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Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The institution was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie and was previously named the Carnegie Technical School. Andrew Carnegie opened it as a vocational training School for the sons and daughters of working-class Pittsburghers.
The university has seven colleges, including the College of Engineering, the School of Computer Science, and the Tepper School of Business. The College produces creative and technically strong engineers and research pioneering solutions to global challenges. The University of Engineering was ranked in the top 10 Engineering Colleges for undergraduate and graduate courses according to the US News and World Report. Carnegie Mellon University is also an essential part of the Association of American Universities.
The University students have not only made advances in research and new fields of study, but they have even come up with innovative start-ups, driverless cars, and cutting-edge technology. Pittsburgh is the mecca for technology and arts studies, and for students opting for business and commerce fields, Carnegie Mellon University is a hot spot for entrepreneurship.
Highlights | Data |
Established | 1900 |
No. of Colleges | 7 |
Acceptance Rate | 14% |
Carnegie Mellon University Tuition Fees | $62,260 |
Institution type | Private |
Carnegie Mellon Uni official website | www.cmu.edu |
Medium of Instruction: | English |
Cost of Living | $30,000-$35,000 (per year) |
Accommodation | $9,318-$14,972 (per academic year) |
Food | $6,000-$7,000 (per academic year) |
Application fee | $75 |
Courses offered at Carnegie Mellon University |
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Carnegie Mellon Ranking |
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Facilities | Hostels Sports Hospitals Laboratories |
Campus Type | Urban |
Place | Pittsburgh, US |
Min and max Temperatures (Average) | 13°C-20°C |
Distance from Downtown Pittsburgh | 5 miles |
Carnegie Mellon University was ranked #52 for overall, by the QS World University Rankings 2024 and #38 for Graduate Employment ranking. The university’s award-winning faculty is renowned for working closely with students to create solutions for real-world problems through a multidisciplinary and collaborative approach. The university’s groundbreaking research yields new discoveries by the students, the creativity of the students studying at the school of fine arts, takes them from Broadway to even Hollywood, which is why it’s no wonder that the university was ranked at #23 worldwide by The Times Higher Education ranking system of 2023. According to the US News and World Report, the university came at the 28th position for the World University Rankings 2023.
CMU offers undergraduate courses and postgraduate courses in a lot of disciplines.
College of Engineering: The college has offered two new courses in the Fall of 2023: the graduate certificate in AI Engineering Fundamentals and Mechanical Engineering.
College of Fine Arts: Bachelor of Architecture, Bachelor of Fine Arts etc
School of Design: Bachelor and Master of Design, PhD in Transition design etc.
School of Drama: Lighting, sound, scene design, Stage and production management etc.
School of Music: Piano, Vocal, Composition, Music and Technology etc.
The overall cost of attendance, including food, accommodation, books and other living expenses is given below.
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh - Cost of Living
Expenses | Cost (per academic year) |
Food | $7,068 |
Accommodation | $9,318-$14,972 |
Personal expenses | $3,000-$4,000 |
To become a part of CMU and take advantage of all the benefits the students get, applicants have to apply to their chosen course online. And the process of applying online, and even accepting or differing an offer, is given below.
How to apply at Carnegie Mellon University?
To apply at Carnegie Mellon University, the students must follow the following steps:
Complete the online application: All applicants are required to fill out a common application, along with specific requirements like a portfolio if they’re applying to the College of Fine Arts. They can visit the official website of the university at https://www.cmu.edu/
Apply to your chosen course: Follow the guidelines for each particular area of interest, and choose your course.
Send a non-refundable Application fee: The application fee for applying online, for both international and others, is the same, i.e., $75.
Exam Qualifications: Applicants who wish to submit their SAT or ACT scores can do so, but CMU believes in practical knowledge and hands-on skills more. The University believes that stressing the students out more by selecting them based on their test scores is not ideal.
English level requirements: If English is not an applicant’s first language, they should submit their scores in TOEFL, IELTS or The Duolingo English Test. Applicants are also required to give the InitialView Interviews.
Within one to five business days of submitting the Common Application, the Office of Admission at the University will send the applicant an email notifying them that their application has been received.
After that, applicants can track their application by visiting the official website of the University.
Foreign students seeking admission to Carnegie Mellon University shall submit the following documents in the order outlined below:
Common Application form
Official High School Transcript
Required Standardised Testing Official Score Reports: If a Student's native language is not English, they need to take one of the examinations like IELTS, TOEFL, or Duolingo English Test. They need to have a band of 7.5 in IELTS.
