Founded in 1900, Carnegie Mellon University owes its name and its founding to the renowned industrialist Andrew Carnegie of Pennsylvania.
A man who made his fortune in the steel industry, Carnegie recognized the need to train a new generation of workers and provided funds for the Carnegie Technical Schools in Pittsburgh.
In the decades that followed, the Carnegie Technical Schools evolved beyond their original mandate. By 1912, the school had fully embraced the tenets of a well-rounded liberal arts education, changing its name to the Carnegie Institute of Technology.
In 1967, the school merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to become Carnegie Mellon University.
It was during the initial 1912 expansion that Carnegie added music to its curriculum, giving rise to what would eventually become the Carnegie Mellon School of Music.
To be sure, Carnegie Mellon Music is no mere addition or afterthought, especially today.
The school boasts well-respected programs in every primary instrument, as well as those in music technology and education. The school’s faculty consists of professional musicians from some of the most respected orchestras in the country.
Furthermore, Carnegie Mellon Music is home to outstanding orchestral, chamber, and choral ensembles for students to participate in.
Simply put, the Carnegie Mellon School of Music is an excellent choice for any future musician. But to get accepted, potential students need to be strategic.
Acceptance Rate
Carnegie Mellon’s music program acceptance rate is 30%, according to the school’s website.
Carnegie Mellon prioritizes the close relationships built between students and faculty, something they achieve with a 3:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
To construct such a focused student body, the school must limit the number of students it accepts.
In 2024, these rates resulted in the acceptance of 146 undergraduates and 110 graduates. The student body came from 35 states and 19 different countries.
In other words, potential students at Carnegie Mellon Music aren’t simply competing with other people living in Pittsburgh. They’re competing with the entire world.
Carnegie Mellon Music is a tough school to get into, but it isn’t impossible.
Carnegie Mellon School of Music’s 2024 Stats At-a-Glance
Before we go further, let’s take a look at some basic stats about the Carnegie Mellon School of Music.
Number of students: 146 undergrads and 110 graduates, for a total of 256 students (source).
Number of faculty: 87
Student-to-teacher ratio: 3:1
Cost per year: $87,670 per year (source: tuition and resident hall housing).
Carnegie Mellon School of Music Ranking & Reputation
We recently listed the CMU School of Music among the top 30 best colleges & conservatories in the US.
Niche.com also lists Carnegie Mellon School of Music as the tenth-best music school in the entire country.
U.S. News and World Report places Carnegie Mellon at the 21st spot on its list of national universities, tied with the University of Michigan and Washington University in St. Louis.
Carnegie Mellon School of Music Notable Faculty – Who You Could Study With
Many of Carnegie Mellon’s faculty members are well-known performers who are employed by the local Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. These include many of the classical instrument faculty, such as Victoria Luperi and Jack Howell, clarinetists with the Pittsburgh Symphony, and David McCarroll, the concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
Teaching in their composition program is Freida Abtan, a pioneering multi-disciplinary artist and audiovisual composer. Professor Abtan works as a solo artist and part of the experimental collective Nurse. She has performed at the Spark Festival of Electronic Music, the Elektra Festival, Mutek, and more.
Emeritus faculty include Andrés Cárdenes, who has a long and storied career. Cárdenes has been nominated for multiple classical music Grammy Awards and has won several other respected prizes, including second prize in the 1982 Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition. He has performed under conductors such as Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Leonard Slatkin and has played with the Detroit Symphony, Sinfónica Nacíonal de Bogota, Neue Philharmonie Westfalen, and more.
In addition to teaching at Carnegie Mellon, cellist Angela Park has led classes at the New England Conservatory and played concertos with the Seoul Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra. She has been awarded at the Young Tchaikovsky Competition, the Stulberg International Competition, the International Isang Yun Competition, where she took home a silver medal, and the SeongYawng Park Talent Award.
Accomplished Alumni of Carnegie Mellon School of Music
Impressive as Carnegie Mellon School’s faculty certainly is, the real appeal for potential students is found in its alumni. After all, these are the people that students hope to emulate, and it is an incredible list indeed.
Since graduating from Carnegie Mellon School of Music, Michael Kooman and his writing partner Christopher Dimond have created the 2017 musical Romantics Anonymous and Emmy-nominated series for Netflix and Disney Junior.
In addition to working on legendary records with the Beach Boys and Harry Nilsson, composer and songwriter Van Dyke Parks wrote “The Bare Necessities” for the Disney musical The Jungle Book and remains an in-demand arranger.
After completing his studies in 2004, baritone Liam Bonner had a celebrated career, which includes performances in Hamlet and Carmen at the Metropolitan Opera. He also appeared with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, the St Louis Symphony, the New Orleans Opera, and more.
As this brief summary demonstrates, a degree from Carnegie Mellon Music can be the first step to an incredible career.
Tips for Getting Accepted to Carnegie Mellon School of Music
Although Carnegie Mellon Music has a higher acceptance rate than some of its competitors, applicants need an application strategy.
Intentional research and proper preparation will significantly enhance one’s chances of acceptance.
First of all, schools like Carnegie Mellon Music put a preference on specificity. They know that their school has name recognition, so people will apply simply because they’ve heard of the school.
A stronger application will have details, including perhaps the names of the specific instructors that you want to study under, and the ensembles that you’d like to enjoy.
Of course, you can only be specific if you know enough about the school to add these details. For that, you need to do your research.
One way to gain knowledge is to actually talk with the faculty members in the program. Look up their information in the directory on the school website and send an introductory email to introduce yourself. If they offer lessons, workshops, or lectures, be sure to attend one and introduce yourself. At the very least, go to a performance.
You might think that specificity means that you need to know your focus in your preparations, but actually, the opposite is true. A school like Carnegie Mellon Music rewards well-rounded learners, so your application should demonstrate that you have range.
If you’re a composer, include samples that show your familiarity with contemporary trends as well as different kinds of instrumentations. If you’re a performer, showcasing concerto repertoire (depending on your instrument) as well as etudes or orchestral excerpts (again, depending on your instrument) would be wise to prepare.
To that end, you must remember that Carnegie Mellon Music is a liberal arts school, not just a music conservatory. They want not just exceptional musicians, but rather incredible students.
That means you can’t ignore your studies. A high GPA and transcripts showing a variety of classes will assure the school that you have the dedication it takes to graduate from their program.
With these tips in mind, you’ll have a much better chance of being part of that fortunate 30% who get to start their career at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music.
