National university
#6 Best colleges for marketing in AmericaCarnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $31,944 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,750 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best colleges for marketing in America#6 of 834
- Best colleges for finance in America#6 of 744
- Best colleges for business in America#19 of 1,563
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#9 of 704
- Best colleges for education in America#20 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#20 of 1,238
Show 25 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#36 of 1,829
- Best colleges in America#39 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#35 of 1,481
- Best colleges for psychology in America#34 of 1,418
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#35 of 1,358
- Best colleges for art and design in America#33 of 1,187
- Best colleges for English in America#38 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#38 of 1,247
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#38 of 1,215
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#38 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#35 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#38 of 1,116
- Best mid-size colleges in America#24 of 667
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#16 of 430
- Best colleges for computer science in America#29 of 750
- Best colleges for engineering in America#29 of 749
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in America#30 of 704
- Best colleges for economics in America#38 of 788
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in America#34 of 693
- Most selective colleges in America#39 of 683
- Best colleges in the Pittsburgh area#1 of 16
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in America#39 of 598
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#64 of 690
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#98 of 682
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
In Pennsylvania
- Best colleges for business in Pennsylvania#2 of 108
- Best mid-size colleges in Pennsylvania#1 of 43
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Pennsylvania#3 of 118
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in Pennsylvania#2 of 62
- Best colleges for marketing in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Pennsylvania#2 of 60
Show 27 more
- Best colleges for finance in Pennsylvania#2 of 58
- Best colleges for education in Pennsylvania#3 of 85
- Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in Pennsylvania#2 of 54
- Best colleges for psychology in Pennsylvania#4 of 105
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Pennsylvania#4 of 98
- Best colleges in Pennsylvania#5 of 118
- Best test-optional colleges in Pennsylvania#5 of 113
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Pennsylvania#4 of 90
- Best colleges for English in Pennsylvania#4 of 87
- Colleges where the most freshmen return in Pennsylvania#3 of 62
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Pennsylvania#3 of 60
- Best colleges for history in Pennsylvania#4 of 80
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Pennsylvania#4 of 80
- Best colleges for chemistry in Pennsylvania#4 of 77
- Best colleges for mathematics in Pennsylvania#4 of 77
- Best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania#3 of 57
- Best colleges for art and design in Pennsylvania#4 of 74
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Pennsylvania#4 of 62
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Pennsylvania#4 of 60
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Pennsylvania#4 of 60
- Most selective colleges in Pennsylvania#4 of 60
- Best colleges for computer science in Pennsylvania#3 of 44
- Best colleges for economics in Pennsylvania#4 of 53
- Best colleges for music in Pennsylvania#5 of 51
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Pennsylvania#9 of 60
- Best value colleges in Pennsylvania#14 of 60
- Best value colleges in the Northeast in Pennsylvania#14 of 60
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.94%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.98%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,546 · ACT 34.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.5 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$41,024
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $83,654 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 7,289 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 51% · Women 49% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 10% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 88% |
| Total students | 15,596 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $31,944 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $83,654 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,750 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 94% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 82% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 82% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 91% |
| First-year retention | 98% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $114,862 |
| Admission rate | 12% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $75 |
| Early decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | November 2 |
| Regular decision deadline College website, 2026-27 | January 4 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,077 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 16% |
| Average SAT | 1546 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 730–770 |
| SAT math | 770–800 |
| ACT composite | 34–35 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Cognitive Science | |
| Business administration | |
| Statistics | |
| Systems Science and Theory | |
| Other mathematics and statistics | |
| Economics | |
| Design | |
| Materials Sciences | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Engineering (general) | |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Psychology | |
| Architecture | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Fine arts | |
| Theatre |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Apparel and Textiles, Applied mathematics, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Area studies, Arts management, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Behavioral Sciences, Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Biopsychology, Broadcasting, Chemistry, Classics, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Electrical engineering technology, Electromechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Engineering-Related Fields, English, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Design, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Ethnic and gender studies, Film and video, Finance, German, Global studies, Health administration, History, Information technology, Interdisciplinary studies, International business, International relations, Linguistics, Management information systems, Management science, Managerial economics, Marketing, Mathematics, Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Music, Nanotechnology, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Operations Research, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Other computer and information sciences and support services, Other engineering, Other foreign languages, literatures, and linguistics, Other physical sciences, Other psychology, Other social sciences, Other visual and performing arts, Philosophy, Physical Sciences, Physics, Political science, Programming, Public Policy Analysis, Romance languages, Science, Technology and Society, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Software and media applications, Urban Studies/Affairs, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Engineering | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Mathematics and statistics | |
| Business | |
| Interdisciplinary studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 2% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 1% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $18,166 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · University Athletic Association |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 5 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 14%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 92%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $208,863IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 55% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)About 16 miles away · about 35 minutes by car |
| Town population | 304,759Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PittsburghIn or next to this city |
| Typical weather | 30°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Braddock Lock 2, PA, about 6 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.03 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Carnegie Mellon University’s Compass Score?
- Exceptional (grade A+). It ranks in the top 3% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Carnegie Mellon University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $31,944 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Carnegie Mellon University?
- Carnegie Mellon University admitted 12% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Carnegie Mellon University’s graduates do?
- 94% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $114,862; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,750.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 211440
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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