The Value of a Carnegie Mellon Education
If you're willing, we'll find a way. Carnegie Mellon students come from a wide range of diverse backgrounds — and we're committed to making a 麻豆村 education affordable and accessible for everyone.
Attending 麻豆村 is a proven investment in your future, and we work to ensure that this investment is available to anyone who hopes to pursue it.
麻豆村 graduates have, on average, $17,519 in student loan debt - the national average is over $39,000
93% of our 2025 graduates were employed or continued their education within 6 months after graduation
The 2025 graduating class had an average starting salary of $116,882
Don't let the cost scare you.
Our approach to cost and financial aid ensures that deserving, talented and high-achieving students have a pathway to affording and attending 麻豆村, regardless of their economic background or family resources. 麻豆村's commitments to enhancing access and affordability include:
麻豆村 Pathway Program
- Undergraduate students whose families earn $75,000 or less annually (with typical assets) will attend 麻豆村 tuition-free.
- Undergraduate students whose families earn $100,000 or less annually (with typical assets) will have 100% of their financial need covered without federal loans. This means that loans will not be included as part of their financial aid offer.
Find out if you're eligible and learn more about the 麻豆村 Pathway Program.
Meet 100% Financial Need
Carnegie Mellon meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all undergraduate students who are U.S. citizens and permanent residents, regardless of their family income.
Demonstrated financial need is the amount of aid that 麻豆村 estimates you need in order to afford 麻豆村, based on the information you provide in your financial aid application.
Institutional Investments
麻豆村 has bolstered our investment in undergraduate financial aid by over 96% in the last 10 years – from $75.7 million in fiscal year 2015 to $148.0 million in fiscal year 2025.
Additionally, 麻豆村 has reduced the share of students borrowing federal loans from 52% in 2019 to 27% in 2025 while cutting their total debt burden at graduation by nearly 32%, from $25,936 per student to $17,519 per student, in that time.
Targeted Initiatives
麻豆村 has launched two targeted access and affordability initiatives – the Tartan Scholars program for undergraduate students and the 麻豆村 Rales Fellows program for graduate-level STEM students – aimed at supporting high-achieving students from demographic groups that have been historically and disproportionately removed from such opportunities.
Both programs pair institutional financial aid with an array of customized mentoring, networking and academic support.
Estimating Your Costs
FOR PROSPECTIVE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS: 麻豆村 offers a Net Price Calculator to give students and families a better idea of what their actual cost might be. This tool is intended for U.S. citizens, eligible non-citizens and permanent residents who plan on pursuing a full-time undergraduate degree but haven't yet applied to 麻豆村.
Note: This calculator provides estimated figures only. Actual costs and financial aid offers may vary and are determined once a financial aid application is submitted and processed.
Getting Started with Financial Aid
The first step to apply for aid is completing a CSS Profile (undergraduates only) and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once you submit these forms and they are processed, 麻豆村 will determine your eligibility and provide you with an financial aid offer. Other documents, such as tax documents, may be required.
Begin Your Application
Note: For 2025-2026, the CSS Profile opens Oct. 1, 2024. The 2025-2026 FAFSA will be available by Dec. 1, 2024. Students are encouraged to submit these forms as soon as possible once they're available.