Students at Carnegie Mellon achieve some of the highest earnings available at any university in the country, with graduates consistently outperforming expectations in high-paying technology and engineering careers.
The university delivers exceptional financial outcomes that place it among the very top institutions nationally for both overall earnings and low-income student success.
Carnegie Mellon University stands among the most elite institutions in the country for long-term financial outcomes, ranking in the top 0.2% nationally for earnings after graduation. What makes CMU exceptional is its ability to consistently deliver extraordinary returns across its signature programs in computer science, engineering, and quantitative fields. Graduates earn a median of $114,862 ten years after enrollment, with many programs producing starting salaries that rival or exceed those at top investment banks and technology companies.
The university's selectivity reflects its academic intensity and specialized focus. With only about 15% of students receiving Pell Grants and roughly 10% being first-generation college students, CMU primarily serves academically high-achieving students from middle- and upper-income families. However, for the students it does admit, the outcomes are remarkable—graduates consistently earn more than expected compared with similar students at peer institutions, reflecting CMU's unique position in high-paying industries.
As a medium-sized private research university in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon combines the intimacy of a focused technical institution with the resources and reputation of a world-class research university. For families who can navigate the financial investment, CMU represents one of the clearest paths to top-tier career outcomes in technology, engineering, and quantitative fields.
Carnegie Mellon's program portfolio centers on technical fields that lead directly to the highest-paying careers available to new graduates. Computer Science dominates both in scale and outcomes, graduating 237 students annually with median earnings of $160,116—among the highest of any undergraduate program nationwide. This program alone generates nearly $38 million in aggregate economic return, reflecting both its size and the extraordinary salaries that tech companies pay CMU graduates.
Engineering programs complement computer science with similarly strong outcomes. Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduates 140 students per year earning around $114,223, while other engineering disciplines maintain comparable performance. Mathematical Statistics and Probability, graduating 169 students annually, produces median earnings of $88,506—strong outcomes that reflect CMU's quantitative focus and connections to financial services and data science roles.
Even CMU's lower-earning programs deliver solid returns. Applied Economics, representing the university's earnings floor at $69,338, still exceeds median outcomes at most institutions. This consistency across programs reflects Carnegie Mellon's institutional focus on fields with strong labor market demand and its ability to place graduates in premium positions within their chosen industries. The university's concentrated program mix in technology, engineering, and quantitative fields creates a coherent pathway to high-paying careers that few institutions can match.
Carnegie Mellon delivers some of the strongest financial returns available at any university in the United States. Graduates earn a median of $114,862 ten years after enrollment, placing the university in the top 0.2% nationally for long-term earnings. Even more impressive, CMU graduates earn about $10,271 more than similar students at comparable institutions, demonstrating that the university's specialized programs and industry connections create genuine added value beyond what students might achieve elsewhere.
The university's return advantage is driven by its concentration in high-paying technical fields. Computer Science stands out as CMU's flagship program, graduating 237 students annually with median earnings of $160,116—among the highest of any undergraduate program in the country. Electrical and Electronics Engineering graduates earn around $114,223, while even programs like Mathematical Statistics and Probability, which graduates 169 students per year, produce median earnings of $88,506. Applied Economics represents the lower end of CMU's earnings spectrum at $69,338, but even this figure exceeds the median earnings at most universities.
CMU's strength lies in its deep connections to technology companies, financial firms, and consulting organizations that recruit heavily from campus. The university's location in Pittsburgh provides access to both traditional industries and emerging tech hubs, while its alumni network in Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and major consulting firms creates pathways to the highest-paying entry-level positions available to new graduates.
Carnegie Mellon's affordability picture varies dramatically by family income, reflecting its position as a high-cost private institution with substantial financial aid for qualifying students. Low-income families pay about $8,460 annually after aid—a remarkably affordable figure that makes CMU accessible to students from modest backgrounds who can gain admission. Middle-income families face higher costs at around $17,534 per year, while high-income families pay the full freight of approximately $52,593 annually.
The university's aid strategy focuses on making attendance possible for admitted low-income students while expecting higher-income families to pay substantial amounts. This approach reflects CMU's selective admissions process and its confidence that graduates will earn enough to justify the investment. For families who do borrow, debt levels are significant but manageable given the earning outcomes—typical federal student loan debt is about $21,750, while Parent PLUS borrowing averages $35,347.
What makes these debt levels sustainable is CMU's exceptional graduate earning power. With median salaries exceeding $114,000 ten years out, most graduates can comfortably handle standard loan repayment schedules. The university's loan repayment data shows that borrowers pay down balances much faster than national averages, with nearly 37% of total debt eliminated within four years of graduation—a reflection of the strong early-career salaries that CMU programs consistently deliver.
Carnegie Mellon University Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
