Carnegie Mellon University

Cost of living in Pittsburgh, PA

City-median rent is a city-level figure, not a near-campus price; university graduate housing lines are the university's own published rates. Each line is labeled with its own source.

• Rent, 1-bedroom (university graduate housing, single occupant) $1,749/mo Official Apartment single: $15,742 per academic year. 2026-27 proposed rate, subject to approval. Monthly derived by dividing by 9 months. Source: CMU Housing: 2026-27 housing rates · Verified 2026-09-29
• Rent, 1-bedroom (city median) $1,350/mo Estimated City median 1BR Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (university graduate housing, shared, per person) $1,660/mo Official Apartment double: $14,938 per academic year. 2026-27 proposed rate, subject to approval. Monthly figure derived by dividing by 9 months. The sheet has no graduate-specific category. Source: CMU Housing: 2026-27 housing rates · Verified 2026-09-29
• Rent, 2-bedroom split two ways (city median) $770/mo Estimated City median 2BR, split two ways Source: Zumper city median asking rent (Sept 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Utilities $253/mo Crowdsourced Basic utilities (electricity, heating, cooling, water, garbage). 85 m2 apartment, excludes internet; overstates a studio. Source: Numbeo (Americas table, Sept 27 2026) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Public transit $98/mo Official Pittsburgh Regional Transit 31-day. A proposed increase to $106.50 was unconfirmed. Source: Pittsburgh Regional Transit (rideprt.org) · Verified 2026-09-27
• Parking $50/mo Official Chatham Eastside remote lot $50 per month (5-day lease); core-campus permits cost more. The new Chatham Eastside remote lot (6585 Penn Ave., 300+ permits) is $50 per month for 2026-27. The Bakery Square South Garage remote-lot rate was $810 per year in 2025-26. Core-campus garage and lot permit rates are only in CMU's rate PDF and were not retrieved; they cost substantially more. A $0 Nights/Weekends permit gives free evening and weekend parking. Source: CMU Transportation Services: Student Transportation and Parking Information for 2026-2027 · Verified 2026-09-28
• Groceries Not yet available

About this department

Summaries are paraphrased from the department's own pages. Individual faculty are not listed here; use the official directory.

Confirm deadlines on the department's own page before applying.

• Department Computer Science Department, School of Computer Science Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• Degrees offered
  • PhD
  Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• Overview A single-entry-per-year PhD in computer science, taught in person on the Pittsburgh campus, with interdisciplinary tracks tied to algorithms/combinatorics/optimization, neural computation, and programming and algorithms (ACO, CNBC, PAL). A master's degree is not required to apply. Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• Research areas
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Graphics
  • Programming Languages
  • Security
  • Systems
  • Theory
  Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• Faculty Faculty directory (official) Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• PhD funding (department statement) Admitted PhD students receive full support covering stipend, tuition, student fees and health insurance while in good academic standing; basic funding is the same for domestic and international students. Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• PhD application deadline December 9, 2026, 3 p.m. EST (final deadline); portal opens September 9, 2026 Official Deadlines vary by department. This date is for Computer Science Department, School of Computer Science. Confirm on the official admissions page. The page states the 2026 deadline dates but not the entry year; students are admitted once a year for 'the following fall'. An earlier deadline of November 18, 2026 is described as a cost-saving option, not early decision. No spring or summer entry. Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• GRE policy GRE optional; applying without scores does not count against applicants; GRE at Home not accepted; official scores must arrive by the final deadline Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14
• Application requirements
  • Transcripts from every institution (unofficial accepted for application, official after admission)
  • current CV/resume in PDF
  • statement of purpose of one to two pages
  • three recommendation letters (at least two from faculty or recent employers) due by the final deadline
  • English proficiency proof for F-1/J-1 applicants whose first language is not English (department does not issue waivers)
  • master's degree not required
  Official Source: csd.cs.cmu.edu · Verified 2026-10-14

Master's tuition

Published tuition (before any aid). PhD students usually have tuition waived; their offer letter confirms. This is not part of the stipend-versus-cost-of-living comparison.

• College of Engineering - Masters $61,510/yr Estimated 2026-2027. $30755 per fall/spring semester; $855 per CMU unit. Not confirmed for this department: this is the school-wide graduate rate. Source: CMU SFS College of Engineering 2026-2027 Cost of Attendance · Verified 2026-09-30