Carnegie Mellon University

Published cost of attendance is $83,654. After need-based aid, low-income families pay approximately $9,097, middle-income families pay around $14,468, higher-income families pay approximately $51,480.

Azimuth ranks Carnegie Mellon University #1204 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions, in the 15.5 percentile. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,750; families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $37,130.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $132,971, median federal debt projects to a monthly payment of about $246 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.

Graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn median earnings of $132,971 four years after enrollment, placing Carnegie Mellon University in the 99.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $67,139 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Azimuth ranks Carnegie Mellon University #14 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The degree mix at Carnegie Mellon University is anchored in Engineering, with Engineering accounting for 23% of degrees, Arts representing 7%, and Business contributing 7% — a concentration in quantitative and technical fields that corresponds to the strong earnings profile.

Computer Science combines large cohort scale with strong pay, making it a key contributor to Carnegie Mellon University's overall return story. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with 255 graduates earning median earnings of $268,121 — 2.5x the national benchmark for the field.

The Statistics program graduates 189 students with median earnings of $156,743, and Azimuth ranks the program #2 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering adds further depth, with Azimuth ranking it #1 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions and 166 graduates earning median earnings of $250,168.

Across the lineup, Business Administration and Systems Science and Theory also post strong four-year earnings of $160,783 and $146,929 respectively, reinforcing the breadth of high-return pathways available at Carnegie Mellon University.

Carnegie Mellon University's program mix is engineering-led, with Engineering accounting for 23% of graduates and Arts contributing 7%. Business adds another 7%, rounding out a portfolio that leans heavily toward quantitative and applied-technology fields.

The largest program by cohort is Computer Science with 255 graduates, followed by Statistics (189 graduates), Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (166 graduates), Business Administration (138 graduates), and Systems Science and Theory (118 graduates). That concentration in computing and engineering — fields with sustained national demand — shapes both the institution's earnings profile and the career trajectories available to graduates.

For context on how these fields align with broader labor-market trends, see the [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/). The strongest four-year earnings come from Computer Science, where graduates earn median earnings of $268,121 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #1 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering follows with median earnings of $250,168 and a national rank of #1, while Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #4 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $187,437. Computer Science — the institution's largest program — combines scale (255 graduates) with median earnings of $268,121, and Azimuth ranks it #1 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That combination of cohort size and strong pay makes it the highest aggregate-return program at Carnegie Mellon University, as described in [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/). Computer Science, Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, and Computer Science are high-mobility pathways where graduates typically enter the national labor market directly — four-year earnings in these fields closely reflect workforce outcomes rather than undercounting due to graduate-school deferrals.

By contrast, programs like Business Administration and Systems Science and Theory include a meaningful share of graduates who continue to graduate or professional study, meaning four-year earnings for those cohorts may understate lifetime trajectory. Across 39 programs serving roughly 1,936 students annually, 20 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold — a high share that reflects the breadth and depth of Carnegie Mellon University's degree portfolio in applied and quantitative fields. ```