Carnegie Mellon vs Notre Dame - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The share of international students differs sharply: 23.3% (Carnegie Mellon) against 7.5% (Notre Dame).
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Notre Dame reports aid for international students ($62,803 on average), Carnegie Mellon does not.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Carnegie Mellon: $115K against $100K.
Candidates with higher SAT scores go to Carnegie Mellon: a midpoint of 1540 against 1510, a difference of 30 points.
These numbers describe the cohorts already enrolled, not your chances; treat them as a starting point rather than a forecast.
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
Notre Dame is the more selective of the two (11.3% vs 11.66% acceptance). Carnegie Mellon ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#101-150 vs #301-400). Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $100K). Notre Dame has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,607 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: a higher world ranking, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Notre Dame for: higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate, higher retention.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Notre Dame is more selective (11.3% vs 11.66% acceptance); Carnegie Mellon has a higher median SAT (1540 vs 1510).
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $100K); Notre Dame has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95% vs 94.1%).
Notre Dame has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,607 vs $68,776); Notre Dame offers a larger average aid package ($67,855 vs $60,909).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Carnegie Mellon | Notre Dame |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #301-400 |
| Rank · THE | #24 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 11.66% | 11.3% |
| Yield rate | 45.7% | 61.7% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1510 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.89 | - |
| Number of applications | 33,941 | 29,942 |
| International students | 23.3% | 7.5% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $115K | $100K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $73K | $68K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $183K | $141K |
| Graduation rate | 94.1% | 95% |
| Retention rate | 98% | 99% |
| Median debt | $21,750 | $19,000 |
| Tuition · year | $68,776 | $67,607 |
| Avg. aid package | $60,909 | $67,855 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $31,298 | $30,400 |
| Application fee | $75 | $85 |
| Enrollment | 16,676 | 13,042 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Carnegie Mellon or Notre Dame?
It's harder to get into Notre Dame. Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66% of applicants, while Notre Dame accepts 11.3%.
Do Carnegie Mellon or Notre Dame graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $100K.
How much is tuition at Carnegie Mellon vs Notre Dame?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon and $67,607 per year at Notre Dame.
What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon or Notre Dame?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Carnegie Mellon and 1510 at Notre Dame; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Carnegie Mellon or Notre Dame?
Carnegie Mellon ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #101-150 for Carnegie Mellon vs #301-400 for Notre Dame.
Which university offers more financial aid - Carnegie Mellon or Notre Dame?
The average aid package is $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon and $67,855 at Notre Dame.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern