University in United States
Pittsburgh, PA, United States
University profile
Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university whose flagship campus is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 5000 Forbes Avenue. It grew out of the Carnegie Technical Schools, which Andrew Carnegie funded in 1900 to teach practical skills to the working men and women of Pittsburgh, and took its present name in 1967 when Carnegie Tech merged with the Mellon Institute. Interdisciplinary work, in which scientists, engineers, artists and social scientists tackle problems together, is the university's defining trait.
The university has 16,582+ students from 132+ countries, 1,615+ faculty from 63+ countries and 127,691+ alumni in 150+ countries. Study is organised in seven colleges and schools: the College of Engineering, the College of Fine Arts (Architecture, Art, Design, Drama and Music), the Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy, the Mellon College of Science, the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science and the David A. Tepper School of Business. Programmes run from bachelor's degrees to master's and doctoral research degrees, plus online and continuing education.
CMU is known for computer science and artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering, business analytics and the performing and visual arts. It cites a number one U.S. News and World Report ranking for its artificial intelligence and computer science programmes and a Times Higher Education world ranking of 24, and reports 21 Nobel Laureates and 13 Turing Awards among faculty and alumni. The first U.S. drama degree was awarded at Carnegie Tech in 1914.
Student life centres on more than 400 student organisations, including more than three dozen multicultural groups, varsity and intramural athletics, fraternities and sororities. The university owns 26 residence halls and apartments, all first-year students are required to live in university housing and take a dining plan, and housing is guaranteed for four years to students who remain in the university housing system. 65% of undergraduates live on campus all four years.
International students made up 19% of the undergraduate body in 2024-2025. The Office of International Education supports immigration status, orientation and the transition to the U.S. Beyond Pittsburgh, CMU operates campuses in Kigali, Rwanda (graduate programmes in information technology, electrical and computer engineering and artificial intelligence), Doha, Qatar (undergraduate programmes), and a Silicon Valley and a Miami presence, along with the CMU Portugal programme.
CMU meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for domestic undergraduates (U.S. citizens and permanent residents) and reports a $59,017 average financial aid offer. Aid is based on need through the FAFSA and CSS Profile. International students are not offered financial aid by CMU and must plan to pay the full cost of attendance; only U.S. citizens and permanent residents qualify for federal and state aid, and DACA students and a small number of students from specific countries may qualify for CMU grants.
Tuition $69,702 (per-unit rate $969); total tuition, fees and living expenses $91,214 for residents and $75,540 for commuters; total cost of attendance $93,614 resident and $78,620 commuter. Health insurance is required ($3,093 per year individual premium).
Master's students are mostly self-supporting; PhD students are at least partially funded and encouraged to apply for fellowships. Funding is arranged by each program, and graduate tuition rates are set by each college or school.
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View scholarships for Carnegie Mellon University →Applications are made through the Common Application with a $75 application fee (fee waivers are accepted from students who meet an indicator of economic need on the Common Application). Required materials: high school courses and grades, standardized test scores where required by the college, a secondary school counselor evaluation, a teacher recommendation, the Common Application essay and the CMU writing supplement of three short-answer questions. Applicants apply to one college within the university. Supplemental submissions such as resumes, portfolios and websites are not accepted, except portfolios, auditions and pre-screens required by the College of Fine Arts.
The Griffin School of Computer Science requires an SAT or ACT score. The College of Engineering, Dietrich College, Heinz College's Information Systems programme, Mellon College of Science and Tepper School of Business use a test-flexible policy: scores are required, but students may choose among the SAT, ACT, IB, AP, Cambridge A-Level (predicted or actual results) and the French Baccalaureate. The College of Fine Arts is test optional and requires portfolios or auditions. SAT results may be superscored; ACT results may not.
Fall transfer deadline February 15, supporting documents by March 10, decisions by May 17. Transfer applicants submit a college transcript with course descriptions, a professor or advisor recommendation and the Common Application College Report. College of Fine Arts transfer applicants must meet the first-year deadlines. Transfers cannot apply to BXA programs.
International applicants are citizens or permanent residents of another country who study in the U.S. on a temporary visa; procedures and deadlines are the same as for U.S. applicants. Applicants whose native language is not English submit official results from the TOEFL, IELTS (including IELTS Online), Duolingo English Test or Cambridge English Assessment, no more than two years old. Minimums: IELTS 7.5 overall; TOEFL iBT 102 overall for exams before January 21, 2026 (new TOEFL scale: 5 overall for exams on or after that date); Duolingo English Test 135 overall with 135 in each integrated subscore; Cambridge English 191. The CMU TOEFL code is 2074. Names on documents must match the passport, non-English transcripts need an official translation, and expected IB or A-Level results are sent while exams are pending. InitialView or Vericant interviews are recommended, not required.
Each department runs its own admissions process, with its own deadlines, application and exam requirements (such as GRE or GMAT), set by the school or program. Applicants apply separately to each program.
CMU's flagship is the Pittsburgh campus, a walking campus with a mix of traditional halls and LEED-certified residence halls and a repurposed mansion for housing.
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