Is Carnegie Mellon or Ohio State more affordable for out-of-state students?

For most out-of-state students, Ohio State will cost less than Carnegie Mellon after tuition, housing, and standard financial aid. Ohio State’s nonresident price is substantial because it is a public university, but Carnegie Mellon’s private-university sticker price is typically much higher.

Ohio State can be especially attractive for applicants who qualify for its nonresident merit scholarships. Those awards may materially reduce the out-of-state surcharge, while need-based aid depends on the family’s financial circumstances. Students who expect little need-based aid should treat Ohio State as the more likely lower-cost option.

Carnegie Mellon may become competitive for a student with demonstrated financial need, since its institutional need-based grant can be meaningful. Its aid is not designed to make the price identical for every admitted student, though, and students without substantial need should expect CMU to remain markedly more expensive.

The deciding figure is each school’s net price, not its published tuition. Run both institutions’ current net price calculators using the same family income, assets, household size, and sibling-in-college information, then compare the resulting four-year estimates alongside any merit award in the admission letter.