Address: 5000 Forbes Avenue, 15213 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering
Founded in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie, CMU is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is globally recognized for its leadership in computer science, robotics, engineering, business, and the arts (especially drama and music).
Carnegie Mellon University began in 1900 as the Carnegie Technical Schools, founded by Andrew Carnegie to educate the children of working families in Pittsburgh. In 1967 it merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research and took its present name. The campus lies in Oakland, a neighbourhood east of downtown Pittsburgh, next to the University of Pittsburgh and several museums. It has about 15,300 students and 5,200 staff, and the Cut, a large green lawn, is the heart of the campus.
The university is renowned for computer science, and the School of Computer Science was among the first in the world. Herbert Simon and Allen Newell worked at Carnegie Tech in the 1950s on early artificial intelligence, producing the Logic Theorist, and Simon received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economics. The Robotics Institute, founded in 1979, is the largest of its kind, and the university works on autonomous vehicles, speech recognition, machine learning and language technologies.
The arts are another pillar. The School of Drama, founded in 1914, was the first degree-granting drama programme in the United States, and its alumni include well-known actors and directors. The College of Fine Arts also has strong music, art, architecture and design programmes. Other units include the Tepper School of Business, the Heinz College for public policy and information systems, the Mellon College of Science and the engineering college.
Admission is selective and by application to a specific school. Financial aid exists but is limited for international students in some programmes. Check the current tariff for tuition. Teaching is in English. A branch in Qatar offers some programmes, and there are international partnerships and campuses in other countries.
Pittsburgh has lower living costs than many large American cities, and bus lines connect the campus to downtown. Many undergraduates live on campus during the first years.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Data Analytics, Engineering, Industrial Design, Robotics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Private
Partnerships:
Pioneer in computer science and AI (home to National Robotics Engineering Center, Software Engineering Institute). Strong partnerships with tech industry (e.g., Google, Apple, Uber ATG originated here) and government research. Thriving startup culture. Member of AAU.
Research:
World-leading research in computer science (AI, machine learning, cybersecurity, software engineering), robotics, engineering, cognitive science, design, and fine arts. High research expenditure.
Famous Alumnis:
Andy Warhol, John Forbes Nash Jr., James Gosling, Vinod Khosla, Judith Light, Ted Danson, Zachary Quinto
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
5200
Current students***:
15300
Foreign students***:
30%
Cumulative former students***:
115000
Pros
Global leader in computer science and robotics, strong interdisciplinary collaboration (“work across disciplines”), excellent programs in arts and design alongside STEM, entrepreneurial focus, strong career services.
Cons
Highly competitive admissions, demanding workload, Pittsburgh weather can be a factor for some, urban campus with some older buildings.
Best For
Students passionate about computer science, robotics, engineering, or the intersection of technology and arts, seeking a highly innovative, interdisciplinary, and research-intensive environment.
A good alternative in the same country is Georgia Institute of Technology, which likewise covers robotics, data analytics and AI and machine learning; it covers aerospace and manufacturing as well, and is larger, enrolling about 45,300 students against roughly 15,300 here.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology follows much the same lines as this institution, with robotics, AI and machine learning and software engineering as common ground, and it covers physics and mathematics as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 11,900 students against roughly 15,300 here.
Also strong in data analytics, AI and machine learning and software engineering, Johns Hopkins University makes a sensible second look at home; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers bioengineering and project management as well.
For students who like the industrial design, data analytics and AI and machine learning focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Washington University in St. Louis fits well: it covers civil engineering and bioengineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 17,000 students.
In terms of fields, Stanford University is the nearest neighbour, with data analytics, AI and machine learning and software engineering again at the core; it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers bioengineering and physics as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
The closest overseas parallel on computer vision, robotics and data analytics is International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad, located in India; it is far smaller, with about 2,000 students against roughly 15,300 here, and is also a private institution.
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in India is the nearest foreign match on robotics, data analytics and AI and machine learning; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers bioengineering and life sciences as well.
Sogang University in South Korea pursues a similar profile in computer vision, AI and machine learning and engineering, and it is also a private institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Students considering a move abroad can look at University College London in the United Kingdom, where robotics, data analytics and AI and machine learning also form the core, and it is far larger, with about 48,000 students against roughly 15,300 here, and is public, whereas this university is private.
On content, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya - Estudis d'Informàtica, Multimèdia i Telecomunicació in Spain and this institution are close, as both teach industrial design, computer vision and data analytics; it covers telecommunications as well, and is larger, enrolling about 30,000 students against roughly 15,300 here.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is Carnegie Mellon University?
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Oakland neighbourhood east of downtown.
When was it founded?
In 1900 as the Carnegie Technical Schools, by Andrew Carnegie.
When did it take its present name?
In 1967, after merging with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research.
How large is it?
About 15,300 students and 5,200 staff.
What is it known for?
Computer science, robotics, engineering, business and the performing arts.
What did Herbert Simon and Allen Newell do?
They worked on early artificial intelligence in the 1950s and produced the Logic Theorist. Simon received the 1978 Nobel Prize in Economics.
What is the Robotics Institute?
A research institute founded in 1979 and considered the largest of its kind.
What is special about its School of Drama?
Founded in 1914, it was the first degree-granting drama programme in the United States.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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