Carnegie Mellon University vs MIT

Carnegie Mellon University vs MIT

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Carnegie Mellon University is a well-established private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh area. It has a mid-scale student population of approximately 7,707 undergraduates. Admission is competitive, with an acceptance rate of 11%. Computer Science, Engineering, Business, Statistics, and Systems Science are high-demand majors. The six-year graduation rate is 89.0%. The median salary of Carnegie Mellon students after ten years of college is about INR 87,30,000, derived from $105,360 median salary ten years after college.

MIT is a renowned private college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the Boston area. It has a midsize student body with 4,576 undergrads. Admission is extremely competitive with a selectivity of approximately 1.9%. Its popular majors are Engineering, Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, and Economics. Its grad rate for students completing their education with it in six years is 94.0%. Its median grad salary is approximately INR 92,30,000, derived from $111,000 median salary ten years after college.

Overview Comparison
Carnegie Mellon UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Collegedunia Score6.4 Out of 109 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 24 Times Higher Education 2026
# 52 QS World University 2026
# 24 Times Higher Education 2025
# 1 QS World University 2026
# 2 Times Higher Education 2026
# 1 QS World University 2025
Subject Strength# 7 for Engineering by US News 2025
# 2 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025
# 401 for Medicine by QS World University 2024
# 1 for Engineering by QS World University 2025
# 1 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025
# 11 for Medicine by QS World University 2025
ProgramsUG Programs -58
PG Programs -57
Doctorate Programs -26
UG Programs -47
PG Programs -38
Doctorate Programs -29
Acceptance Rate12.0 %4.5 %
Exam ScoreDuolingo-120
IELTS-7.5
TOEFL-100
GRE-310
IELTS-7
PTE-65
SAT-1510
TOEFL-100
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   54244
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  48500
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 15390 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   30996
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  30995
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 21264 Per Year
placement (average package)

Average salary of university graduates is 98,000 USD per annum; Annual ROI is 6.8%; Top employers are Amazon, IBM, Apple, etc.
Graduate Employability ranks (2020): #39. 
Executive MBA: $169,000.
Masters in Finance: $155,000.
MBA: $140,000
Masters: $100,000


Average Salaries Of Degree:

  • Executive MBA : $192,000 
  • Masters in Management : $178,000 
  • MBA : $175,000 
  • Doctorate : $170,000 
  • PhD : $169,000 
  • Masters in Science : $140,000 

application requirements

UG applicants must have at least grade B+ (3.69 GPA on 4.0). Interviews are conducted for many UG programs. 

Letter of recommendations (two, preferrably from teachers of subjects maths and science or humanities)
Student profile
Creative portfolio
Interview
 

Campuses and B-SchoolsCollege of Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University
Tepper School of Business
MIT Sloan School of Management
CollegeDunia Reviews7.4/10 Read 9 reviews-

Top Courses Comparison

Top Courses Comparison

ranking# 2 for Computer Science by US News 2025
# 3 for Computer Science by QS World University 2025
# 6 for Computer Science by Times Higher Education 2025
# 1 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2025
exam scoresDuolingo - 135/160IELTS - 7.5/9TOEFL - 102/120Duolingo - 120/160IELTS - 7/9PTE - 65/90TOEFL - 90/120
cost to studyTotal Cost (Tuition + Living) -Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -89340
documents required#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose#Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose
application datesNov 1, 2025 (Early Decision Application Deadline for Fall 2026 intake)
Jan 2, 2026 (Regular Decision Application Deadline for fall 2026 intake)
Nov 1, 2025 (Early Action Application Deadline for 2026 Intake)
Jan 5, 2026 (Regular Action Application Deadline for 2025 Intake)
Feb 15, 2026 (Financial Aid Application Deadline for 2025 Intake)
General Facts Comparison
General FactsCarnegie Mellon UniversityMassachusetts Institute of Technology
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1900
1861
Student:Faculty Ratio6:1:1
3:1:1
Male:Female0% Male, 0% Female1.3% Male, 0% Female
Location Facts

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


Lying between central and kendall squares across Charles River from Boston’s Back bay. Small instituition with close knit student body postioned to collaborate and contribute to neighbors


Library

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


More than 5 million items, with over 21,000 MIT theses
478 online database
17,000 journals
55,000 electronic journals


Campus Life

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


Over 450 co-curricular organizations, Society for Women Engineers, LGTQ+ community, Black stuents union, 33 varsity sports, The Tech (student newspaper), The Byte (graduate student publication), religious organizations, around 43 sororities, fraternities and independent living groups.


