Carnegie Mellon vs Rice - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Rice admits 8%, Carnegie Mellon admits 11.7%.
The more international environment is at Carnegie Mellon (23.3% international students) than Rice (13%).
Carnegie Mellon reports no financial aid for international students, while Rice awards them $76,332 on average. For an applicant from outside the US that is usually the most important difference on this page.
The one that looks dearer ends up cheaper: Rice lists $92,262 against $88,670 (Carnegie Mellon), but after average aid what remains is $23,222 against $27,761.
None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.
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
Rice is the more selective of the two (8% vs 11.66% acceptance). Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $90K). Rice has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,497 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 graduate earnings, higher retention.
Choose Rice for: higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate, lower tuition.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Rice is more selective (8% vs 11.66% acceptance).
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $90K); Rice has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.6% vs 94.1%).
Rice has lower sticker-price tuition ($67,497 vs $68,776); Rice offers a larger average aid package ($69,040 vs $60,909).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Carnegie Mellon | Rice |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | #24 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 11.66% | 8% |
| Yield rate | 45.7% | 44.2% |
| Median SAT | 1540 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.89 | - |
| Number of applications | 33,941 | 32,473 |
| International students | 23.3% | 13% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $115K | $90K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $73K | $63K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $183K | $144K |
| Graduation rate | 94.1% | 94.6% |
| Retention rate | 98% | 97.4% |
| Median debt | $21,750 | $11,000 |
| Tuition · year | $68,776 | $67,497 |
| Avg. aid package | $60,909 | $69,040 |
| % of need met | 100% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $31,298 | $28,418 |
| Application fee | $75 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 16,676 | 8,961 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Carnegie Mellon or Rice?
It's harder to get into Rice. Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66% of applicants, while Rice accepts 8%.
Do Carnegie Mellon or Rice graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $90K.
How much is tuition at Carnegie Mellon vs Rice?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon and $67,497 per year at Rice.
What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon or Rice?
The median admitted SAT score is 1540 at Carnegie Mellon and 1540 at Rice; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Carnegie Mellon or Rice?
The average aid package is $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon and $69,040 at Rice.
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