Carnegie Mellon’s overall undergraduate acceptance rate was 11% for Fall 2023. That translates to 4,285 admits from 38,973 applications. Middle 50% SAT ranges and test-optional policies vary by school, including SCS and Tepper.
Key Takeaways
- CMU middle 50% SAT undergrad Fall 2023: 1500-1560
- Fall 2022 CMU avg GPA admitted undergrad: 3.9 unweighted
- CMU SCS undergrad avg SAT Math: 790 2023
- For Fall 2023, Carnegie Mellon University's overall undergraduate acceptance rate was 11%
- In 2022, CMU's School of Computer Science undergraduate acceptance rate was 7%
- Fall 2021 Tepper School of Business acceptance rate at CMU undergrad was 12.4%
- CMU undergrad apps increase 20% since 2019 2023
- Fall 2022 test-optional policy apps up 15%
- CMU Early Decision apps 2023: 4,500, ED acceptance 20%
- CMU undergraduate demographics: 48% female Fall 2023
- Fall 2022 CMU undergrads Asian: 24%
- CMU international students: 37% of undergrads 2023
- Fall 2023 CMU undergraduate enrollment: 7,073
- CMU total enrollment Fall 2023: 16,433 including grad
- Fall 2022 CMU freshman class size: 1,637
Carnegie Mellon admitted about 11% of applicants for Fall 2023 and selects top scores, GPAs, and leadership.
Related reading
01 · Category
Academic Profiles20 stats
01
CMU middle 50% SAT undergrad Fall 2023: 1500-1560
02
Fall 2022 CMU avg GPA admitted undergrad: 3.9 unweighted
03
CMU SCS undergrad avg SAT Math: 790 2023
04
Fall 2021 Engineering admits avg ACT: 34-35
05
CMU Tepper admits middle 50% SAT: 1490-1570 2023
06
Fall 2022 MCS undergrad avg GPA: 3.92
07
CMU test-optional admits avg SAT submitters 2023: 1520
08
Fall 2021 Dietrich admits ACT 33-35
09
CMU 2023 grad GRE avg quant SCS: 168
10
Fall 2022 Masters CS avg undergrad GPA: 3.8+
11
CMU Engineering PhD admits avg GRE: 165Q 2023
12
Fall 2021 Tepper MBA GMAT avg: 710
13
CMU HCI Masters avg GPA: 3.7 2022
14
Fall 2023 Robotics PhD admits quant GRE: 167 avg
15
CMU 2022 undergrad valedictorians/salutatorians: 85% of class
16
Fall 2021 AP/IB scholars admitted: 90%+
17
CMU SCS PhD admits avg pubs: 2-3 2023
18
Fall 2022 Fine Arts portfolio review stats: top 5%
19
CMU 2023 avg undergrad admitted extracurricular leadership: national level
20
Fall 2021 Heinz Masters avg work exp: 3 years
Interpretation
Academic Profiles Interpretation
Carnegie Mellon’s admissions statistics collectively whisper, with a mix of awe and dread, that they aren't just selecting students but assembling a league of academic superheroes who also, incidentally, have already cured boredom in their spare time.
02 · Category
Acceptance Rates30 stats
01
For Fall 2023, Carnegie Mellon University's overall undergraduate acceptance rate was 11%
02
In 2022, CMU's School of Computer Science undergraduate acceptance rate was 7%
03
Fall 2021 Tepper School of Business acceptance rate at CMU undergrad was 12.4%
04
CMU College of Engineering undergraduate acceptance rate for Fall 2023 was approximately 8%
05
For Fall 2020, CMU's Dietrich College acceptance rate was 15%
06
CMU Mellon College of Science undergrad acceptance rate Fall 2022: 10%
07
Fall 2023 overall CMU undergrad apps: 38,973, acceptances: 4,285
08
CMU School of Design undergrad acceptance rate 2021: 5%
09
Fall 2022 CMU Drama acceptance rate: under 3%
10
CMU Heinz College undergrad policy acceptance rate 2023: 18%
11
Fall 2021 CMU total undergrad acceptance rate: 13.5%
12
CMU SCS undergrad Fall 2020 acceptance: 5.9%
13
2023 CMU Engineering PhD acceptance rate: 10%
14
Fall 2022 CMU Masters in CS acceptance rate: 7%
15
CMU Tepper MBA acceptance rate 2023: 28%
16
Fall 2021 CMU Public Policy Masters acceptance: 35%
17
CMU Robotics PhD acceptance rate 2022: 12%
18
2023 CMU Fine Arts MFA acceptance: 8%
19
Fall 2020 CMU Machine Learning Masters: 10%
20
CMU EPP undergrad acceptance 2021: 14%
21
Fall 2023 CMU total grad apps: 25,000+, acceptance rate avg 15%
22
CMU HCI Masters acceptance 2022: 9%
23
2021 CMU Statistics PhD: 8%
24
Fall 2022 CMU Entertainment Tech Masters: 20%
25
CMU BXA Interdisciplinary acceptance 2023: 11%
26
2020 CMU Civil Engineering Masters: 22%
27
Fall 2021 CMU Philosophy PhD: 5%
28
CMU 2023 Modern Languages Masters: 25%
29
Fall 2022 CMU Architecture Masters: 15%
30
CMU 2021 Psychology PhD: 6%
Interpretation
Acceptance Rates Interpretation
Getting into Carnegie Mellon feels less like a university admissions process and more like trying to join a series of hyper-elite secret societies, each with its own increasingly selective and cryptic knock.
