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Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University or CMU is a private research university, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was originally founded as Carnegie Technical Schools by Andrew Carnegie in 1900. Later, in 1967, it merged with Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to form Carnegie Mellon University.

The campus of CMU sits on 140 acres. It has seven colleges and schools offering degrees and programs in various fields. CMU is consistently ranked as one of the nation's top universities by the U.S. News & World Report. The seven distinguished schools and colleges are:

  • College of Fine Arts
  • College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • Carnegie Institute of Technology (College of Engineering)
  • H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management
  • Mellon College of Science
  • School of Computer Science
  • Tepper School of Business

The sports teams of CMU are known as the Tartans.

Overview of Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon is located in a large city, in Pittsburgh, PA. The school is a private, not-for-profit institution. Degree levels at Carnegie Mellon top out at the Doctoral degree.

Areas of Study

The range of program offerings available from the school is especially impressive compared to its number of students. Students at Carnegie Mellon often study engineering, mathematics, art studies, drama and performing arts, and computer science and engineering.

Carnegie Mellon Selectivity

The admissions department at the school does not accept all those who apply. In 2007-2008, 71% of applicants were rejected at Carnegie Mellon. Most students' verbal SAT scores were in the range of 620 to 720 in 2007-2008. A quarter of students admitted in 2007-2008 scored 780 or higher on the math SAT.

Faculty

Students at Carnegie Mellon benefit from the low student/teacher ratio. The school's tenure system is geared toward rewarding and keeping the most valuable professors. By paying its faculty better than most schools, Carnegie Mellon tries to attract and retain a high quality teaching staff.

Student Body

The school offers classes to 10,326 students (9,625 full-time equivalent). Minorities are common at Carnegie Mellon. A very high share of students at the school are male.

Student Life

Many students live in housing on or near campus. Students sports include formal participation in University Athletic Association competitions.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Carnegie Mellon

Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
General Phone: (412) 268-2000
http://www.cmu.edu/

Carnegie Mellon Programs and Degrees (2008-2009)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Computer Science and Engineering728information technology, computer science, software engineering, artificial intelligence and robotics, information science, computer security, computer services management, computer and info science courses, ...
Engineering707electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, materials science, engineering, biomedical engineering, operations research, ...
Business and Management535business management, financial management, finance, marketing, operations management, MIS, managerial economics, entrepreneurship, ...
Science215biology, chemistry, physics, biometrics, astrophysics, biotechnology, physical sciences, biophysics, ...
Family and Social Work189public policy analysis, public administration, social service professions
Liberal Arts177economics, English language and literature, technical and business writing, liberal arts and sciences, creative writing, speech and rhetoric, political science, history courses, ...
Mathematics121systems science and theory, mathematics, statistics, computational mathematics, mathematics and statistics, probability and statistics, applied mathematics courses, mathematics and computer science, ...
Media86animation and special effects, media studies
Therapy and Counseling76psychology, behavioral sciences, cognitive science, psychobiology, psychology courses, cognitive psychology
Art Studies71art studies, arts management
Drama and Performing Arts60drama, stagecraft, playwriting and screenwriting, theatre arts management, directing, various performing arts, theatre design
Music58music performance, voice, violin, guitar, and strings, music theory and composition, piano, various music studies, conducting, music, ...
Architecture and Planning49architecture, architectural services, urban planning, environmental design
Medical Administration40health care administration, medical informatics
Design39industrial design, design and applied arts, design and visual communication
Religion and Philosophy18logic, ethics, philosophy
Engineering Technician5engineering technology, environmental engineering tech
Science and Laboratory Technician0science tech
Conservation and Resource Management0environmental science, environmental studies, natural resources management
Photography and Commercial Art0film and photography, multimedia, film studies
Education and Teaching0ESL instruction
Fine Arts0fine arts studies

Number of programs and degrees for Carnegie Mellon in 2008-2009:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Master's degree1,62189
Bachelor's degree1,295111
Doctor's degree25865

Carnegie Mellon Student Body

In 2007-2008, Carnegie Mellon had a total enrollment of 10,326 students (9,625 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men57%
Women43%
Full-Time100%
Part-Time0%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate55%
Graduate45%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White36%
Black4%
Hispanic3%
Asian17%
American Indian0%
Unknown12%
(Foreign Students)27%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 182%
18-1924%
20-2124%
22-2417%
25-2919%
30-348%
35-393%
40-492%
50-641%
65+0%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Pennsylvania17%
New York12%
New Jersey11%
California6%
Maryland5%
Massachusetts5%
Virginia3%
Connecticut3%
Florida3%
Texas3%
Illinois2%
Ohio2%
Michigan1%
Hawaii1%
North Carolina1%
Washington1%
New Hampshire1%
(International Students)1%
Oregon1%
Minnesota1%
Georgia1%
Tennessee1%

Carnegie Mellon Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time96 %
Part-Time75 %

Carnegie Mellon Room and Board (2007)

Carnegie Mellon offers campus housing for 3,908 of its 9,625 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

(Please refer to our profile of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Pennsylvania Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Carnegie Mellon Admissions and Selectivity

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total22,0236,36329%1,46523%
Men13,8902,80320%83930%
Women8,1333,56044%62618%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal620720
SAT Math670780
SAT Writing620710
ACT Verbal2834
ACT Math2834
ACT Composite2933

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Ranknot required
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrecommended
Recommendationsrequired
Formal Demonstration of Competencerequired
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT98%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT22%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required
Other Standardized Testsnot required

Carnegie Mellon Expenses and Financial Aid (2008-2009)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 39,564
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 39,564
Room and board$ 10,050
Room charge$ 5,890
Board (meal plan) charge$ 3,850
Books and supplies$ 990
Other expenses$ 1,356

