College Profiles/ Carnegie Mellon University
College Profile · Fall 2027 Entry
Carnegie Mellon University Admissions: Acceptance Rate, Cost, Financial Aid and Deadlines
Pittsburgh, PA · 7,728 undergraduates. Everything families need to apply to Carnegie Mellon University for fall 2027, verified against the school’s own Common Data Set, cost of attendance and admissions pages, with ConnectPrep’s strategic read.
By Jeremy Fine, Founder of ConnectPrep
Updated October 11, 2026 · Data verified against official sources
✓ Every figure cited
Quick answer
Carnegie Mellon University admitted 11.1% of 34,867 first-year applicants.[1] Early Decision applicants were admitted at 20.6%.[1] The middle 50% SAT range for enrolled first-years is 1500 to 1560.[1] The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $93,614.[2] First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $61,136.[3] For fall 2027 entry, deadlines are Early Decision I Nov 2, Regular Decision Jan 4.[4]
11.1%
Overall admit rate[1]
20.6%
Early Decision admit rate[1]
1500 to 1560
Middle 50% SAT[1]
$93,614
Cost of attendance, 2026-2027[2]
$61,136
Average need-based grant[3]
$3.5B
Endowment, FY2025[5]
Carnegie Mellon University at a Glance
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Type
- Private nonprofit
- Student to faculty ratio
- 6:1[8]
- Endowment
- $3.5 billion (FY2025)[5]
- SAT/ACT, fall 2027
- Required (Computer Science: SAT/ACT); Test flexible (Engineering, Dietrich, Heinz IS, MCS, Tepper); Optional (Fine Arts)[4]
- Application
- Common App[4]
- First-year retention
- 96.6%[7]
The ConnectPrep Take on Carnegie Mellon University
The ConnectPrep take
Carnegie Mellon admits by college and often by major. Engineering applicants are admitted directly to a department unless they choose undecided, and requests to change majors are considered case by case after the first year, with no guarantee. Early Decision on Nov 2 helps: 20.6% of 2,680 ED applicants were admitted against 11.1% overall, about 1.9 times the overall rate, though early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacies. Testing depends on the college. Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT, several colleges are test flexible but still require scores, and Fine Arts is test optional. With a middle 50% SAT of 1500 to 1560, the target is 1560, and the SAT is superscored. The biggest miss: Drama and Music are not available through ED and close Dec 1.
What to do this fall
- Choose the CMU college and major your student can defend with coursework; changing majors later is case by case.
- The SAT is superscored, so a fall retake can raise your student's best section scores toward 1560.
- Drama and Music applicants must file a separate application and prescreen or portfolio by Dec 1.
- If your student applied RD and now wants ED, email the Office of Admission by Nov 1.
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Carnegie Mellon University Admissions Statistics
| Applicant pool |
Applied |
Admitted |
Admit rate |
| All first-year applicants[1] |
34,867 |
3,859 |
11.1% |
| Early Decision[1] |
2,680 |
553 |
20.6% |
- Early Decision admits made up about 14% of all admitted students, so a large part of the class is filled before Regular Decision applications are read (ConnectPrep calculation from the figures above).
- The Early Decision admit rate is about 1.9 times the overall rate. Early pools are self-selected and often include recruited athletes and legacy applicants, so the true advantage for a typical applicant is smaller.
- Yield, the share of admitted students who enrolled, was 46.7%.[9]
- 7,117 students were offered a waitlist spot, 4,937 accepted one, and 36 were admitted from it.[1]
Testing and academic profile
| Academic profile of enrolled first-years |
Middle 50% or share |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing[1] |
730 to 770 |
| SAT Math[1] |
770 to 800 |
| SAT composite[1] |
1500 to 1560 |
| ACT composite[1] |
34 to 36 |
| Enrolled students who submitted the SAT[1] |
66% |
| Enrolled students who submitted the ACT[1] |
18% |
| Average high school GPA[1] |
3.89 |
| Ranked in top 10% of high school class[1] |
82% |
ConnectPrep score target
Aim for 1560 on the SAT, the 75th percentile here, or 36 on the ACT. When testing is optional, we generally advise submitting scores at or above about 1530, the middle of the range. A higher score is always better, and the test can be retaken. Not there yet? Take a free practice test and we will build the plan to close the gap.
What Carnegie Mellon University looks for
In its own words: CMU says it takes a holistic approach to admission and that no single grade, factor, score or activity guarantees or disqualifies a candidate.[10]
Carnegie Mellon University Application Deadlines 2026-2027
| Round |
Deadline |
Decision |
| Early Decision I |
Nov 2 |
by Dec 15 |
| Regular Decision |
Jan 4 |
by Apr 1 |
Insider deadlines families miss
These scholarship, honors, program, interview and aid deadlines come from Carnegie Mellon University’s own pages. Anything tagged Before RD is due before the Regular Decision deadline.
| Program or rule |
Deadline |
What to know |
School of Drama and School of Music
Before RD |
Dec 1 |
Drama and Music require a separate application, prescreen or portfolio by Dec 1 and are not available through ED.[11] |
| Architecture, Art and Design portfolios |
Nov 2 (ED); Jan 11 (RD) |
Portfolio required; Design includes a 90-second About Me video. BXA Design is not available through ED.[11] |
| Switching from RD to ED |
Nov 1 |
RD applicants who want to switch to ED must email the Office of Admission by Nov 1; ED applicants may apply to only one college.[4] |
| Financial aid preferred deadline |
Nov 15 (ED); Feb 15 (RD) |
FAFSA and CSS Profile preferred deadlines. Date from 2025-26 page.[12] |
See how Carnegie Mellon University compares with other colleges in the Mid-Atlantic deadlines database or the full 2026-2027 college application deadlines hub.
