After Carnegie Mellon: graduation, pay and debt
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Private · 7,304 undergrads
93% of Carnegie Mellon students finish within six years, the typical student earns $125,257 ten years after starting and graduates leave with $19,000 in federal loans at the median.
The short answers
$125.3k
median pay 10 years after starting college.
93%
finish within six years.
79%
finish in four years.
98%
of first-years come back for year two.
$19k
median federal debt at graduation.
91%
of borrowers were paying down their loans three years after leaving.
All the federal numbers
Finishing
Finished in four yearsIPEDS, fall 2023
79%
Finished within six yearsIPEDS, fall 2023
93%
First-years who came back for year twoCollege Scorecard, fall 2024
98%
Men who finished within six yearsIPEDS, students who started in 2017
92%
Women who finished within six yearsIPEDS, students who started in 2017
93%
Students in that six-year groupIPEDS, students who started in 2017
1,671
Earned a degree or certificate here within eight yearsIPEDS, full-time students who started in 2015
94%
Still enrolled here after eight yearsIPEDS, full-time students who started in 2015
3%
Students in that eight-year groupIPEDS, full-time students who started in 2015
1,571
Transferred to another collegeCollege Scorecard, earlier release
2.6%
Pay after college
Median pay 6 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard
$102,216
Median pay 10 years after starting collegeCollege Scorecard, 2022-23
$125,257
Earning more than $25,000 six years after startingCollege Scorecard, earlier release
85%
Debt and paying it back
Median federal debt, students who graduatedCollege Scorecard, 2024-25
$19,000
Median federal debt, everyone who borrowed (finished or not)College Scorecard, earlier release
$20,250
Median federal debt, students with a Pell GrantCollege Scorecard, earlier release
$20,901
Median federal debt, students without a Pell GrantCollege Scorecard, earlier release
$19,500
Paying down their loans 3 years after leavingCollege Scorecard, 2024-25
91%
Paying down their loans 5 years after leavingCollege Scorecard, earlier release
92%
Paying down their loans 7 years after leavingCollege Scorecard, earlier release
95%
Where these numbers come from
- Admit rate and applicants: Common Data Set, fall 2025 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
- GPA, early rounds and wait list: Common Data Set, fall 2025 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
- Cost, pay and debt: College Scorecard, 2024-25 (checked Oct 31, 2026)
- Deadlines: cmu.edu, 2026-27 (checked Nov 5, 2026)
- Test rule: cmu.edu, fall 2027 (checked Nov 2, 2026)
Updated Nov 5, 2026Spot a mistake?How we get our numbers