Boston University vs Carnegie Mellon - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Boston University reports aid for international students ($56,639 on average), Carnegie Mellon does not.
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Carnegie Mellon: $115K against $83K.
70 points separate the SAT profiles: 1540 (Carnegie Mellon) against 1470.
More than twice the application volume goes to Boston University (76,776 against 33,941), which changes how any single file is read.
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 12.83% acceptance). Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $83K). Carnegie Mellon has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,776 vs $71,372 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 University for: a larger aid package.
Choose Carnegie Mellon for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Carnegie Mellon is more selective (11.66% vs 12.83% acceptance); Carnegie Mellon has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $83K); Carnegie Mellon has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.1% vs 88.7%).
Carnegie Mellon has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,776 vs $71,372); Boston University offers a larger average aid package ($69,396 vs $60,909).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Boston University | Carnegie Mellon |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | #75 | #24 |
| Acceptance rate | 12.83% | 11.66% |
| Yield rate | 35% | 45.7% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.86 | 3.89 |
| Number of applications | 76,776 | 33,941 |
| International students | 20.1% | 23.3% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $83K | $115K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $57K | $73K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $122K | $183K |
| Graduation rate | 88.7% | 94.1% |
| Retention rate | 94.2% | 98% |
| Median debt | $23,250 | $21,750 |
| Tuition · year | $71,372 | $68,776 |
| Avg. aid package | $69,396 | $60,909 |
| % of need met | 92% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $36,774 | $31,298 |
| Application fee | $80 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 36,977 | 16,676 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Boston University or Carnegie Mellon?
It's harder to get into Carnegie Mellon. Boston University accepts 12.83% of applicants, while Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66%.
Do Boston University or Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $83K.
How much is tuition at Boston University vs Carnegie Mellon?
Sticker-price tuition is $71,372 per year at Boston University and $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon.
What SAT score do you need for Boston University or Carnegie Mellon?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Boston University and 1540 at Carnegie Mellon; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Boston University or Carnegie Mellon?
The average aid package is $69,396 at Boston University and $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern