Carnegie Mellon vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
Carnegie Mellon admits 11.7% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4%.
The share of international students differs sharply: 23.3% (Carnegie Mellon) against 14.9% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports aid for international students ($5,836 on average), Carnegie Mellon does not.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Carnegie Mellon starts at $88,670 against $57,284 and ends at $27,761 against $34,067 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
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 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#101-150 vs #55). Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,776 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: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: a higher world ranking, lower tuition, 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 42.37% acceptance); Carnegie Mellon has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1470).
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $81K); Carnegie Mellon has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.1% vs 85.1%).
Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,776); Carnegie Mellon offers a larger average aid package ($60,909 vs $23,217).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Carnegie Mellon | Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #55 |
| Rank · THE | #24 | #46 |
| Acceptance rate | 11.66% | 42.37% |
| Yield rate | 45.7% | 28.8% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1470 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.89 | - |
| Number of applications | 33,941 | 73,742 |
| International students | 23.3% | 14.9% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $115K | $81K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $73K | $55K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $183K | $117K |
| Graduation rate | 94.1% | 85.1% |
| Retention rate | 98% | 94.8% |
| Median debt | $21,750 | $19,500 |
| Tuition · year | $68,776 | $38,400 |
| Avg. aid package | $60,909 | $23,217 |
| % of need met | 100% | 0.8% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $31,298 | $22,395 |
| Application fee | $75 | $50 |
| Enrollment | 16,676 | 59,238 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Carnegie Mellon or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
It's harder to get into Carnegie Mellon. Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.
Do Carnegie Mellon or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Carnegie Mellon vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Carnegie Mellon and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Carnegie Mellon or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #101-150 for Carnegie Mellon vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Which university offers more financial aid - Carnegie Mellon or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The average aid package is $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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