Carnegie Mellon University

What is the cost of studying for a year at Carnegie Mellon University?

Carnegie Mellon has the same published undergraduate tuition for Pennsylvania residents and students from other states. In the 2024-25 cost data, full-time undergraduate tuition was $64,596 and required fees were $1,040. Reported room and board charges were $18,894, while estimated books and supplies were $1,000.

Adding those four 2024-25 items produces $85,530, but that is not a complete individual cost-of-attendance budget: transportation, personal expenses, and other applicable costs can add to it. Nor should figures published for a later year be inserted into that total. Graduate tuition and fees vary by program, and students considering part-time study should check the applicable per-course or per-credit charges.

The published price is not necessarily the amount a student pays after aid. In the reported income-based net-price data, the average was $6,994 for families with annual income up to $48,000, compared with $51,480 for families above $110,000. Those are averages for defined aid recipients, not quotes for an applicant. Grants, family circumstances, housing choices, and borrowing can change an individual budget.

Eligible students may finance attendance through federal or state grants, institutional need-based assistance, scholarships, loans, employment, and qualifying military education benefits. Aid applicants should follow the current financial aid office instructions for the FAFSA and any additional institutional forms and deadlines. In the cited aid data, 58% of students received financial aid, and the average grant award among recipients was $47,608; that average should not be assumed to apply to every enrollee.

What are the work-study opportunities at Carnegie Mellon University?

Carnegie Mellon students can seek part-time employment, including positions funded through Federal Work-Study for those who qualify. Federal Work-Study is a financial-aid eligibility designation, not a guaranteed job or a grant paid in full at the beginning of the term: students generally must obtain a position and earn wages for hours worked.

Campus jobs and any approved off-campus work-study roles may offer a way to meet some ongoing expenses, while other student jobs need not require work-study eligibility. Applicants should review positions through the university's student employment resources and check pay, scheduling, and work authorization before accepting a role. An internship is different again: it may be paid or unpaid, carry academic credit or not, and relate more directly to a career interest. Carnegie Mellon does not require an internship of every student.