Carnegie Mellon vs Vanderbilt

Carnegie Mellon University and Vanderbilt University, both highly regarded institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Carnegie Mellon, known for its strength in technology and computer science, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a higher percentage of international students. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, offers a more diverse range of undergraduate majors, including strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and attracts a larger student body. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, their unique characteristics may appeal to different types of students. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Carnegie Mellon University logo

Carnegie Mellon University

Vanderbilt University logo

Vanderbilt University

Overview

Location Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Nashville, Tennessee
Campus setting City: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 97.0% 97.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 13.5% 7.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $95
SAT range 1480 - 1560 1480 - 1570
ACT range 33 - 35 34 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 48.0% 25.0%
Students submitting ACT score 22.0% 32.0%
Total number of applicants 32,896 47,152
Total number of admissions given out 4,453 3,368
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,896 1,626
Yield rate 42.6% 48.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $75,664 $79,538
Average net price $37,450 $27,553
Tuition $57,560 $54,840
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $9,614

Meal plan: $6,536
Room/dormitory: $12,000

Meal plan: $6,376
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

50.0%
Average amount $39,421
64.0%
Average amount $49,730
Students receiving federal student loan 37.0%
Average amount $4,672
10.0%
Average amount $4,979
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $29,079
2.0%
Average amount $27,798

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,932
Men 50.2% Women 49.8%
7,111
Men 48.9% Women 51.1%
Graduate students 8,125
Men 62.3% Women 37.7%
6,685
Men 39.5% Women 60.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 85.0% 89.5%
International students 40.0% 11.7%
Campus local/setting City: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 3,754 5,598
First year students are required to live on campus? No Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Virginia Tennessee California New York Florida Texas

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Physical Science
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Legal Profession
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 8:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome

Graduation rate 92.8% 93.4%
Dropout rate 3.5% 6.4%
Transferred out 2.8% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $161,723
  • Year 2: $160,116
  • Year 3: $201,541
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $139,390
  • Year 2: $133,383
  • Year 3: $150,136
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,615
  • Year 2: $107,758
  • Year 3: $132,201
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $116,935
  • Year 2: $114,223
  • Year 3: $129,112
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $109,283
  • Year 2: $120,549
  • Year 3: $122,667
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $95,295
  • Year 3: $112,628
Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,041
  • Year 2: $89,859
  • Year 3: $106,086
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,653
  • Year 2: $94,940
  • Year 3: $104,312
Statistics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $89,636
  • Year 2: $88,506
  • Year 3: $103,853
Systems Science and Theory (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,123
  • Year 2: $84,393
  • Year 3: $103,805
Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,041
  • Year 2: $122,038
  • Year 3: $169,145
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $129,825
  • Year 2: $130,517
  • Year 3: $144,008
Finance and Financial Management Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $131,102
  • Year 2: $117,572
  • Year 3: $133,025
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,494
  • Year 2: $127,087
  • Year 3: $132,454
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $132,293
  • Year 2: $114,324
  • Year 3: $130,516
Marketing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,764
  • Year 2: $111,620
  • Year 3: $121,754
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $126,876
  • Year 2: $119,805
  • Year 3: $112,193
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,224
  • Year 2: $104,192
  • Year 3: $108,525
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,979
  • Year 2: $93,249
  • Year 3: $101,010
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,609
  • Year 2: $80,309
  • Year 3: $95,754

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
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