Secondary School Counselor Evaluation
Common Application Essay
Common Application Writing Supplement
CMU offers college scholarships and grants for US and international students wishing to study abroad. Below, students will find the most comprehensive college scholarship for international students that they can apply to very easily, along with the dates and the awards that they receive. Monthly scholarships for international students are offered to international students through MPOWER, which is a government initiative. The award offered is $48,000 for 36 students. The eligibility requirements for the scholarship are:
Nationality from a country other than the U.S. or Canada.
Be enrolled in a full-time degree project in the US or Canada, identified by MPOWER.
Every international student applying at Carnegie, for any course, must meet the following requirements:
IELTS scores that are acceptable: 7.5 overall band score
TOEFL IBT or IBT Home Edition: 102 or above and 25 or above subscores.
TOEFL Essentials: 11 or above band score
Duolingo English Test: 135 or above
For Undergraduate Applicants:
To apply for any undergraduate course at Carnegie Mellon University, applicants must have finished their 12th Grade from an accredited college or university.
For PostGraduate Applicants:
Postgraduate candidates applying at Carnegie must hold an undergraduate degree from a college or university that is not an American or Canadian recognized university.
Carnegie Mellon University keeps conducting sports events, education fairs, and student organisation events keep happening at the university. Some of the recent events that took place:
The Carnegie Cup, held every year, is a unique competition among residence hall communities. It involves puzzles, games and fun for the maximum enjoyment of the students.
The CMU Fall Fair is organised by the students every year. The purpose of this fair is to introduce the freshmen to the various student organisations on campus. The campus has over 400 student-run organisations, divided into groups of:
Multicultural: Mayur - South Asian Student Association, SALSA Spanish and Latin Student Association, Arab Student Organisation, Asian Student Association etc.
Professional: American Marketing Association, TEDxCMU, National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women Engineers, Carnegie Mellon Sports Analytics Club, etc.
Spiritual and Meaning Making: Asian Christian Fellowship, Muslim Student Association etc.
Gender-related and LGBTQIA+: MOSAIC: A Conference on Intersectionality, Strong Women Strong Girls, PRISM etc.
Political/Activism: Carnegie Mellon University Model United Nations, College Republicans, College Democrats etc.
SALSA Spanish and Latin Student Association celebrated the National Latine and Hispanic Month.
The University has a Wi-Fi facility for the students and staff. Academic and industry research has argued for supporting WiFi time-of-flight measurements to improve WiFi localization. The IEEE 802.11-2016 now includes a Fine Time Measurement (FTM) protocol for WiFi ranging, and several WiFi chipsets offer hardware support albeit without fully functional open software.
All students can explore books, articles, research papers, and journals in the library and make use of the resources for their assignments, research etc. The timings of libraries across all campuses are usually 7:30 AM to 12 AM.
Alumni of the university have earned top honours in fields across the spectrum, from Nobel Prizes to Academy Awards. There are more than 200,00 alumni who are always ready to help the current students studying at the university. They hold campus events and networking events, as well as talks and workshops that prove to be very helpful for students.
Carnegie Mellon competes in NCAA Division III athletics as a founding member of the University Athletic Association. The Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation at CMU provides a transformative experience for students, focusing on healthy competitiveness and resilience. The university fields eight men's teams and nine women's teams as the Tartans. They have a Highmark centre for health, wellness and athletes, along with a soccer field, softball field, swimming and diving pool, tennis court, and an outdoor basketball court.
Dining services are available on campus for all the student apartments and dorms. Carnegie Mellom Cafe serves snacks throughout the evening. If students would prefer eating off-campus, they can check out the Au Bon Pain At Skibo CAFÉ, CIAO BELLA, Burger 412 and many more.
The University Healthcare services are provided to all students of CMU all days of the week. They provide high-quality care to all students and even assist them medically during after-hours and for emergencies.
Carnegie Mellon University provides on-campus housing for students that guarantee personal growth and development for the students. There are four types of accommodation:
First year: Every first-year student is required to stay on campus. There are 12 houses and some of them are: the Donner House, the Boss House, the Clyde House, etc. All these places have facilities for recreation and television areas, study lounges, laundry facilities, and outdoor courtyards.
Upper class: Upper-classmen opting to live on-campus have 13 options of apartments to choose from, some of which are: Roselawn apartments, Fairfax apartments, Fifth and Clyde etc.
Fraternity and Sororities: Fraternities and Sororities are where upperclassmen are able to focus on academic achievement, service, social interaction and leadership all together. There are 13 fraternities and 9 sorority houses.
A 24/7 community for safety and support
Personal development, meaningful engagement, and life-long relationships!
Walkable distance to all academic buildings, the student centre, and other apartments.
30+ dining locations for food.
Fully furnished rooms and spaces.
Includes facilities like housing, utilities, cable, and Internet
Amenities such as laundry, maintenance, housekeeping and gyms all around campus for fitness facilities.