Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Beaver

Should I go to Carnegie Mellon University or Penn State Beaver? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Beaver is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

NYU Johns Hopkins Case Western Cornell Emory Penn Duke Georgetown WUSTL Swarthmore Caltech Harvard
Carnegie Mellon University vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
Carnegie Mellon University Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Carnegie Mellon University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Location Pittsburgh, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 15,596 504
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #43
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $62,260 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $62,260 $23,316
Room & Board $17,468 $12,852
Avg Net Price $32,964 $19,329
Avg Grant Aid $47,550 $8,820
% Receiving Grant Aid 49% 84%

Admission

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 33,707 1,603
Admitted 3,843 1,478
Acceptance Rate 11.4% 92.2%
Enrolled % 44.4% 11.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Average
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 34/35 21/26
SAT Range 1500/1570 1050/1320
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 1, 2026

Academics

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 87% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $102,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 91% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $271 $277

Diversity

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
% Men 32% 1%
% Women 21% 2%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 32% 75%
% Black 5% 9%
% Hispanic 8% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 18% 3%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
% In-State 9% 63%
% Out-of-State 71% 34%

Campus

 Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Carnegie Mellon University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (15,596 students vs. 504 students)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Beaver?

  • Carnegie Mellon University is 350.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($62,260.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 167% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Penn State Beaver ($62,260.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Carnegie Mellon ($19,329 vs. $32,964)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 35.9% lower than costs at Carnegie Mellon University ($12,852 vs. $17,468)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than Carnegie Mellon University (84% vs. 49%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carnegie Mellon University students is 439.1% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($47,550 vs. $8,820)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Beaver? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Beaver or Carnegie Mellon .

  • The average SAT score at Carnegie Mellon University (1448) is 449 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming Carnegie Mellon students have a 12 point higher average ACT score (33) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (92.2%) than Carnegie Mellon (11.4%)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Carnegie Mellon or Penn State Beaver? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Penn State Beaver and Carnegie Mellon.

  • The graduation rate at Carnegie Mellon is higher than Penn State Beaver (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Carnegie Mellon University earn on average $47,400 more per year than Penn State Beaver graduates after ten years. ($102,700 vs. $55,300)
  • Carnegie Mellon University students graduate with a $568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($26,250 vs. $26,818)
  • Carnegie Mellon graduates are paying $6 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($271 vs. $277)
  • More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Beaver students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/