Carnegie Mellon University: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college.

Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university with an acceptance rate of 15%. A mid-sized university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon is best known for its top-ranked science and engineering programs. The university also has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for its impressive liberal arts and sciences program and is a member of the American Association of Universities because of its research strengths. Academics are supported by a 13-to-1 student/faculty ratio. On the athletic front, the CMU Tartans compete in the NCAA Division III University Athletic Association, a group of eight universities committed to both academic and athletic excellence.

Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the Carnegie Mellon admissions statistics you should know.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Carnegie Mellon University had an acceptance rate of 15%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 15 were admitted, making Carnegie Mellon's admissions process highly competitive.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Carnegie Mellon University. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Carnegie Mellon has a highly competitive admissions pool with a low acceptance rate and high average SAT/ACT scores. However, Carnegie Mellon has a holistic admissions process involving other factors beyond your grades and test scores. A strong application essay and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their test scores are outside Carnegie Mellon's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students, and you can see that most applicants who got into Carnegie Mellon had "A" averages, SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1300, and ACT composite scores of 28 or higher. However, many students with high GPAs and test scores still get rejected from Carnegie Mellon. If your academic record includes a few "B" grades and your standardized test scores aren't stellar, you should consider CMU a reach school.