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Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University are the two private universities in USA. Columbia University is an Ivy League institute and one of the oldest universities of USA while Carnegie University is among the top two universities in Pennsylvania.
| Columbia University | Carnegie Mellon University | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 8.4 Out of 10 | 6.4 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 34 QS World University 2025 # 12 US News 2024 # 17 Times Higher Education 2024 | # 58 QS World University 2025 # 24 Times Higher Education 2024 # 24 US News 2024 |
| Subject Strength | # 17 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 4 for Medicine by US News 2024 # 4 for Law by Times Higher Education 2024 | # 5 for Engineering by US News 2024 # 2 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2024 # 401 for Medicine by QS World University 2024 |
| Programs | UG Programs -25 PG Programs -63 Doctorate Programs -7 | UG Programs -60 PG Programs -59 Doctorate Programs -27 |
| Acceptance Rate | 3.9 % | 21.7 % |
| Exam Score | GMAT-680 IELTS-7 SAT-1510 TOEFL-100 | IELTS-7.5 SAT-1430 TOEFL-102 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 58440 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 53040 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 11000 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 54244 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 48500 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 15864 Per Year |
| placement (average package) | Columbia University is one of the top private universities in New York City, United States. It is ranked #22 in QS World University Rankings 2023. Ranked #18 in Graduate Employability Rank Base Salaries by the following degrees:
| Average salary of university graduates is 98,000 USD per annum; Annual ROI is 6.8%; Top employers are Amazon, IBM, Apple, etc. |
| application requirements | Academic transcripts, 2-3 LORs, SOPs/ Essays, Resume, School report, Standardized tests, Proof of English language proficiency, Additional requirements (work experience, interview, research proposal, etc.) | UG applicants must have at least grade B+ (3.69 GPA on 4.0). Interviews are conducted for many UG programs. |
| Campuses and B-Schools | Teachers College at Columbia University Columbia Business School | College of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business |
| CollegeDunia Reviews | 7.4/10 Read 17 reviews | 7.4/10 Read 8 reviews |
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| General Facts | Columbia University | Carnegie Mellon University |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1754 | 1900 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 6:1 | 14:1 |
| Male:Female | 52% Male, 48% Female | 52% Male, 48% Female |
| Location Facts | Lies in the heart of NYC on Broadway and two faculties located outside Manhattan. | Main campus is located 5 km away from Downtown Pittsburgh; Over 12 degree-granting campuses are located in six continents including Qatar and Silicon Valley |
| Library | The low memorial library is a landmark. The university owns around 23 libraries scattered across the city. | University has 5 libraries: Hunt Library, Roger Sorrells Engineering & Science Library, Mellon Institute Library, Posner Library and Qatar Library; Hunt Library is solely dedicated to the research of botany, horticulture and history of the plant sciences |
| Campus Life | Art Gallery The university offers it all!!! | Over 300 student organizations, activities and support services including Division of Student Affairs, Student Academic Success Center, Center for Diversity and Inclusion; Campus has an art store, bookstore, computer store, coffee shops, cafeterias and other dine options |
| Hostel | #First-Year Residents - $11000 | #On campus - $13784 #Off campus (with family) - $2080 |
| Famous Alumni | Barak Obama (Former US President), Alexander Hamilton (founding father of USA), Alicia Keys (singer), Sara Ali Khan (actress), Dorothy Irene Height (Women rights activist), Jake Gyllenhall (actor). | Over 20 Nobel laureates, 124 Emmy Award recipients, 10 Academy Award recipients, 47 Tony Award recipients, 2 winners of the Stockholm Prize in Criminology; Steven Bocho (ten times recipient of Emmy Award); Charles Geschke (Co-founder of Adobe Systems); Randy Pausch (author of The Last Lecture); Edgar Mitchell (astronaut) |
| City Life |
Total international students in NY- 11% | Pittsburgh is 66th largest city in the USA and 2nd largest in Pennsylvania in terms of population; Popularly known as the Steel City; the Unemployment rate in January 2020 was 5.2%; Mining and logging, construction and manufacturing are the largest employing non-farm sectors of the city |
| Weather |
Both Columbia University and Carnegie Mellon University are ranked among the top 50 universities abroad. Following are some points of difference between the two which could help students make a better choice:
- Rankings of Columbia University are within the top 20 while Carnegie Mellon University’s ranking lies between 25th to 50th position, according to THE and QS Global Rankings 2020.
- Columbia University scored better on all aspects such as teaching, research, etc. However, the industry outcome score of Carnegie Mellon University was higher, as per THE.
- The citation score of both these top universities in USA was almost the same.
- Accomodation and other costs for both universities is the same.
- Admission to Columbia University is more difficult with an acceptance rate of only 6% while Carnegie Mellon University has an acceptance rate of 22%.
- Graduate Employability Ranking 2020 of Columbia University is 18 positions higher than Carnegie Mellon University.
- The annual ROI of Columbia University is lower than Carnegie Mellon University although only by 0.5%.
- The annual salary offered to Carnegie Mellon University graduates is almost 15,000 USD higher than what is offered to Columbia University graduates.
Thus, if you are looking for employment immediately after getting a degree, Carnegie Mellon University would be a better choice. However, if you are looking to study further, Columbia University offers more facilities and better education for studies in USA.
