University Of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

University of the Pacific lists a published cost of attendance of $38,105, but need-based aid reshapes that figure meaningfully across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $14,709 per year in net price, middle-income families see annual costs around $23,192, and higher-income families pay approximately $36,008.

Azimuth ranks University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus #1207 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

University of the Pacific participates in federal, state, and institutional aid programs, and families apply for need-based assistance using the FAFSA and CSS Profile. The gap between the published cost of attendance and what families actually pay reflects [how net price and sticker price can differ substantially](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), though the degree of that gap depends heavily on a family's financial profile and the institution's endowment depth.

Students and families should compare net price offers carefully before drawing conclusions from the headline figure. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $24,250, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $35,031; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $73,701, median federal debt of $24,250 projects to a monthly payment of about $274 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $73,701, placing University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus in the 74.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $3,641 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus in the 42.6 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions, reflecting the university's strength in professional and applied fields that connect graduates to Pittsburgh's growing technology, healthcare, and finance sectors. Azimuth ranks University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus #436 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus is anchored by Business, which forms the largest share of degree output and consistently channels graduates into well-compensated early careers. Nursing stands out as the program combining the broadest enrollment scale with strong four-year earnings, making it a key driver of the institution's overall return profile.

Research Psychology is the largest program by graduate count, enrolling 474 students annually and feeding directly into stable, in-demand career paths. Among the highest-earning programs, Nursing program graduates 309 students with median earnings of $83,313 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #239 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/), at 0.9x the national benchmark for the field.

Biology, General similarly delivers median earnings of $62,744 for 280 graduates, with Azimuth ranking it #104 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions at 1.1x its field benchmark. The program mix across Business (14% of graduates), Engineering (12%), and Social Sciences (10%) reflects a broad professional orientation that supports consistent earnings across a wide range of student interests.

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus's program mix is anchored in Business, with meaningful concentrations in Business, Engineering, and Social Sciences — a portfolio that reflects the university's identity as a comprehensive public research institution in a major mid-Atlantic metro. Business accounts for 14% of graduates, Engineering for 12%, and Social Sciences for 10%, together forming the core of the institution's degree output.

Across 75 programs, 50 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold, serving roughly 5,450 students annually. Nursing anchors the institution's strongest aggregate financial outcomes, combining substantial cohort scale with competitive four-year earnings — the combination that defines a program's economic weight in Azimuth's methodology.

The Nursing program graduates 309 students annually with median earnings of $83,313 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #239 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General and Finance are also among the larger programs by cohort size, with median earnings of $62,744 and $95,087 respectively — Azimuth ranks Biology, General #104 and Finance #42 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The highest-earning programs at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus cluster in technical and applied fields. Computer Science leads with median earnings of $108,680 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #83 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Finance and Mechanical Engineering follow closely, with graduates earning $95,087 and $90,768 respectively — Azimuth ranks Finance #42 and Mechanical Engineering #155 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These are largely high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect labor-market outcomes; the [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these fields align with national hiring trends.

For the full program rankings methodology, see [how Azimuth evaluates programs](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).