Getting in
For Fall 2025, 34,867 first-year students applied to CMU, 3,859 were admitted and 1,804 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 11.1%.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C1. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Carnegie Mellon's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the whole university, with no rate by college or major. You apply to one college within the university.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early decision. Carnegie Mellon has no early action plan. These are the early decision counts for the class that entered in fall 2025.
Early decision, Fall 2025
| Plan | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | 2,680 | 553 | 20.6% |
Source: Carnegie Mellon Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
You apply to one college within Carnegie Mellon. Some ask for more than the Common App:
- School of Architecture. A portfolio of 10 creative works. For Regular Decision it is due January 11; for Early Decision, with the application.
- School of Art. A portfolio of 10 to 20 recent creative works. For Regular Decision it is due January 11; for Early Decision, with the application.
- School of Design. A portfolio of 10 to 19 slides, including a 90-second About Me video. For Regular Decision it is due January 11; for Early Decision, with the application.
- School of Drama. A separate School of Drama application through Acceptd and a pre-screening (a portfolio for Design/Production, extra writing and letters for Dramaturgy) by December 1. If selected, an audition or interview.
- School of Music. A separate School of Music application with its portfolio or pre-screening materials by December 1. Live auditions take place in February.
- BXA Intercollege Programs. You apply through a College of Fine Arts school and complete its portfolio, pre-screen, audition or interview.
- School of Computer Science. An SAT or ACT score is required.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Standardized Testing (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Schools of Drama and Music do not take Early Decision applicants.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, College of Fine Arts Applicants (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
70 majors across 7 schools. Every primary undergraduate degree in Carnegie Mellon's 2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog, grouped by the college that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Additional majors (taken only alongside a primary major), minors, graduate programs and the Qatar campus are left out.
College of Engineering6
You apply to and are admitted directly to a department or major, unless you choose undecided.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Undergraduate Admission Requirements (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Chemical Engineering (BS)
- Civil Engineering (BS)
- Environmental Engineering (BS)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (BS)
- Materials Science and Engineering (BS)
- Mechanical Engineering (BS)
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, College of Engineering (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Fine Arts9
Early Decision is not open to the Schools of Drama and Music, which have a December 1 Regular Decision deadline.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Application Plans and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Architecture (BArch)Extra requirement: A portfolio of 10 creative works, due with the application for Early Decision or by January 11 for Regular Decision.
- Architecture (BA)Extra requirement: A portfolio of 10 creative works, due with the application for Early Decision or by January 11 for Regular Decision.
- Art (BFA)Extra requirement: A portfolio of 10 to 20 recent creative works, due with the application for Early Decision or by January 11 for Regular Decision.
- Design (BDes)Extra requirement: A portfolio of 10 to 19 slides with a 90-second About Me video, due with the application for Early Decision or by January 11 for Regular Decision.
- Drama (BFA)Extra requirement: A separate School of Drama application through Acceptd and a pre-screening by December 1; selected applicants are invited to an audition or interview. No Early Decision.
- Composition (BFA)Extra requirement: A separate School of Music application by December 1 with a portfolio of three original compositions and a recording of each. No Early Decision.
- Electronic Music (BFA)Extra requirement: A separate School of Music application by December 1 with a portfolio of your electronic music, and an interview with faculty. No Early Decision.
- Music Performance (BFA)Extra requirement: A separate School of Music application and a prescreen by December 1; invited applicants audition in February. No Early Decision.
