Duke vs. Carnegie Mellon

Should I go to Duke University or Carnegie Mellon University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Duke or Carnegie Mellon 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. 

Vanderbilt UNC Chapel Hill Harvard Georgetown Penn Princeton Stanford Northwestern Cornell Johns Hopkins Rice Yale
Duke University vs. Carnegie Mellon University comparison
Duke University Carnegie Mellon University College 3 College 4
Duke University Carnegie Mellon University
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Duke Carnegie Mellon
Location Durham, NC Pittsburgh, PA
Setting Midsize City Large City
Enrollment 18,023 16,002
Type Private 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #3 #41
Religious Affiliation United Methodist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website duke.edu cmu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Duke Carnegie Mellon
Tuition (In State) $60,435 $59,864
Tuition (Out of State) $60,435 $59,864
Room & Board $16,651 $16,486
Avg Net Price $23,694 $33,499
Avg Grant Aid $57,444 $43,966
% Receiving Grant Aid 42% 47%

Admission

Duke Carnegie Mellon
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 50,016 34,261
Admitted 3,174 3,873
Acceptance Rate 6.3% 11.3%
Enrolled % 55% 44.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.94 3.89
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Elite
Applicant Competition Extreme Very High
ACT Range 34/35 34/35
SAT Range 1490/1570 1490/1570
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 3, 2024 Jan 1, 2024

Academics

Duke Carnegie Mellon
Student to Faculty Ratio 6:1 5:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (24%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Human Services (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Engineering (26%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (14%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (10%)
  • Business (9%)
  • General Studies (8%)

Outcomes

Duke Carnegie Mellon
Graduation Rate 94% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $108,900 $102,700
Making Student Loan Payments 89% 91%
Median Student Loan Debt $7,500 $26,250
Median Loan Payment $77 $271

Diversity

Duke Carnegie Mellon
% Men 45% 56%
% Women 55% 44%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 46% 32%
% Black 10% 5%
% Hispanic 7% 8%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 10% 18%
% Unknown Race 2% 5%

Students

Duke Carnegie Mellon
% In-State 12% 11%
% Out-of-State 74% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Duke University is larger than than Carnegie Mellon based on total student enrollment (18,023 students vs. 16,002 students)

Duke vs. Carnegie Mellon Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Duke or Carnegie Mellon?

  • Duke University is 1% more expensive to attend than Carnegie Mellon for in-state tuition ($60,435.00 vs. $59,864.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1% higher at Duke than Carnegie Mellon University ($60,435.00 vs. $59,864.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Duke University than Carnegie Mellon ($23,694 vs. $33,499)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Carnegie Mellon University are 1% lower than costs at Duke University ($16,486 vs. $16,651)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Carnegie Mellon University than Duke University (47% vs. 42%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Duke University students is 30.7% larger than aid received Carnegie Mellon University ($57,444 vs. $43,966)

Duke vs. Carnegie Mellon Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Duke University (1450) is 2 points higher than at Carnegie Mellon (1448)
  • Incoming Duke students have at the same average ACT score (33) as students at Carnegie Mellon (33)
  • Accepted freshman Duke students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Carnegie Mellon (3.89)
  • Carnegie Mellon has a higher acceptance rate (11.3%) than Duke (6.3%)

Duke vs. Carnegie Mellon Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Duke or Carnegie Mellon? 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 Carnegie Mellon and Duke.

  • The graduation rate at Duke is higher than Carnegie Mellon University (94% vs. 87%)
  • Graduates from Duke University earn on average $6,200 more per year than Carnegie Mellon graduates after ten years. ($108,900 vs. $102,700)
  • Duke University students graduate with a $18,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($7,500 vs. $26,250)
  • Duke graduates are paying $194 less per month on federal student loans than Carnegie Mellon graduates. ($77 vs. $271)
  • More Carnegie Mellon graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Duke students, three years after graduation. (91% vs. 89%)

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