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.

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Carnegie Mellon University vs. Penn State Beaver comparison
Carnegie Mellon University Penn State Beaver College 3 College 4
Carnegie Mellon University
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Overview

Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Location Pittsburgh, PA Monaca, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,002 522
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #41
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website cmu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $59,864 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $59,864 $23,086
Room & Board $16,486 $12,254
Avg Net Price $33,499 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $43,966 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 47% 87%

Admission

Carnegie Mellon Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 34,261 1,707
Admitted 3,873 1,591
Acceptance Rate 11.3% 93.2%
Enrolled % 44.3% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.89 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Elite Challenging
Applicant Competition Very High
ACT Range 34/35 20/28
SAT Range 1490/1570 1050/1260
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, 2024

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 56% 55%
% Women 44% 45%
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 11% 63%
% Out-of-State 69% 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 (16,002 students vs. 522 students)

Carnegie Mellon vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

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

  • Carnegie Mellon University is 333% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($59,864.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 159.3% higher at Carnegie Mellon than Penn State Beaver ($59,864.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than Carnegie Mellon ($18,113 vs. $33,499)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Beaver are 34.5% lower than costs at Carnegie Mellon University ($12,254 vs. $16,486)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Beaver than Carnegie Mellon University (87% vs. 47%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Carnegie Mellon University students is 374.1% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($43,966 vs. $9,274)

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 (93.2%) than Carnegie Mellon (11.3%)

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/