mellon University's Common Data Set for 2025-26 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

If Carnegie Mellon University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 51%Women 49%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

5 : 1

Pell grant

16%

First-gen

10%

Family income

$91,372

Age at entry

19.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

22%

Hispanic

10%

Black

Asian

34%

Two or more

Non-resident

19%

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division III with football · EADA 2024-25

Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$105,360

After 10 yrs

$114,862

Computer Science270

Statistics172

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering157

Business Administration, Management and Operations151

Systems Science and Theory118

Computer and Information Sciences, General111

Mechanical Engineering107

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft64

Economics55

Design and Applied Arts42

Chemical Engineering41

Biomedical/Medical Engineering36

Physics29

Music28

Mathematics27

Psychology, General27

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$3.2B

Full-time faculty

92%

Faculty salary

$13,972/mo

Teaching spend

$41,024

per student

Federal loans

34%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R1 — very high research

$505M research spending · 346 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, more selective admissions