Admissions
Getting in, fall 2025
Carnegie Mellon admits about 1 in 9 applicants (11%). That puts it in the "Ultra selective" tier, more selective than 97% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.
Out of every 100 applicants…
The funnel
$75 to apply
Can be waived for applicants with financial need.
Grants credit for AP exams
Men and women
Men were admitted at 9.8%, women at 15%.
Yield
47% of admitted students enroll, one of the highest nationally.
Wait list: 7,117 offered a place, 4,937 accepted, 36 admitted (0.7% of those who accepted)
Where you stand
How Carnegie Mellon reads a record
, GPA, and class rank are all very important; tests are considered. 86% of first-years who sent test scores had a 3.75 or higher, so and rarely sets an applicant apart; the courses behind it carry more of the weight. Scores are optional. 66% of first-years sent an SAT and 18% an ACT. Of the 19% whose high school reported a rank, 83% were in the top tenth. Recommends 4 years of English, 4 of math, and 3 of science. See the years by subject
What they look at
| Very important | Important | Considered | Not considered | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic | |||||
| Rigor of high school record | Very important | ||||
| Class rank | Very important | ||||
| Academic GPA | Very important | ||||
| Test scores | Considered | ||||
| Essay | Important | ||||
| Recommendations | Important | ||||
| Personal | |||||
| Interview | Not considered | ||||
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | ||||
| Talent or ability | Important | ||||
| Character and personal qualities | Very important | ||||
| First generation | Important | ||||
| Alumni relation (legacy) | Not considered | ||||
| Geographic residence | Considered | ||||
| State residency | Not considered | ||||
| Religious affiliation | Not considered | ||||
| Volunteer work | Very important | ||||
| Work experience | Considered | ||||
| Demonstrated interest | Not considered | ||||
From the federal survey: high school record required; college-prep program considered; demonstration of competencies considered; English proficiency test required
Transferring in
Grants credit for course work completed at another college
Dates
- Fall entry: apply by May 15
- Spring entry: priority date October 15, apply by December 15
What the application needs
- High school transcript
- Required
- College transcripts
- Required
- Essay or personal statement
- Required
- Interview
- Not required
- Standardized test scores
- Not required
- Statement of good standing from a prior college
- Not required
Applying
The regular round, as the college reports it. Early rounds have their own dates.
- Apply by January 1 for fall 2026.
- $800 housing deposit, due May 31, non-refundable.
- Admitted students may postpone enrollment for a gap year. Longest postponement: Two years.
What you'll need in high school
Requires a high school diploma; accepts the GED.
Requires a college-preparatory program in high school.
| Years of | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 | 4 |
| Math | 4 | 4 |
| Science | 3 | 3 |
| Foreign language | 2 | 2 |
| Academic electives | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 16* | 16* |
A unit is a year of the subject; lab science is part of science. *Added up from the subjects listed; the college didn't give a total.
Recent change: Stopped requiring a college-prep program (still considered) in fall 2024; Stopped requiring a demonstration of competencies (still considered) in fall 2024.
On the admissions map
↑ SAT midpoint (higher = higher scores)
Fall 2025 first-years
First-years' high school GPA
Average GPA 3.89
High schools grade differently, and colleges recalculate or weight GPAs their own way, so compare this college only with itself.
First-years by high school GPA (4.0 scale)
- 4.044%
- 3.75–3.9942%
- 3.50–3.7411%
- 3.25–3.492%
- 3.00–3.241%
- below 3.00%
The middle half had GPAs of 3.75–4.0.
All nine bands
| GPA | Sent test scores |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 43.9% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 41.7% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 10.9% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 2.2% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 1.0% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 0.3% |
| 2.0–2.49 | 0.0% |
| 1.0–1.99 | 0.0% |
| below 1.0 | 0.0% |
83% were in the top tenth of their high school class, 94% in the top quarter, of the 19% whose high school reported a rank.
Source:Carnegie Mellon University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Test scores
What enrolled first-years scored
The typical enrolled first-year who sent scores is around 1535 on the SAT, 365 points above the median for colleges that report scores.
Optional
Scores are considered if you send them. For students who entered in fall 2024.
Where would you land?
Middle 50% of enrolled first-years who sent scores This college's median National median midpoint
Score bands
Nearly all who sent an SAT (93%) scored 1400 or higher.
Nearly all who sent an ACT (94%) scored 30 or higher.
Nearly all who sent an SAT (91%) scored 700 or higher.
Nearly all who sent an SAT (94%) scored 700 or higher.
Nearly all who sent an ACT (95%) scored 30 or higher.
90% of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored 30 or higher.
Shares of the 66% of first-years who sent an SAT; students who didn't send scores aren't in these bands.
Shares of the 18% of first-years who sent an ACT; students who didn't send scores aren't in these bands.
Who submitted scores?
submitted SAT
1,182 studentssubmitted ACT
327 studentsAt least half of students submitted a score, so the ranges are reasonably representative.
Sources:Carnegie Mellon University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26;Carnegie Mellon University Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;Carnegie Mellon University Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2026 cycleAbout the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)