Carnegie Mellon University

Overview

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1900 Andrew Carnegie funded the Carnegie Technical Schools, which became the Carnegie Institute of Technology and, after a 1967 merger with the Mellon Institute, Carnegie Mellon University. The university enrolls 7,477 undergraduates, with a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and a 94.3% graduation rate. Of the 1,804 first-year students in the Class of 2029, 261, or about 14.5%, are international.

CMU fits students whose direction is already fairly clear. Applicants do not enter the university first and pick a major later; they apply to one specific college, and computer science, engineering, science, business, humanities and social sciences, and the arts each review their own applicants under their own course and testing requirements. That favors a student who has built a clear academic path through grades 9 to 11, with coursework and activities that reinforce each other. For Irvine families, two questions come first: which college the student should apply to, and whether to commit to binding Early Decision in the fall of grade 12. The last section of this page lays that out by grade.

Admissions data

11.1%Class of 2029 admit rate

1. Applied34,867
2. Admitted3,859
3. Enrolled1,804

• Engineering23.2%
• Dietrich18.5%
• Fine Arts15.2%
• Science (MCS)14.3%
• Tepper13.1%
• Computer Science12%
• Info Systems3.7%

Calculated from each college's 2025 incoming class: Engineering 419, Dietrich 333, the five Fine Arts schools 275 combined, Science 258, Business 236, Computer Science 217, Information Systems 66.

• 4.043.9%
• 3.75 to 3.9941.7%
• 3.50 to 3.7410.9%
• Below 3.503.5%

99.7% of enrolling students reported a GPA; the average was 3.89.

Among enrolled students who submitted the SAT, 93.4% scored 1400 or higher. CMU does not publish application or admit figures by college.

How to apply

CMU accepts only the Common Application. The application fee is $75, waived for students who meet the Common App’s indicators of economic need. Materials include the high school transcript, a counselor evaluation, one teacher recommendation, the Common App essay, and the CMU writing supplement of three short-answer questions of up to 300 words each. A third recommendation is accepted, but committees consider only two. After January 15, CMU no longer accepts updates from applicants themselves. The Schools of Architecture, Art, and Design require portfolios, and the Schools of Drama and Music require a prescreen followed by an audition or interview.

Testing policy varies by college. The School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT. The College of Fine Arts is test optional. The College of Engineering, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Mellon College of Science, Tepper School of Business, and the Information Systems program are test flexible: scores are required, but applicants choose which to send, including SAT, ACT, AP, or IB results. CMU superscores the SAT but not the ACT. Scores may be self-reported when applying; official reports are needed only after a student is admitted and enrolls. Nonnative English speakers must submit TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English, or Duolingo English Test results.

Interviews are not a factor in CMU’s admission review. International applicants may choose an InitialView or Vericant English interview, but it is not required. Applicants to Engineering and Computer Science may also submit an optional VIVA video discussing a research project or independent work.

CMU meets 100% of demonstrated need for US citizens and permanent residents, but it states plainly that it does not offer financial aid to international students, who must plan to pay the full cost of attendance. The admission and aid pages reviewed for this guide do not address whether admission is need-blind, meaning whether applying for aid has no effect on the decision.

Cost and financial aid

2026-27$91,214billed total

• Tuition$69,702
• Fees$1,862
• Housing$11,700
• Food$7,950

Aid policy by family income

1. $75,000 or lessTuition $0Tuition-free (families with typical assets)
2. $100,000 or lessNo loansFull need met with no federal loans
3. Above $100,000100% of need met for US citizens and permanent residents

Aid at CMU is need-based. Families file both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, which typically open October 1; the preferred dates are November 15 for Early Decision and February 15 for Regular Decision, and aid offers arrive around the same time as admission decisions. CMU reports that nearly half of its undergraduates receive some form of aid and that its graduates carry an average of $17,519 in student loan debt. The Net Price Calculator, intended for US citizens, permanent residents, and eligible noncitizens, gives an estimate before applying. International students receive no institutional aid, although DACA students and a small number of students from specific countries may qualify for CMU grants.

Schools and fields of study

Undergraduate applications go to one of seven colleges or programs: the School of Computer Science, the College of Engineering, the Mellon College of Science, the Tepper School of Business, the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Fine Arts (with Schools of Architecture, Art, Design, Drama, and Music), and the Information Systems program run jointly by Dietrich and Heinz College. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate majors. BXA intercollege degrees combine Fine Arts with computer science, engineering, the humanities, or science.

The first year looks different in each college. Computer Science students take foundational courses and choose among Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Computational Biology, Human-Computer Interaction, and Robotics in the second semester. Engineering admits students directly to a department; only students admitted as undecided choose among the six primary majors in the spring of first year, and other changes can be requested after first year without a guarantee. All engineering students may add an additional major such as Biomedical Engineering or Engineering and Public Policy in the spring of first year. Economics students apply through Dietrich, while the program itself is housed in the Tepper School.

Course requirements also differ. Computer Science asks for four years of math, a year of physics, and two years of chemistry, biology, or computer science. Engineering, Science, and Business ask for four years of math and a year each of chemistry, physics, and biology. Dietrich asks for three years of math. The technical and business colleges all specify that four years of math should include precalculus and preferably calculus. Chemistry and Mathematical Sciences also offer an accelerated BS/MS through their honors programs.

Campus life

All first-year students must live in university housing and buy a dining plan. Students who stay in the university housing system are guaranteed housing for all four years. CMU owns 26 residence halls and apartments on and off campus, with traditional halls, suites, studio apartments, and special interest housing, and 65% of undergraduates live on campus all four years. Dining options include vegetarian, vegan, halal, and kosher meals, plus a dedicated allergy-safe dining location. The university has more than 350 student organizations.

A timeline for Irvine families

The five Irvine Unified high schools differ in when AP courses open, how weighting works, and how the math sequence accelerates, and CMU’s technical and business colleges all expect math through calculus, so four years of scheduling decide whether a student meets the college’s course requirements. School-by-school rules are in the IUSD high school guides.

1. Grade 9Set the math path
   • Choose a math sequence that reaches calculus by grade 12
   • Plan the order of chemistry, physics, and biology
   • Choose one or two activities that can run four years
2. Grade 10First AP courses
   • Take the first AP courses the school allows
   • Narrow the target college: computing, engineering, science, business, or the arts
   • Arts applicants start building a portfolio
3. Grade 11Finish testing
   • Computer Science applicants must take the SAT or ACT
   • Other colleges accept AP results, but an SAT or ACT is still worth scheduling
   • Choose the recommending teacher and stay in touch
4. Fall of grade 12Choose the college, decide on ED
   • ED: application by November 2, aid forms by November 15
   • An ED admit means withdrawing other applications, including UC
   • Otherwise Regular Decision by January 4

Dates and registration deadlines are on the 2026-27 test calendar, and preparation options are on the SAT page.

How EDUBUS helps

EDUBUS college planning runs year by year from grade 9: a four-year course plan built around the rules of each Irvine high school and the math and science requirements of the target college, a testing schedule, and a clear activities direction. In grade 12 a counselor helps the student choose the college to apply to, reviews the personal essay and the three short answers, and helps prepare the FAFSA and CSS Profile. To see where a student stands relative to schools like Carnegie Mellon, start with a free assessment.