PlainCollege

Duke University vs Carnegie Mellon University

Durham, NC · Pittsburgh, PA · largest Scorecard gap: acceptance rate

Scorecard match plate

Pair NC:PA

PRIVATE-NP-PAIR · CROSS-STATE · ACCEPT-TIGHT · NET-PAR · EARN-SPLIT · DEBT-SPLIT · COMPLETE-HIGH · GAP-ACCEPT

  • PRIVATE-NP-PAIR Private nonprofit pair
  • CROSS-STATE NC × PA
  • ACCEPT-TIGHT Tight admission
  • NET-PAR Net near-par
  • EARN-SPLIT Earnings split
  • DEBT-SPLIT Debt split
  • COMPLETE-HIGH High completion
  • GAP-ACCEPT Largest gap · Acceptance Rate

Instrument codes from this pair's College Scorecard ownership, geography, acceptance, net price, earnings, debt, and completion, plus the ENROLL-1SIDE · brisk · 2013–2023 decade-path stamp below, not a ranking or recommendation.

Decade path · College Scorecard

Headcount surged on one side only

ENROLL-1SIDE · brisk · 2013–2023

Carnegie Mellon University posted a brisk directional enrollment rise over 2013–2023 while its peer's size series stays a range, and both acceptance rates tightened. Do not read this as parallel growth under the same selectivity story.

  • Carnegie Mellon University: enrollment grew +23.2% over 2013–2023; fitted +137 students/yr fitted, r² 0.97.
  • Duke University: enrollment ranged 6,417–6,815 (2013–2023, 11 points) without a stable fitted direction.
  • Duke University: acceptance rate tightened -49.5% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.93).
  • Carnegie Mellon University: acceptance rate tightened -55.3% across 2013–2023 (r² 0.95).

College Scorecard institution series; dollars are nominal. Direction claims require r² ≥ 0.40 on the fitted annual slope, otherwise the page reports the observed range. Descriptive history, not a recommendation.

Scorecard metrics

Cards ordered by relative gap on this pair. Teal = better side.

Largest gaps: Duke University vs Carnegie Mellon University

  1. ACCEPTANCE-RATE Duke University leads on acceptance rate (5.7% vs 11.7% at Carnegie Mellon University)
  2. MEDIAN-DEBT-AT-GRA Duke University leads on median debt at graduation ($13,000 vs $21,750 at Carnegie Mellon University)
  3. MEDIAN-EARNINGS-(6 Carnegie Mellon University leads on median earnings (6 yr) ($105,360 vs $85,792 at Duke University)

Duke University profile · Carnegie Mellon University profile · Compare other colleges

Acceptance Rate and other Scorecard questions

On acceptance rate, who leads between Duke University and Carnegie Mellon University?▼
Duke University leads on acceptance rate at 5.7% versus 11.7% at Carnegie Mellon University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median debt at graduation, who leads between Duke University and Carnegie Mellon University?▼
Duke University leads on median debt at graduation at $13,000 versus $21,750 at Carnegie Mellon University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
On median earnings (6 yr), who leads between Duke University and Carnegie Mellon University?▼
Carnegie Mellon University leads on median earnings (6 yr) at $105,360 versus $85,792 at Duke University. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard College Scorecard institution outcomes (earnings, completion, debt); acceptance rate focus for this pair · 2025