Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University Overview

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, nonprofit school in an urban setting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Carnegie Mellon was founded in 1900 and the school presently has around 15,818 students per year, including 7,365 undergrad students. Carnegie Mellon provides on-campus housing for students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing.

📆 Mark your calendar! The final application deadline for Fall 2023 is January 1. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should hear from Carnegie Mellon by April 1.

Student Involvement at Carnegie Mellon

Interested in music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of the school's theater groups.

Are you interested in journalism and communications? Carnegie Mellon students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? Carnegie Mellon has fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? Carnegie Mellon has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Carnegie Mellon on the Student Life page.

Is Carnegie Mellon a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions difficulty, admitted student statistics, tuition, and financial aid can all provide a sense of how selective a university is.

Let's take a closer look at these areas to get a clearer idea of what Carnegie Mellon offers and if the school seems like a good choice for you.

Carnegie Mellon Acceptance Rate 2022

It is extremely difficult to get into Carnegie Mellon. The university admitted 14% of all applicants in 2022. In 2022, just 4,453 out of the 32,896 students who applied were accepted.

Retention and Graduation Rates at Carnegie Mellon

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. It is a way to measure how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Carnegie Mellon, around 97% come back their sophomore year. Around 93% of students who started at Carnegie Mellon earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.

Job Outlook Carnegie Mellon Graduates

Job placement statistics for recent graduates can give you a sense of the return on investment a school offers.

Check with Carnegie Mellon directly, for information on any information on starting salaries for recent grads.

Carnegie Mellon's Endowment

An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students.

As of 2022, the total market value of Carnegie Mellon University's endowment was $2.1 billion. The average college endowment was $905 million in 2021. The school spends $34,441 for each full-time student enrolled.

Tuition and Financial Aid at Carnegie Mellon

Tuition cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

Carnegie Mellon meets 97.3% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend Carnegie Mellon full-time are awarded $51,560 a year in financial aid, on average.

The average student debt for graduates in the class of 2022 was around $30,652 per student, not including those with no debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA early. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Carnegie Mellon.

Based on this information, is Carnegie Mellon the school for you? Remember, the best school for one person may not be the right school for another! So ask yourself: Is Carnegie Mellon a good school for you?

If Carnegie Mellon University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Exploring Schools?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about Carnegie Mellon:

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Where is Carnegie Mellon?

Carnegie Mellon is located in the urban setting of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, less than an hour from Pittsburgh.

If you would like to see Carnegie Mellon for yourself, be sure to plan a visit! The best way to reach campus is to take Interstate 376 to Pittsburgh, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Pittsburgh International Airport.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Carnegie Mellon and Pittsburgh are like without leaving home.

Considering Going to School in Pennsylvania?

See a full list of colleges in Pennsylvania and save your favorites to your college list.