Financial Aid:
Carnegie Mellon participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 324200)

Carnegie Mellon Faculty

Carnegie Mellon has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured36283
Non-tenured, but on tenure track11657
Non-tenured and not on tenure track419155

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professorcalendar year15$206,5783$148,513
Associate professorcalendar year2*0*
Lecturercalendar year32$106,13323$82,467
No academic rankcalendar year9$94,2854$79,242
All faculty totalcalendar year58$129,35030$88,641

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2008-2009):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year285$138,76759$117,805
Associate professoracademic year93$103,55843$89,154
Assistant professoracademic year83$89,92835$85,484
Lectureracademic year88$90,25947$71,871
No academic rankacademic year25$111,6878$103,198
All faculty totalacademic year574$117,384192$93,644

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Carnegie Mellon Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
FootballUniversity Athletic Association
BasketballUniversity Athletic Association
TrackUniversity Athletic Association

Carnegie Mellon Degree Programs (2007)

ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING
Architecture (BArch, BA/BS, MArch, MA/MS, PhD)
Architecture and Related Services, Other
City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning
Environmental Design/Architecture

ART STUDIES
Art/Art Studies, General
Arts Management

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
Business/Managerial Economics
E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Other
Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other
Finance, General
Information Resources Management/CIO Training
International Business/Trade/Commerce
Management Information Systems, General
Management Science, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Operations Management and Supervision
Organizational Behavior Studies

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Computer Engineering, Other
Computer Science
Computer Software Engineering
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other
Computer and Information Sciences, Other
Computer and Information Systems Security
Computer/Info Tech Services Administration & Management, Other
Information Science/Studies
Information Technology

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Science
Environmental Studies
Natural Resources Management and Policy

DESIGN
Design and Applied Arts, Other
Design and Visual Communications, General
Industrial Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Directing and Theatrical Production
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other
Playwriting and Screenwriting
Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
Theatre/Theatre Arts Management
Visual and Performing Arts, Other

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Teaching English as Second/Foreign Language/ESL Language Instructor

ENGINEERING
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering, General
Civil Engineering, Other
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering, General
Engineering, Other
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Geological/Geophysical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
Materials Engineering
Materials Science
Mechanical Engineering
Operations Research

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Engineering Technology, General
Environmental Engineering Technology/Environmental Technology

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Public Administration
Public Administration and Social Service Professions, Other
Public Policy Analysis

FINE ARTS
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other

LIBERAL ARTS
Anthropology, Other
Central/Middle and Eastern European Studies
Chinese Language and Literature
Classics/Classical Languages, Lit & Linguistics, General
Creative Writing
Economics, General
Economics, Other
English Language and Literature, General
English Language and Literature/Letters, Other
European Studies/Civilization
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other
French Language and Literature
German Language and Literature
History, General
History, Other
International Economics
International Relations and Affairs
Japanese Language and Literature
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Linguistics
Political Science and Government, General
Public/Applied History and Archival Administration
Russian Studies
Social Sciences, General
Social Sciences, Other
Sociology
Spanish Language and Literature
Speech and Rhetorical Studies
Technical and Business Writing

MATHEMATICS
Applied Mathematics
Applied Mathematics, Other
Computational Mathematics
Mathematical Statistics and Probability
Mathematics and Computer Science
Mathematics and Statistics, Other
Mathematics, General
Statistics, General
Statistics, Other
Systems Science and Theory

MEDIA
Animation, Interactive Tech, Video Graphics and Special Effects
Communication and Media Studies, Other

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
Medical Informatics

MUSIC
Conducting
Jazz/Jazz Studies
Music Pedagogy
Music Performance, General
Music Theory and Composition
Music, General
Music, Other
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Piano and Organ
Violin, Viola, Guitar and Other Stringed Instruments
Voice and Opera

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Film/Cinema Studies
Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other
Intermedia/Multimedia

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Ethics
Logic
Philosophy

SCIENCE
Astrophysics
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biometry/Biometrics
Biophysics
Biopsychology
Biotechnology
Chemical Physics
Chemistry, General
Physical Sciences
Physical Sciences, Other
Physics, General
Physics, Other
Polymer Chemistry
Science, Technology and Society

SCIENCE AND LABORATORY TECHNICIAN
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Behavioral Sciences
Cognitive Psychology and Psycholinguistics
Cognitive Science
Physiological Psychology/Psychobiology
Psychology, General
Psychology, Other

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Carnegie Mellon Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Carnegie Mellon Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%Carnegie Mellon Salaries of full-time faculty
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%Carnegie Mellon Number of degree programs
Student SAT scores
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Carnegie Mellon Student SAT scores
% of degrees in mathematics
(vs. all colleges)
Top 4%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in mathematics
Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 5%Carnegie Mellon Selectivity (based on % of applicants accepted)
% of degrees in computer science and engineering
(vs. all colleges)
Top 5%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in computer science and engineering
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 7%Carnegie Mellon Number of students
Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
(vs. all colleges)
Top 8%Carnegie Mellon Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
Male % of student body
(vs. all colleges)
Top 10%Carnegie Mellon Male % of student body
% of degrees in music
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 10%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in music
% of degrees in engineering
(vs. all colleges)
Top 11%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in engineering
% of degrees in drama and performing arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 14%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in drama and performing arts
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 15%Carnegie Mellon Dorm rooms per full-time student
% of degrees in religion and philosophy
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 16%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in religion and philosophy
Minority % of student body
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 17%Carnegie Mellon Minority % of student body
% of degrees in art studies
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 18%Carnegie Mellon % of degrees in art studies
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army, navy, air force)
NCAA athletic conference member

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