🎯 Parent/student verdict

Match

Solid match for academically prepared students.

✅ Best for

  • Strong academic profile (SAT 1270–1450 · ACT 29–33 middle 50% + typically a 3.9+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1270, or ACT below 29, or unweighted GPA below ~3.80 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
20,370
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$21,926
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$41,430
+$19,504 vs in-state
Admit rate
49.7%
Moderately selective
SAT middle 50%
1270–1450
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
29–33
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$66,125
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$54,240
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$66,125
4-year completion
86%
Median debt (completers)
$24,250
Cost of attendance
$38,105
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
14%

💰 True ROI

5.4× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$121,736
$30,434/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$30,684
vs sticker $152,420
10-yr earnings total
$661,250
$66,125/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.8 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus, the average net price is $30,434/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$14,709/yr
Family income $30-48k
$18,371/yr
Family income $48-75k
$23,192/yr
Family income $75-110k
$31,567/yr
Family income $110k+
$36,008/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus →

Opens on University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
629 degrees · 22.6%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
2. Health Professions
617 degrees · 22.1%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Engineering
584 degrees · 20.9%
Typical career outcomes
Mechanical Engineer $100k Electrical Engineer $107k Civil Engineer $93k Chemical Engineer $112k
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
4. Business, Management, & Marketing
489 degrees · 17.5%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
5. Psychology
469 degrees · 16.8%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. Bachelor's Degree 93 $121,958
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 99 $78,075 $110,417
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 203 $77,599 $108,680
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 55 $76,853 $102,572
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 68 $76,707 $98,654
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 94 $73,072 $97,324
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 123 $62,675 $95,917
Applied Mathematics. Bachelor's Degree 42 $58,358 $95,719
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 244 $61,062 $95,087
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 165 $71,406 $90,768

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

AI degrees (annual)
4
CIP 11.0102
CS degrees (annual)
228
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($30,165 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($26,840 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($25,582 less)
CUNY Brooklyn College
NY · Public
$12,254/yr for $110k+ families ($23,754 less)
CUNY Hunter College
NY · Public
$12,259/yr for $110k+ families ($23,749 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg
PA · Public
98% admit rate (vs 50% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks
PA · Public
97% admit rate (vs 50% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg
PA · Public
96% admit rate (vs 50% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College
PA · Public
96% admit rate (vs 50% here)
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
PA · Public
95% admit rate (vs 50% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus into your overall strategy:

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