Carnegie Mellon Machine Learning Department
- Acceptance Rate
- 65.0%
- SAT Range
- 1050–1250
- ACT Range
- N/A
- Avg GPA
- 3.25
- Size
- N/A
- Type
- N/A
- Student:Faculty
- N/A
- Setting
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- Graduation Rate
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- Retention Rate
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- Tuition (In-State)
- N/A
- Tuition (Int'l)
- N/A
Student Life & Environment
Graduate student life in the ML Department combines intense intellectual engagement with supportive community. The department's relatively small size (approximately 150 graduate students) creates a close-knit environment where students know each other across research groups. Weekly department tea provides informal interaction, while reading groups and workshops offer intellectual exchange beyond formal coursework. The culture emphasizes collaboration over competition, with students frequently working across research groups and sharing computational resources. CMU's Pittsburgh campus offers modern facilities, affordable housing, and a revitalizing city environment. Graduate housing options include university apartments and plentiful nearby rentals at prices far below coastal cities. The Squirrel Hill and Shadyside neighborhoods adjacent to campus offer walkable living with restaurants, shops, and parks. Campus recreation facilities, intramural sports, and student organizations provide balance to demanding academic work. The student body is notably international, creating a multicultural community spanning dozens of countries. The ML program's demands are substantial, with coursework, research, and teaching responsibilities creating intense workloads particularly in the first two years. Students describe the experience as challenging but manageable with proper time management and peer support. Mental health resources, academic advising, and mentorship programs help students navigate difficulties. The career prospects upon completion make the investment worthwhile for most students, though some note the pressure to publish and the competitive job market can create stress.
Location & Surroundings
Carnegie Mellon's campus occupies a former estate in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood, adjacent to the University of Pittsburgh and surrounded by museums, parks, and urban amenities. Pittsburgh has transformed from its industrial past into a technology and healthcare hub, with CMU research playing a central role in the transformation. The city offers affordability, cultural amenities, and emerging technology scene while maintaining the comfortable scale of a mid-sized city. The climate features four distinct seasons with cold, snowy winters (averaging 40 inches of snow) and warm, humid summers. Fall brings spectacular foliage while spring arrives gradually. Public transportation via buses and the limited light rail system serves much of the city, though many residents own cars for convenience. The airport offers direct flights to major domestic hubs and some international destinations, with additional connections available through nearby airports. The cost of living significantly undercuts coastal technology centers, making Pittsburgh particularly attractive for graduate students on stipends. Housing in neighborhoods near campus is available at reasonable prices, with many students living in shared houses or apartments. The city's food scene has improved dramatically, with diverse restaurants, breweries, and coffee shops throughout the urban core. Cultural institutions including the Carnegie Museums, Carnegie Music Hall, and numerous theaters offer entertainment beyond academic life. Outdoor recreation opportunities include urban parks, hiking in nearby state forests, and skiing within a few hours' drive.
Costs & Career Outcomes
PhD students in the Machine Learning Department receive full funding including tuition coverage (valued at approximately $55,000 annually), health insurance, and stipends currently around $48,000 per year. This funding continues throughout the program assuming satisfactory progress, typically five to six years. Master's students pay tuition of approximately $55,000 annually, with living expenses adding roughly $20,000-25,000 per year. Some MS students receive partial funding through research or teaching assistantships, while others self-fund or receive employer sponsorship. Career outcomes for ML Department graduates are exceptional. PhD graduates pursue faculty positions at leading research universities (recent placements include MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton, and CMU itself) or research scientist roles at top AI laboratories. Industry research positions at Google DeepMind, Meta FAIR, Microsoft Research, OpenAI, Anthropic, and similar organizations offer total compensation frequently exceeding $400,000 for senior positions. Startup opportunities abound, with alumni founding and joining AI companies throughout the industry. Master's graduates typically enter industry as machine learning engineers, applied scientists, or research engineers. Starting compensation packages at major technology companies commonly exceed $200,000 in total compensation for well-prepared graduates. The school's career services, industry partnerships, and alumni network facilitate placement across the technology sector. Recruiting events bring major employers to campus, while the department's reputation opens doors throughout the field. The demand for ML expertise continues growing, creating strong long-term career prospects for graduates.
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