Carnegie Mellon University Cost and Financial Aid
| Cost and aid |
Figure |
| Cost of attendance (2026-2027)[2] |
$93,614 |
| Tuition[2] |
$69,702 |
| First-years awarded need-based aid[3] |
44.5% |
| Average need-based scholarship or grant[3] |
$61,136 |
| Average total financial aid package[3] |
$62,154 |
| Average share of need met[3] |
100.0% |
| Merit (non-need) awards to first-years[3] |
30 students, average $6,287 |
first-year resident (on campus), entering fall 2026; includes $11,700 housing, $7,950 food, first-year experience, technology, activities and transportation fees.[2]
- For a family that qualifies for need-based aid, the average grant would bring the $93,614 cost of attendance down to roughly $32,478 before loans and work-study. This is a ConnectPrep calculation for illustration; your student’s number depends on your family’s finances, so run the school’s net price calculator.
- Carnegie Mellon University states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need.[13]
- CMU Pathway Program: domestic families earning under $75,000 attend tuition-free; under $100,000 have need met without loans.[13]
What families actually pay: net price by income
Net price is the full cost of attendance minus the average grants and scholarships for first-year students receiving aid, by family income. It comes from federal data, which runs a year or two behind the school’s current cost figures.[14]
| Family income |
Average net price per year |
| $0 to $30,000 |
$9,097 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 |
$6,994 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 |
$14,468 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 |
$24,865 |
| Over $110,000 |
$51,480 |
| All aided students |
$31,944 |
Academics and Majors at Carnegie Mellon University
Most popular fields by share of bachelor’s degrees awarded[15]
- Engineering22%
- Computer and information sciences18%
- Mathematics and statistics11%
- Business/marketing11%
- Interdisciplinary studies9%
Signature programs
School of Computer Science: BS in Artificial Intelligence
CMU says it introduced the nation's first bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence in fall 2018.[16]
School of Drama (College of Fine Arts)
Drama and Music applicants must arrange a required pre-screen, audition or portfolio review; Architecture, Art and Design applicants submit a portfolio and creative materials.[17]
Choosing a major and getting in
CMU lists eight academic units for undergraduate applicants: Engineering, Fine Arts, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Information Systems, Mellon College of Science, Computer Science, Tepper School of Business, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Engineering applicants are admitted directly to a department or major unless they choose undecided. Requests to change majors are considered case by case after the first year and are not guaranteed. Applicants follow testing instructions for the college and program they apply to.[17]
Special admission paths
- Early Decision (for students who will enroll if admitted).
- BXA Intercollege Degree Programs (listed under Interdisciplinary Studies).
- Required pre-screen, audition or portfolio review for College of Fine Arts programs.
Carnegie Mellon University Retention and Graduation Rates
| Outcome |
Figure |
| First-year students who returned for sophomore year[7] |
96.6% |
| Graduated within four years[7] |
78.9% |
| Graduated within six years[7] |
94.3% |
| Median earnings 10 years after starting college[14] |
$114,862 |
| Median federal loan debt of graduates[14] |
$21,750 |
| Undergraduates receiving Pell Grants[14] |
16% |
Make Carnegie Mellon University a realistic goal
ConnectPrep builds the full plan: the right round, a score target and test schedule, essays that sound like your student, and every scholarship and program deadline on one calendar. Start with a free consultation or a free practice test.
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Carnegie Mellon University FAQs
What is the Carnegie Mellon University acceptance rate?
Carnegie Mellon University admitted 11.1% of first-year applicants (3,859 of 34,867). The Early Decision admit rate was 20.6%.
When are the Carnegie Mellon University application deadlines for 2026-27?
For students entering in fall 2027: Early Decision I Nov 2; Regular Decision Jan 4. 1 scholarship, honors or program deadlines come before Regular Decision; see the insider deadlines table on this page.
How much does Carnegie Mellon University cost?
The 2026-2027 cost of attendance is $93,614. First-year students who received need-based aid got an average grant of $61,136. The school states it meets 100% of demonstrated need.
What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon University?
The middle 50% of enrolled first-years scored 1500 to 1560 on the SAT and 34 to 36 on the ACT. ConnectPrep advises aiming for 1560, the 75th percentile. Testing policy for fall 2027 entry: Required (Computer Science: SAT/ACT); Test flexible (Engineering, Dietrich, Heinz IS, MCS, Tepper); Optional (Fine Arts).
Does Carnegie Mellon require test scores?
It depends on the college. The School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT; Engineering, Dietrich, Information Systems, Mellon College of Science, and Tepper are test flexible, which means scores are required but applicants choose which tests; and the College of Fine Arts is test optional. The SAT is superscored and the ACT is not.
Is it easier to get into Carnegie Mellon early decision?
CMU admitted 20.6% of Early Decision applicants compared with 11.1% overall, about 1.9 times the overall rate. That ED pool is self-selected and often includes recruited athletes and legacies, so the real advantage is smaller. ED applicants may apply to only one college, and ED is not available for Drama, Music, or BXA Design.
About the author
Jeremy Fine
Jeremy Fine founded ConnectPrep in 2013 and brings more than 20 years of experience in education, spanning test preparation, college advising and academic program management. He holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh.
ConnectPrep is based in Westport, Connecticut, and works with students from kindergarten through graduate school, in person and online. Meet the team.
This profile is an independent ConnectPrep resource and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Carnegie Mellon University. Figures come from the sources listed above as published when checked in October 2026; the Common Data Set year is noted where used. Policies and costs change, so confirm with the school before applying.