03 · Category
Application Trends18 stats
01
CMU undergrad apps increase 20% since 2019 2023
02
Fall 2022 test-optional policy apps up 15%
03
CMU Early Decision apps 2023: 4,500, ED acceptance 20%
04
Fall 2021 international apps undergrad: 10,000+
05
CMU SCS undergrad apps 2023: 12,000+
06
Fall 2022 Regular Decision yield: 45%
07
CMU grad apps increase 10% yearly avg 2020-2023
08
Fall 2023 waitlist undergrad: 5,000, admits from waitlist 100
09
CMU 2022 legacy apps: 10% of total
10
Fall 2021 first-gen apps up 25%
11
CMU SCS Masters apps 2023: 8,000, enrolled 200
12
Fall 2022 ED fill rate: 50% of class
13
CMU 2023 women apps SCS: 30% increase
14
Fall 2021 total undergrad yield: 42%
15
CMU grad PhD apps avg 500/program 2023
16
Fall 2022 audition-based apps Drama: 2,500
17
CMU 2023 portfolio apps Design: 1,200
18
Fall 2021 transfer apps undergrad: 1,000, acceptance 7%
Interpretation
Application Trends Interpretation
While Carnegie Mellon’s swelling applicant pool is a testament to its prestige, the brutal math of its thin envelopes—from turning 5,000 waitlisted hopefuls into just 100 admits, to accepting only 200 from 8,000 SCS master’s applicants—reveals a university that is increasingly a dream deferred for the overwhelming majority who dare to apply.
More related reading
04 · Category
Demographics24 stats
01
CMU undergraduate demographics: 48% female Fall 2023
02
Fall 2022 CMU undergrads Asian: 24%
03
CMU international students: 37% of undergrads 2023
04
Fall 2021 CMU Black/African American undergrads: 5%
05
CMU Hispanic/Latino undergrads 2023: 9%
06
Fall 2022 CMU White undergrads: 28%
07
CMU first-gen undergrads 2023: 15%
08
Fall 2021 CMU Pell Grant recipients undergrad: 12%
09
CMU grad students female: 42% 2023
10
Fall 2022 CMU international grad: 50%
11
CMU undergrad out-of-state: 82% 2023
12
Fall 2021 CMU legacy admits undergrad: 3%
13
CMU 2023 undergrads from public high schools: 60%
14
Fall 2022 CMU athletes undergrad: 2%
15
CMU LGBTQ+ undergrads self-reported: 10% 2023
16
Fall 2021 CMU veterans undergrad: 0.5%
17
CMU 2023 SCS undergrad female: 18%
18
Fall 2022 Engineering undergrad underrepresented minorities: 20%
19
CMU Tepper undergrad international: 40% 2023
20
Fall 2021 Fine Arts undergrad female: 65%
21
CMU 2023 total student body diversity index: high per CDS
22
Fall 2022 CMU grad Asian: 20%
23
CMU undergrad median age 19, grad 27 in 2023
24
Fall 2021 CMU low-income undergrads: 18%
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
Carnegie Mellon’s student body reads like a complex algorithm: it's globally sourced and technically brilliant, yet still debugging the stubborn bugs of gender parity in tech and broader socioeconomic inclusion.
05 · Category
Enrollment Numbers25 stats
01
Fall 2023 CMU undergraduate enrollment: 7,073
02
CMU total enrollment Fall 2023: 16,433 including grad
03
Fall 2022 CMU freshman class size: 1,637
04
CMU School of Computer Science undergrad enrollment 2023: 2,200
05
Fall 2021 CMU College of Engineering undergrads: 3,000+
06
CMU Tepper undergrad enrollment 2023: 1,100
07
Fall 2023 CMU grad students: 9,360
08
CMU Mellon College of Science undergrads 2022: 1,200
09
Fall 2021 CMU international undergrad enrollment: 1,800 (25%)
10
CMU Dietrich College undergrads 2023: 1,500
11
Fall 2022 CMU total grad enrollment: 8,950
12
CMU School of Design undergrad enrollment 2023: 200
13
Fall 2023 CMU College of Fine Arts undergrads: 500
14
CMU Heinz College grad enrollment 2022: 1,200
15
Fall 2021 CMU PhD students total: 2,500
16
CMU SCS grad enrollment 2023: 1,800 Masters + PhDs
17
Fall 2022 CMU Engineering Masters enrollment: 2,000
18
CMU Tepper MBA enrollment 2023: 350
19
Fall 2023 CMU first-year retention rate: 97%
20
CMU 2022 grad retention/completion: 95%
21
Fall 2021 CMU BXA program enrollment: 150
22
CMU Robotics Institute grad students 2023: 400
23
Fall 2022 CMU HCI Masters cohort: 60
24
CMU 2023 Entertainment Technology Center enrollment: 50
25
Fall 2021 CMU total apps undergrad: 32,000+, enrolled 1,600
Interpretation
Enrollment Numbers Interpretation
While Carnegie Mellon operates a formidable graduate student factory, its true prestige lies in its intensely selective undergraduate crucible, where it distills just 1,600 new minds from over 32,000 hopefuls.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Ryan Townsend. (2026, February 13). Cmu Admissions Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cmu-admissions-statistics
MLA
Ryan Townsend. "Cmu Admissions Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/cmu-admissions-statistics.
Chicago
Ryan Townsend. 2026. "Cmu Admissions Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/cmu-admissions-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report