Hostel#Housing - $10260
#Rooms - $13614
Famous Alumni

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)


85 Nobel laureates, 58 National Medal of Science Winners, 29 National Medal of Technology and Innovation Winners
Kofi Annan (Former secretary general of UN), Buzz Aldrin (former Apolo 11 astronaut & fighter pilot), Benjamin Netanyahu (Iraesli Prime Minister), Amar Gopal Bose (Owner of Bose), etc


City Life

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


Cambridge- city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts; City is part of the Boston metropolitan area; home to a huge student community; Average salaries offered within the state are up to 97,5000 USD; Famous tourist attractions: Charles River, Harvard Square, Mount Auburn Cemetery, MIT Museum, CambrdgeSide, John Harvard Statue, Sanders Theatre; Unemployment rate- 2.1% (Dec 2019)


Weather
Comparison Notes

Carnegie Mellon University vs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Subject Strength & Global Rankings (2025/2026)

According to the QS World University Rankings 2026, MIT has been ranked first globally for the 14th consecutive year with a total overall score of 100. CMU has been recognized globally and has maintained and advanced its place, albeit 52nd in world ranking since 2022. CMU has achieved and has maintained subject recognition according to the QS Rankings to apparently quite considerable effect particularly in topics including, but not limited to Engineering & Technology (top 20), Mathematics (top 12), Art & Design (top 20), and MIT typically has many STEM and technology core areas where they have a very large group of subjects listed where they are ranked first.

General Information

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts as a private research university (focusing on), it recognizes a long standing tradition for innovation and entrepreneurship, while also being considered a 'science and technology' university, or a university that promotes and emphasises STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines among the many facets of university pursuits. Carnegie institue of Technology, now CMU, began its journey as a private research university in Pittsburgh in 1900 as a research university and has grown into a private research university that is primarily recognized for the excellence of its academic programs in computer science, engineering, and art. The CMU School of Computer Science is likely the worlds top university according to the QS rankings co-world ranking with MIT, Stanford, and UC Berkeley as the (presumably) top program in the graduate rankings.

Acceptance Rate & Admissions

MIT is highly selective, with admissions rates normally below 10%, welcoming exceptionally talented students from around the globe. Carnegie Mellon is equally selective, particularly for its most highly competitive programs like computer science, but tends to have somewhat larger acceptance rates in other areas of study. (Specific numbers remain institutional and depend on program.)

Research Impact & Facilities

Large experimental facilities, world-leading laboratories, innovation and entrepreneurial culture with robust backing from interdisciplinary centres and wide-reaching engagement with industries are hallmarks of MIT. Carnegie Mellon is similarly research-intensive and famous for pioneering work in computer technologies, robots, artificial intelligence, cyber-physical systems, and fine arts, with additional support from special facilities and collaborative centres.

Cost & Financial Aid

These two schools are expensive private schools, but both schools do offer generous financial aid awards, especially need-based awards at MIT and merit awards at CMU. Actual fees and availability of aid depend on residency, level of study, and year.

Career Outcomes & Alumni Success

At the international level, MIT alumni can boast one of the strongest and most dynamic networks, pulling off tremendous successes in research, industry, start-ups and academic institutions. Carnegie Mellon University alumni hold a comparable status, primarily in technology, arts, and design. Its computer sciences and engineering reputation is unusually strong, and its alumni are extremely successful wherever they go in industries from AI to entertainment. Although MIT has wider worldwide influence, CMU alumni are extremely respected in their niche fields.