Back to Colleges
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 7,187 Undergrads 91.0% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$80,514
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$31,671
After Aid
Median Earnings
$114,862
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$31,671
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$114,862
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate91.0%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients15.0%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time97.9%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS89.1%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
11.4%
SAT Avg
1,545
SAT Reading
25th: 73073575th: 770
SAT Math
25th: 77078575th: 800
ACT Composite
25th: 343475th: 35
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$922k
+$526k
+$438k
Median Cost$32k/yr
+$808k
+$412k
+$324k
Full Cost$81k/yr
+$632k
+$236k
+$148k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
25
∞
Median Cost$32k/yr
30
284%
Full Cost$81k/yr
41
51%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return187%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-10%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Architecture
BachCIP: 0402
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$75,908
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
BachCIP: 1405
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$60,161
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$159,088
Lifetime Value Added
+$667k
Chemical Engineering
BachCIP: 1407
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (5yr)
$122,523
Lifetime Value Added
+$397k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,818
Lifetime Value Added
+$176k
Civil Engineering
BachCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$106,890
Lifetime Value Added
+$281k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$94,408
Lifetime Value Added
+$231k
Computer Science
BachCIP: 1107
Median Debt
$21,442
Earnings (5yr)
$251,632
Lifetime Value Added
+$1329k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$24,500
Earnings (2yr)
$89,859
Lifetime Value Added
+$195k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$26,137
Lifetime Value Added
-$355k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
$22,020
Earnings (5yr)
$132,407
Lifetime Value Added
+$470k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
BachCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$22,224
Earnings (5yr)
$183,814
Lifetime Value Added
+$849k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$177,848
Lifetime Value Added
+$805k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$21,281
Earnings (2yr)
$20,140
Lifetime Value Added
-$397k
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
BachCIP: 2401
Median Debt
$25,515
Earnings (5yr)
$53,183
Lifetime Value Added
-$127k
Materials Sciences
BachCIP: 4010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$82,065
Lifetime Value Added
+$95k
Mechanical Engineering
BachCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$22,777
Earnings (5yr)
$115,666
Lifetime Value Added
+$346k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$24,431
Earnings (5yr)
$23,666
Lifetime Value Added
-$377k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$49,683
Lifetime Value Added
-$131k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$59,771
Lifetime Value Added
-$74k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
BachCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$92,686
Lifetime Value Added
+$175k
Statistics
BachCIP: 2705
Median Debt
$21,000
Earnings (5yr)
$155,025
Lifetime Value Added
+$637k
Systems Science and Theory
BachCIP: 3006
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$133,740
Lifetime Value Added
+$480k
Master's Degrees
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$70,864
Earnings (5yr)
$77,544
Lifetime Value Added
+$188k
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
MastCIP: 1405
Median Debt
$65,577
Earnings (2yr)
$55,964
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$110,500
Earnings (5yr)
$193,021
Lifetime Value Added
+$1171k
Civil Engineering
MastCIP: 1408
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$111,544
Lifetime Value Added
+$480k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
MastCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$61,305
Earnings (5yr)
$166,594
Lifetime Value Added
+$947k
Computer Software and Media Applications
MastCIP: 1108
Median Debt
$111,064
Earnings (5yr)
$101,107
Lifetime Value Added
+$391k
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
MastCIP: 1110
Median Debt
$51,970
Earnings (5yr)
$156,313
Lifetime Value Added
+$860k
Design and Applied Arts
MastCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$64,233
Earnings (2yr)
$106,421
Lifetime Value Added
+$492k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
MastCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$79,859
Earnings (5yr)
$62,017
Lifetime Value Added
+$53k
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
MastCIP: 1410
Median Debt
$61,500
Earnings (5yr)
$176,502
Lifetime Value Added
+$1031k
Engineering-Related Fields
MastCIP: 1515
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$86,867
Lifetime Value Added
+$314k
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
MastCIP: 2399
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$28,055
Lifetime Value Added
-$255k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
MastCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$119,019
Lifetime Value Added
+$544k
Mechanical Engineering
MastCIP: 1419
Median Debt
$34,193
Earnings (5yr)
$109,987
Lifetime Value Added
+$467k
Music
MastCIP: 5009
Median Debt
$50,693
Earnings (5yr)
$33,734
Lifetime Value Added
-$215k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$40,772
Earnings (5yr)
$83,781
Lifetime Value Added
+$242k
Public Policy Analysis
MastCIP: 4405
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (5yr)
$114,079
Lifetime Value Added
+$502k
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
$29,204
Earnings (2yr)
$57,318
Lifetime Value Added
+$42k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.