Carnegie Mellon vs Boston College - 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 (#101-150 vs #501-600). 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 Carnegie Mellon for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Boston College for: a larger aid package, lower graduate debt.
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 | Carnegie Mellon | Boston College |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #501-600 |
| Rank · THE | #24 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 11.66% | 16.19% |
| Yield rate | 45.7% | 42.5% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1500 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.89 | - |
| Number of applications | 33,941 | 34,779 |
| International students | 23.3% | 6.6% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $115K | $104K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $73K | $68K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $183K | $162K |
| Graduation rate | 94.1% | 90.8% |
| Retention rate | 98% | 96% |
| Median debt | $21,750 | $19,000 |
| Tuition · year | $68,776 | $73,508 |
| Avg. aid package | $60,909 | $61,753 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $31,298 | $24,892 |
| Application fee | $75 | - |
| Enrollment | 16,676 | 14,726 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Carnegie Mellon or Boston College?
It's harder to get into Carnegie Mellon. Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66% of applicants, while Boston College accepts 16.19%.
Do Carnegie Mellon or Boston College graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $104K.
How much is tuition at Carnegie Mellon vs Boston College?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon and $73,508 per year at Boston College.
What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon or Boston College?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Carnegie Mellon and 1500 at Boston College; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Carnegie Mellon or Boston College?
Carnegie Mellon ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #101-150 for Carnegie Mellon vs #501-600 for Boston College.
Which university offers more financial aid - Carnegie Mellon or Boston College?
The average aid package is $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon and $61,753 at Boston College.
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