Emory vs Carnegie Mellon - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The larger international cohort belongs to Carnegie Mellon: 23.3% of students against 16.7% (Emory).
If you are applying from outside the US, budget without institutional support where there is none: only Emory reports aid for international students ($54,457 on average), Carnegie Mellon does not.
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Emory starts at $90,574 against $88,670 and ends at $23,245 against $27,761 (Carnegie Mellon).
The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Carnegie Mellon: $115K against $80K.
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
Emory is the more selective of the two (10.29% vs 11.66% acceptance). Carnegie Mellon graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($115K vs $80K). Emory has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,056 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 Emory for: higher selectivity, lower tuition, a larger aid package.
Choose Carnegie Mellon for: higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate, higher retention.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Emory is more selective (10.29% 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 $80K); Carnegie Mellon has a higher 6-year graduation rate (94.1% vs 91.1%).
Emory has lower sticker-price tuition ($68,056 vs $68,776); Emory offers a larger average aid package ($67,329 vs $60,909).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Emory | Carnegie Mellon |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #101-150 | #101-150 |
| Rank · THE | - | #24 |
| Acceptance rate | 10.29% | 11.66% |
| Yield rate | 40.4% | 45.7% |
| Median SAT | 1510 | 1540 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.84 | 3.89 |
| Number of applications | 34,614 | 33,941 |
| International students | 16.7% | 23.3% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $80K | $115K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $58K | $73K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $120K | $183K |
| Graduation rate | 91.1% | 94.1% |
| Retention rate | 96% | 98% |
| Median debt | $18,250 | $21,750 |
| Tuition · year | $68,056 | $68,776 |
| Avg. aid package | $67,329 | $60,909 |
| % of need met | 99.9% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $24,562 | $31,298 |
| Application fee | $75 | $75 |
| Enrollment | 15,179 | 16,676 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Emory or Carnegie Mellon?
It's harder to get into Emory. Emory accepts 10.29% of applicants, while Carnegie Mellon accepts 11.66%.
Do Emory or Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more?
Carnegie Mellon graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $115K vs $80K.
How much is tuition at Emory vs Carnegie Mellon?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,056 per year at Emory and $68,776 per year at Carnegie Mellon.
What SAT score do you need for Emory or Carnegie Mellon?
The median admitted SAT score is 1510 at Emory and 1540 at Carnegie Mellon; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university offers more financial aid - Emory or Carnegie Mellon?
The average aid package is $67,329 at Emory and $60,909 at Carnegie Mellon.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern