The University of Pittsburgh provides funding to most admitted PhD students for four to five years and has established a variety of opportunities for students to obtain additional funding. The typical package of stipend, individual health insurance, and tuition remission offered to graduate students at Pitt is competitive with that offered by other public research universities.
As an example, for the 2022-2023 academic year, support for a teaching assistant appointed in Arts and Sciences—the home of the largest number of Pitt graduate students—was worth approximately $62,170 for an in-state student and $79,535 for an out-of-state student. Over five years, this appointment would be worth approximately $310,870 for an in-state student and $397,680 for out-of-state student (in fiscal year 2023 dollars).
As another example, in 2022-2023 a supported graduate student researcher in the School of Engineering receives overall support from the University including: $49,714 (engineering tuition and fees) + $31,215 (stipend) + $5,102 (health insurance) = $86,031. This support is guaranteed for four years if the student remains in good standing.
2022–2023 Stipend Rates
Stipends for Graduate Student Assistants (GSA), Teaching Assistants (TA), and Teaching Fellows (TF)
The one-term stipend rates, effective September 1, 2022, for the 2022–23 academic year are below.
| Graduate Student Assistant | $9,000/term |
| Teaching Assistant | $10,330/term |
| Teaching Fellow | $10,740/term |
TA/TF/GSA appointments also include individual health insurance coverage in the UPMC Health Plan for graduate students at no cost and a full or partial tuition scholarship including most fees.
For complete details on TAs/TFs/GSAs including benefits, see the TA/TF/GSA Academic Regulations.
Stipends for Graduate Student Researchers (GSR)
Based on the rates for TA/TF/GSAs, the GSRs will range from:
| Minimum stipend: | $9,000/term |
| Maximum stipend: | $11,810/term |
The minimum figure is set at the rate for a Graduate Student Assistant. The maximum is slightly higher than the Teaching Fellow stipend.
GSR appointments also include individual health insurance coverage in the UPMC Health Plan for graduate students at no cost and a full or partial tuition scholarship including most fees.
For complete details on GSRs, including benefits, see the GSR Academic Regulations.
Contact
Current students can contact the Graduate Associate Deans or the School Ombudspersons for questions.
Interested applicants can contact directly the school or program you are interested in to determine the availability for graduate appointments.