Northwestern University is the more selective of the two, admitting 7.7% of applicants versus 11.1% at Carnegie Mellon University. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $22,744 per year at Carnegie Mellon University versus $14,792 at Northwestern University. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1510–1560 at Carnegie Mellon University and 1510–1560 at Northwestern University.
| Metric | Carnegie Mellon University | Northwestern University |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 11.1% | 7.7% |
| Early acceptance rate | 20.6% | 20.0% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1510–1560 | 1510–1560 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.91 | 3.92 |
| Yield rate | 47.0% | 58.0% |
| Class size | 1,808 | 2,100 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $22,744 | $14,792 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $45,428 | $41,673 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
No. Northwestern University is more selective: it admits 7.7% of applicants, versus 11.1% at Carnegie Mellon University, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $22,744 per year at Carnegie Mellon University and $14,792 at Northwestern University, so Northwestern University is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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