Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Carnegie Mellon University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Carnegie MellonPittsburgh, PA | Georgia TechAtlanta, GA | MITCambridge, MA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 11.7% | 14.1% | 4.5% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1500–1570 | 1370–1540 | 1520–1580 |
| Average net price | $31,94416.0% on Pell grants | $12,11613.9% on Pell grants | $20,11119.3% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $66,246Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $12,058 in-state · $34,484 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $62,396Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 94.1% | 94.0% | 96.4% |
| First-year retention | 98.0% | 98.1% | 99.1% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 16.0% | 13.9% | 19.3% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $114,862 | $102,772 | $143,372 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,750 | $21,672 | $14,768 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 5:1 | 18:1 | 3:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,304 | 18,785 | 4,535 |
| Consensus percentile | 7Lower is better | 5Lower is better | 1Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 11 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 7 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 3 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Carnegie Mellon | Georgia Tech | MIT |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #20 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #32 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #2 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | #43 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #32 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #1 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #47 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #21 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #12 of 442National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| WSJ | #56 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #9 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #6 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #18 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #28 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #1 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | #52 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #123 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | #1 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 |
Students with a sharply defined specialty — computing, robotics, design, drama, quantitative business — who want to go deep immediately rather than explore broadly.
Need-based aid is weaker than peers at the same ranking tier; net price averages $31,944.
Full profileStudents certain they want engineering, computing or quantitative business, who value measurable career outcomes over campus breadth — and Georgia residents in particular.
Grading rigor is severe and well documented; GPA recovery is difficult.
Full profileStudents with demonstrated, self-directed technical intensity — competition math, original research, shipped projects — who want to be surrounded by peers operating at the same level.
A 4.5% acceptance rate means even exceptional applicants should treat admission as unlikely.
Full profile