HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

Carnegie Mellon University vs Northeastern University

Carnegie Mellon University clears +$4.73M in 30-year net value, Northeastern University +$1.62M — both pay off, Carnegie Mellon University by +$3.11M.

Two cross-admit private universities at the tuition they charge everyone (in-state and out-of-state are identical at a private). Same sticker, same admit pool — a clean head-to-head.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · their (identical) published tuition · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, PA

clears more

30-year net value
+$4.73M
Total cost of attendance
$322,968
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$112,233
Breaks even by age
31

Northeastern University · Boston, MA

30-year net value
+$1.62M
Total cost of attendance
$327,724
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$83,234
Breaks even by age
45
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its published tuition (identical in-state and out-of-state at a private), with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Carnegie Mellon University vs Northeastern University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/cmu-vs-northeastern

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Questions

Is Carnegie Mellon University or Northeastern University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at their (identical) published tuition, Carnegie Mellon University clears +$4.73M and Northeastern University +$1.62M — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; Carnegie Mellon University comes out ahead by +$3.11M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does Carnegie Mellon University pay off than Northeastern University?
About +$3.11M over a 30-year horizon (+$4.73M vs +$1.62M in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from Carnegie Mellon University?
+$4.73M at their (identical) published tuition — total cost of attendance $322,968, median earnings ten years out $112,233, breaking even around age 31. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.