Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · “CMU”
- National University
- Private
- Urban campus
- Cold climate
Known for: Engineering, Computer & Info Sciences, Mathematics & Statistics
A private research university in Pittsburgh, PA. About 12 of every 100 applicants get in. Aid for international students is limited here, so plan on the full price of about $90k a year.
If you apply from Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar → Pittsburgh
- Watch out: Aid for international students is limited. Plan on the full price.
- English: TOEFL 102 · IELTS 7.5 · Duolingo 135
- Early Decision deadline: Nov 3
- US News National
- #20
- QS World
- #55
- THE World
- #24
- Forbes
- #43
- After the average intl award
- ≈$90k
- Full price, little aid for internationals
- Admit rate
- 12%
- of applicants get in
- Undergrads
- 7,304
- 19% international
- Next deadline
- Nov 3
- Early Decision
Plus shows 1 more fact about this school ↓
Getting in
About 12% of applicants are admitted. It is test-optional, so you do not have to send SAT or ACT scores, though strong ones still help.
- Test policy
- Test-optional, for international students too
- Admit rate for internationals
- Not published by the school
- Early decision admit rate
- Not published by the school
- SAT, middle 50%
- 1500–1570
- ACT, middle 50%
- 34–35
- Early Decision
- Nov 3
- Regular Decision
- Jan 5
- TOEFL iBT minimum
- 102
- minimum 102 overall with 25+ per section (TOEFL iBT) before Jan 21, 2026; new 1-6 scale minimum 5 overall/5 per section on/after; TOEFL Essentials 11
- IELTS minimum
- 7.5
- Duolingo (DET) minimum
- 135
- DET accepted; minimum 135 overall with each subscore 135+
- SAT or ACT can replace the English test
- No
Watch out: Admission is highly competitive: only about 12% of applicants are admitted, so outcomes are unpredictable even for strong students.
Cost & aid
Aid for international students is limited here, so plan on the full price of about $90k a year.
- Tuition & fees $66k
- Room & board $18k
- Other fees $2k
- Health insurance $3k
- Aid for internationals
- Limited
- Biggest merit scholarship for internationals
- CMU institutional aid is need-based; eligibility determined by financial need. No institutional merit scholarships for undergraduates. International students are largely ineligible for institutional aid except specific need-based country programs (e.g., Behring Foundation for Brazil).
- Application fee
- No waiver offered
- Plan for the $75 fee.
- Local living costs
- 83.9 (New York = 100)
- Day-to-day costs are moderate for the US.
What Plus shows for this school
Majors with the STEM work extension
How many majors let you work in the US for up to 3 years after graduating.
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Work & visa
OPT lets graduates work in the US for a year after graduation, and STEM majors can add two more years.
- Study
- OPT 1 year
- STEM OPT +2 years
- Majors with the STEM work extension
- CPT internships
- Yes
- Work off campus in your field while you study
- On-campus jobs
- Yes
- Earn while enrolled, no extra visa needed
- Adviser for international students
- Yes
- Immigration and visa support on campus
- Undergraduate research
- Yes
- Co-op built into the curriculum
- No
- IB or A-level credit recognised
- Yes
- Your diploma can earn course credit
- Visa compliance record
- No known SEVIS issues on record
Life & outcomes
98% of first-year students return for a second year. 94% graduate within six years. Graduates start around $105k a year. About 19% of undergraduates are international.
- Median starting salary
- $105,360
- All graduates, all majors. Your field will vary.
- Undergraduates
- 7,304
- International undergraduates
- 1,392
- Share that is international
- 19%
- Countries represented
- 115
Similar universities
- New York UniversityNew York, NY · #32 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Brown UniversityProvidence, RI · #13 US News · Need-based aid
- Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · #7 US News · Need-based aid
- Duke UniversityDurham, NC · #7 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Columbia University (College and SEAS)New York, NY · #15 US News · Need-based aid
- University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA · #69 US News · Merit aid
Where this comes from
35% of this school's fields are individually verified. Last checked Jul 2, 2026. Figures are for guidance, so always confirm on the school's official pages before you rely on them.
Data sources
- Main source
- College Scorecard (06/2026 release); THE World University Rankings 2026; Intl-aid/CoL batch (2026-06): Numbeo CoL Index; need-blind list per Wikipedia+aggregators; B5/D3 batch (2026-07): co-op per institutional programs; I-20 industry-norm default; SEVIS none-known default; CDS 2024-2025: AppFee/Deadlines/OtherFees (https://www.cmu.edu/ira/CDS/pdf/cds_2024-25/common-data-set-); English-req/test-policy: official intl-admissions pages (2026-07); IntlMisc (countries/SHIP/funnel/outcomes): official intl/ISSS/career pages (2026-07); Programs: IPEDS/Scorecard PCIP (Most-Recent-Cohorts, 2024) [Jul 1, 2026]; STEM-OPT %: DHS STEM List 2024 (6-digit) × Scorecard programs (4-digit CIP, split families adj.) [Jul 1, 2026]; Fee-waiver verified vs official admissions page [Jul 1, 2026]; AppFee verified Jul 1, 2026 (official); Deadlines verified Jul 2, 2026 (official)
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