Boston College vs Carnegie Mellon - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Carnegie Mellon: 11.7% against 16.2% (Boston College).
The larger international cohort belongs to Carnegie Mellon: 23.3% of students against 6.6% (Boston College).
Carnegie Mellon reports no financial aid for international students, while Boston College awards them $39,634 on average. For an applicant from outside the US that is usually the most important difference on this page.
A rare case with no trade-off: Carnegie Mellon both costs less ($68,776 against $73,508) and delivers a higher median salary after a decade ($115K against $104K, Boston College).
The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.
Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.
EXPERT TAKE
Carnegie Mellon is the more selective of the two (11.66% vs 16.19% acceptance). Carnegie Mellon ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#501-600 vs #101-150). Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $104K). Carnegie Mellon has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,776 vs $73,508 per year).
Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.
Choose Boston College for: a larger aid package, lower graduate debt.
Choose Carnegie Mellon for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Carnegie Mellon is more selective (11.66% vs 16.19% acceptance); Carnegie Mellon has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1500).
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $104K); Carnegie Mellon has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.1% vs 90.8%).
Carnegie Mellon has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,776 vs $73,508); Boston College offers a larger average aid package ($61,753 vs $60,909).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Boston College | Carnegie Mellon |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #501-600 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | - | #24 |
| Acceptance rate | 16.19% | 11.66% |
| Yield rate | 42.5% | 45.7% |
| Median SAT | 1500 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | - | 3.89 |
| Number of applications | 34,779 | 33,941 |
| International students | 6.6% | 23.3% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $104K | $115K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $68K | $73K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $162K | $183K |
| Graduation rate | 90.8% | 94.1% |
| Retention rate | 96% | 98% |
| Median debt | $19,000 | $21,750 |
| Tuition · year | $73,508 | $68,776 |
| Avg. aid package | $61,753 | $60,909 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $24,892 | $31,298 |
| Application fee | - | $75 |
| Enrollment | 14,726 | 16,676 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Boston College or Carnegie Mellon?
It's harder to get into Carnegie Mellon. Boston College accepts 16.19% of applicants, while Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66%.
Do Boston College or Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $104K.
How much is tuition at Boston College vs Carnegie Mellon?
Sticker-price tuition is $73,508 per year at Boston College and $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon.
What SAT score do you need for Boston College or Carnegie Mellon?
The median admitted SAT score is 1500 at Boston College and 1540 at Carnegie Mellon; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Boston College or Carnegie Mellon?
Carnegie Mellon ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #501-600 for Boston College vs #101-150 for Carnegie Mellon.
Which university offers more financial aid - Boston College or Carnegie Mellon?
The average aid package is $61,753 at Boston College and $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon.
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