Carnegie Mellon: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Officially Carnegie Mellon University · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Private nonprofit · Highly selective · CDS 2025-2026
Admission at a glance
Common Data Set 2025-2026
- Tests required (AP/IB accepted)
- Early Decision
- 34,867
- Applicants
- 3,859
- Admitted11%
- 1,804
- Enrolled
- 47%
- Yield rate
Selectivity
Highly selective11% admittedRanked #14 (tie) in National Universities; Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs #8 (tie), Business Programs #6 (tie), Computer Science #1 (tie), Economics #21 (tie)U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2027
Admission figures come from the 2025-2026 Common Data Set published by Carnegie Mellon University (see the source), read on 2026-09-20. The admission-factor grid was re-read from that file to confirm each weighting.
Is Carnegie Mellon a reach, target or safety for your student?
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Carnegie Mellon is a private nonprofit university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that admits about 11% of applicants, making it a highly selective school. The average family pays about $31,944 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Computer Science, Statistics and Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. About 94% of students graduate within six years. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 0.8 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Carnegie Mellon is a private institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Carnegie Mellon admits between 1 in 10 and 1 in 4 applicants, with an overall admission rate of 11%. Admitted students typically post a median SAT of 1540 and an ACT composite around 34. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $31,944 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What parents should know about Carnegie Mellon right now
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh known for computer science, engineering, design, drama, and business. For the Class of 2029, Carnegie Mellon admitted 3,859 students out of 34,867 applicants for an 11.07 percent overall admit rate, with the Early Decision rate at 20.63 percent and Regular Decision at a record-low 10.27 percent, indicating that ED is meaningfully advantageous for committed applicants. Middle-50 percent test scores have been SAT 720 to 770 reading and writing and 770 to 800 math, with ACT 34 to 35. CMU is need-blind for domestic applicants and meets 100 percent of demonstrated financial need, but it does not offer automatic merit scholarships based on GPA or test scores; nearly all institutional aid is need-based and requires both the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Recent average institutional grant aid is around $47,608. CMU's School of Computer Science is consistently ranked second nationally alongside MIT, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, with top-five graduate rankings in artificial intelligence and programming languages. Recent capital and program investments include the November 2023 establishment of the Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department through a $25 million gift, and a groundbreaking in April 2024 for the Richard King Mellon Hall of Sciences, a 338,900-square-foot facility. Tuition for 2023 to 2024 was $62,260 with $17,468 for room and board, and families should expect annual increases.
What GPA does my child need for Carnegie Mellon?
86% of enrolled students at Carnegie Mellon had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.89, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
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What does Carnegie Mellon weight in admissions?
Carnegie Mellon reports these factor weights in its Common Data Set (2025-2026). What the weights mean
Very Important
6- Rigor of secondary school record
- Class rank
- Academic GPA
- Extracurricular activities
- Character/personal qualities
- Volunteer work
Important
4- Application essay
- Recommendations
- Talent/ability
- First generation status
Considered
3- Standardized test scores
- Geographical residence
- Work experience
Not Considered
5- Interview
- Alumni/ae relation
- State residency
- Religious affiliation/commitment
- Level of applicant's interest
SAT and ACT scores Carnegie Mellon typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 770–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 735. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35. Scores below the 25th-percentile mark are accepted occasionally, but the realistic submission target for most families is the school's middle-50 floor or higher.
| 25th percentile | 1500 |
| 50th percentile | 1540 |
| 75th percentile | 1560 |
| % submitting SAT | 65.5% |
| 25th percentile | 34 |
| 50th percentile | 35 |
| 75th percentile | 36 |
| % submitting ACT | 18.1% |
- • Tests required: Standardized test scores are part of the standard application package.
- • Test-flexible: AP, IB or other exam results can stand in for the SAT or ACT.
- • Computer Science requires SAT/ACT. Engineering, Dietrich, Info Systems, MCS, Tepper are test flexible (SAT/ACT/AP/IB etc. required). Fine Arts is test optional.
- • Checked for Fall 2027 applicants on Carnegie Mellon's admissions site. Policies change; confirm before you apply.