- Music and Technology (BS)Jointly with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and School of Computer Science; also listed under College of EngineeringExtra requirement: A separate School of Music application by December 1: you choose a concentration and submit a portfolio. No Early Decision.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, College of Fine Arts (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences30
- International Relations and Political Science (BS)
- Political Science, Security, and Technology (BS)
- Economics and Politics (BS)
- Creative Writing (BA)
- Film and Visual Media (BA)
- Literature and Culture (BA)
- Professional Writing (BA)
- Technical Writing (BS)
- History (BA)
- Anthropology (BA)
- Science, Technology and Society (BS)
- Ethics, History, and Public Policy (BA/BS)Jointly with the Department of Philosophy
- Information Systems (BS)
- Languages and Cultures (BA)
- Global Cultures and Emerging Technologies (BA)
- Philosophy (BA)
- Logic and Computation (BS)
- Linguistics (BA)
- Psychology (BA/BS)
- Cognitive Science (BS)
- Psychology and Biological Sciences (BS)Jointly with the Department of Biological Sciences
- Neuroscience (BS)Jointly with the Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition; also listed under Mellon College of Science
- Behavioral Economics (BS)
- Decision Science (BS)
- Policy and Management (BS)
- Statistics and Data Science (BS)
- Statistics and Data Science (Mathematical Sciences Track) (BS)
- Statistics and Data Science (Neuroscience Track) (BS)
- Economics and Statistics (BS)
- Statistics and Machine Learning (BS)
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Mellon College of Science12
- Biological Sciences (BS)
- Biological Sciences (BA)
- Biological Sciences and Psychology (BS)Jointly with the Department of Psychology
- Chemistry (BS)
- Chemistry/Biological Chemistry Track (BS)
- Chemistry (BA)
- Mathematical Sciences (BS)
- Mathematical Sciences (BA)
- Mathematical Sciences and Economics (BS)Jointly with the Undergraduate Economics Program
- Computational Finance (BS)Jointly with the Department of Statistics, the H. John Heinz III College, and the Tepper School of Business; also listed under University-Wide, Interdisciplinary, and Joint Degree Programs
- Physics (BS)
- Physics (BA)
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, Mellon College of Science (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Computer Science5
The School of Computer Science requires an SAT or ACT score.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Standardized Testing (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Artificial Intelligence (BS)
- Computational Biology (BS)
- Computer Science (BS)
- Human-Computer Interaction (BS)
- Robotics (BS)
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, School of Computer Science (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
David A. Tepper School of Business4
- Business Administration (BS)
- Economics (BA)
- Economics (BS)
- Economics and Mathematical Sciences (BS)Jointly with Department of Mathematical Sciences
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, David A. Tepper School of Business (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
University-Wide, Interdisciplinary, and Joint Degree Programs4
- Bachelor of Computer Science and ArtsExtra requirement: You apply through a College of Fine Arts school and complete its portfolio, pre-screen, audition or interview.
- Bachelor of Engineering Studies and ArtsExtra requirement: You apply through a College of Fine Arts school and complete its portfolio, pre-screen, audition or interview.
- Bachelor of Humanities and ArtsExtra requirement: You apply through a College of Fine Arts school and complete its portfolio, pre-screen, audition or interview.
- Bachelor of Science and ArtsExtra requirement: You apply through a College of Fine Arts school and complete its portfolio, pre-screen, audition or interview.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Undergraduate Catalog 2026-2027, Degrees Offered, University-Wide, Interdisciplinary, and Joint Degree Programs (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, College of Fine Arts Applicants (opens in a new tab), for the extra requirements. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision | November 2 | December 15 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4 | By April 1 | No |
| Regular Decision, Schools of Drama and Music | December 1 | By April 1 | No |
Early Decision is not open to the School of Drama, the BXA Design programs or the School of Music. Students admitted early enroll by February 1; Regular Decision students by May 1.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Application Plans and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early Decision is binding: if you are admitted, you are expected to enroll and withdraw your other applications, so you will not be able to compare aid offers. You apply to only one college within the university. You can be admitted, denied or deferred to Regular Decision, and if you are denied you cannot apply again in Regular Decision.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Application Plans and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Carnegie Mellon's test policy depends on the college you apply to. The School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT. Engineering, Dietrich, the Mellon College of Science, Tepper and Heinz College's Information Systems program are test flexible: you must send scores, but you choose which ones (SAT, ACT, IB, AP, Cambridge A-Level or French Baccalaureate, predicted results accepted). The College of Fine Arts is test-optional and requires a portfolio or audition.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Standardized Testing (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set marks the SAT or ACT as considered if submitted, in a grid it labels for fall 2024. The admission office's testing page, which requires tests outside Fine Arts, is the current policy.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Common Data Set 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked CMU's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Admission, Application Plans and Deadlines (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at CMU, 2026-2027:
| Tuition | $69,702 |
|---|---|
| Housing (on campus) | $11,700 |
| Food | $7,950 |
| First-year experience fee | $748 |
| Technology fee | $490 |
| Student activities fee | $322 |
| Transportation fee | $302 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $1,000 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $1,300 |
| Estimated loan fees | $100 |
| Transportation allowance (varies by home state) | $0 |
| Total | $93,614 |
For first-year students living on campus, which all incoming first-years must do. Books, personal expenses, loan fees and the transportation allowance are estimates that do not appear on your bill. Health insurance is also required ($3,093 for 2026-2027) unless you are covered by a family plan.
Source: Carnegie Mellon Student Financial Services, 2026-2027 Undergraduate Tuition and Fees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $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 incomes | $31,944 |
What first-year, full-time students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Carnegie Mellon's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to Carnegie Mellon University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
- Barnard CollegeNew York, NY · Private10.1% admitted$28,800 average net price
Hamilton CollegeClinton, NY · Private13.6% admitted$28,985 average net price
Tufts UniversityMedford, MA · Private10.8% admitted$39,998 average net price
Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA · Private10.3% admitted$22,585 average net price
Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis, MO · Private11.9% admitted$21,786 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.