Mid AtlanticUrbanPrivate4-yearEngineering+ Reach

Carnegie Mellon University

A reach for almost every applicant, including very strong ones.

Pittsburgh, PA7,187 students
Acceptance Rate
12%
highly selective
Median SAT
1,535
Middle 50%: 1500–1570
Net Price After Aid
$31.7k
Sticker $63.8k
Graduation Rate
93%
6-year, full-time

Carnegie Mellon University is a private institution in Pittsburgh, PA with an acceptance rate of 12% and 7,187 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score 1500–1570 on the SAT and present an average GPA near 3.85. The average net price after financial aid is $31,671 per year.

About Carnegie Mellon University

A private 4-year urban university in Pittsburgh, PA.

Carnegie Mellon University is a college in Pittsburgh, PA. It enrolls roughly 7,187 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 12%. Admitted students typically score between 1500 and 1570 on the SAT.

Mid AtlanticUrbanPrivate4-yearEngineering
Acceptance Rate
12%
Highly Selective
Total Enrollment
7,187
Medium
Retention
97%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
93%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

A clear-eyed view of how your profile compares to admitted students — and the things that would move your odds the most.

Acceptance Rate
12%
12 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
Sign in to see your personalized probability.
Admitted Student GPA
3.85
Average across admitted students

Carnegie Mellon University is a reach school for the average admitted student profile. A reach for almost every applicant, including very strong ones. Here is what would make your application as competitive as possible.

Things that would move your odds the most

  1. Aim for an SAT of 1500+
    Hitting the 25th percentile puts you in the competitive range for admitted students.
  2. Maintain a GPA of 3.85 or higher
    Admitted students typically present grades at or above this level.
  3. Build a single deep extracurricular peak
    Depth beats breadth at selective schools — one nationally-visible accomplishment outperforms ten clubs.
  4. Strengthen one teacher recommendation
    A specific, personal letter from a teacher who knows your work moves the needle.

Probability is based on a model trained on historical admissions data. It is a guide, not a guarantee. Admissions decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into Carnegie Mellon University. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Admitted student profile

Range shown is the middle 50%.

SAT
composite, 1600 scale
1,5001,570
1,535
average
ACT
composite, 36 scale
3435
35
average
GPA
weighted, 4.5 max
3.85
average

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at Carnegie Mellon University after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
Tuition $63,829
Average net price after aid
$31,671
After grants and scholarships

Net price by family income

Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.

$0 – $30,000
$8,460
$30,001 – $48,000
$12,600
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,534
$75,001 – $110,000
N/A
$110,001 +
$52,593

Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.

Pell Grant Recipients
15%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
36%
Avg loan $20,250 / year
Avg Grant Aid
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at Carnegie Mellon University concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Engineering
22% of degrees awarded
Retention
97%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends Carnegie Mellon University. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Race & ethnicity

  • White24%
  • Asian38%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Black4%
  • International21%

Gender

  • Female47%
  • Male53%
International
19%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
7,187

Outcomes after graduation

What Carnegie Mellon University graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
$115k
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
93%
6-year, full-time

What this means

$115k is well above the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 93% graduation rate puts Carnegie Mellon University in the top tier nationally.

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