Where admitted students ranked in their high school class
Class rank distribution gives parents a clear sense of how academically dominant a typical admitted student was within their own high school cohort, often a more meaningful signal than absolute GPA.
| Top 10% of class | 82.5% |
| Top 25% of class | 94.4% |
| Top 50% of class | 99.1% |
| % submitting class rank | 19% |
How much does Carnegie Mellon actually cost?
Published tuition is $66,246 for in-state students and $66,246 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $18,166 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $31,944 per year, and that is the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 16% of students receive Pell Grants.
| In-state tuition | $67,020 |
| Room and board | $18,894 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $31,944 |
| Financial aid forms | FAFSA and CSS Profile (incl. noncustodial parent)College Board 2026-27 list |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Carnegie Mellon
| Regular deadline | January 1 (December 1 for Drama and Music) |
| Notification date | By April 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 21% |
Will my child graduate from Carnegie Mellon?
These predict outcomes at Carnegie Mellon better than its acceptance rate does. How to read retention and graduation rates
Most popular majors at Carnegie Mellon
The most popular undergraduate programs at Carnegie Mellon, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Computer Science, Statistics and Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Across all programs, Carnegie Mellon confers roughly 1,144 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Computer Science program report a median income of about $251,632 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | 255 | $251,632 |
| Statistics | 189 | $155,025 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 166 | $183,814 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 138 | $159,088 |
| Systems Science and Theory | 118 | $133,740 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 113 | $115,666 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 100 | n/a |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 65 | n/a |
Is Carnegie Mellon safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Carnegie Mellon disclosed 6 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 0.8 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 1 violent offenses and 5 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
Other colleges in Pennsylvania parents ask about
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus61% acceptance
- Lehigh University26% acceptance
- Drexel University79% acceptance
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus58% acceptance
- Temple University80% acceptance
- Villanova University27% acceptance
- Swarthmore College7% acceptance
- Haverford College12% acceptance
Next steps for Carnegie Mellon
Common questions parents ask about Carnegie Mellon
What GPA do I need for Carnegie Mellon?
86% of enrolled students at Carnegie Mellon had a high school GPA of 3.75 or above, and the average was 3.89, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
What SAT or ACT score does Carnegie Mellon typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 770–800, with an EBRW midpoint near 735. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 34–35.
How much does Carnegie Mellon actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Carnegie Mellon after grants and scholarships is $31,944 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $66,246. Budget against the net figure.
Is Carnegie Mellon realistic for my child?
Carnegie Mellon admits 11% of applicants, so 770–800 SAT Math is target range and below 770 is a reach. Then check the $31,944 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at Carnegie Mellon?
Carnegie Mellon accepts about 11% of applicants out of roughly 34,867 who apply each year. That makes it a highly selective school.
Is Carnegie Mellon test-optional?
No. Carnegie Mellon requires SAT or ACT scores for Fall 2027 applicants. It is also test-flexible: AP, IB or other exam results can be sent instead of the SAT or ACT. Computer Science requires SAT/ACT. Engineering, Dietrich, Info Systems, MCS, Tepper are test flexible (SAT/ACT/AP/IB etc. required). Fine Arts is test optional.
What is the graduation rate at Carnegie Mellon?
About 94% of students at Carnegie Mellon graduate within six years. 97% of freshmen return for sophomore year. Graduation rate predicts real outcomes better than acceptance rate.
Does applying Early Decision improve my chances at Carnegie Mellon?
Carnegie Mellon's Early Decision acceptance rate is about 21%, compared with its overall rate of 11%. Applying ED can meaningfully improve admission odds, but it is a binding commitment to enroll if accepted.
What does Carnegie Mellon look for in applicants?
Carnegie Mellon rates course rigor, class rank, GPA and extracurricular activities as "very important" in its Common Data Set. These are the factors the admissions committee weighs most heavily when reviewing an application.
Is Carnegie Mellon a public or private school, and where is it located?
Carnegie Mellon is a private nonprofit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
What are the most popular majors at Carnegie Mellon?
The largest undergraduate majors at Carnegie Mellon by annual graduates are Computer Science, Statistics and Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. The school awards about 1,144 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Carnegie Mellon safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Carnegie Mellon reported 6 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 0.8 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Sources: the 2025-2026 Common Data Set submitted by Carnegie Mellon University, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers