Costs & Aid

The Payoff Is Priceless

It’s hard to put a number on the worth of a Carnegie Mellon education. "Invaluable" sums it up nicely. Attending CMU is a proven investment in your future, and we work to ensure that this investment is available to anyone who hopes to pursue it.

$20,000

CMU graduates have, on average, less than $20,000 in student loan debt - the national average is $37,000.

$111,064

The 2023 graduating class had an average starting salary of $111,064.

91%

91% of our class of 2023 were employed or continuing education within six months of graduation.

No matter your situation, a CMU education can be surprisingly affordable.

CMU has bolstered our investment in undergraduate financial aid by over 86% in the last 10 years – from $75.7 million in fiscal year 2015 to $141.1 million in fiscal year 2024.

This investment has allowed us to create the CMU Pathway Program(opens in new window) — an initiative designed to help any deserving student be able to attend Carnegie Mellon, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Tuition-Free Students whose families make less than $75k/year will attend CMU completely tuition-free.

No Federal Loans Students from families making less than $100k/year will receive financial aid that does not include federal loans.

Meeting Full Need We're committed to using our aid resources to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for domestic students, as determined by information on your financial aid application.

Cost & Aid Fundamentals

Everything you need to know and want to ask.

Tuition and Fees(opens in new window)

Types of Aid(opens in new window)

Eligibility and Applying for Aid(opens in new window)

Financial Aid FAQ(opens in new window)

Net Price Calculator

CMU offers a Net Price Calculator to give students and families a better idea of what their actual cost might be. This tool is intended for U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens and permanent residents who plan on pursuing a full-time undergraduate degree but haven't yet applied to CMU.

Learn About the Net Price Calculator(opens in new window)