How much money do Carnegie Mellon University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $83,100 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $102,700 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for Carnegie Mellon graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer Science with a median starting salary of $138,900 followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering paying $99,000 and Finance and Financial Management Services graduates who have a median starting income of $91,500 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $127,600 followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degree) at $113,000 and Computer and Information Sciences (Master's Degree) who earn $108,000 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Carnegie Mellon University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $138,900 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $127,600 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degree) | $113,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Master's Degree) | $108,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $99,000 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $91,500 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's Degree) | $89,900 |
| Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $87,900 |
| Systems Science and Theory (Bachelor’s Degree) | $81,400 |
| Statistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $79,700 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degree) | $78,200 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $76,800 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $73,100 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degree) | $72,200 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $70,400 |
| Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degree) | $66,300 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,300 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $61,400 |
| Materials Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,400 |
| Civil Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,200 |
| Architecture (Bachelor’s Degree) | $53,700 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,000 |
| Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Master's Degree) | $41,800 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Master's Degree) | $33,200 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,700 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,400 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=211440 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Carnegie Mellon University.