How to get into Carnegie Mellon
What 324 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 1,138 Carnegie Mellon results that students posted for the 2016 to 2026 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
Applying to Carnegie Mellon? Book a free call with a Specialist to see how your student’s file compares.
Carnegie Mellon admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.98
Middle half 3.90 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,550
Middle half 1,523 to 1,570
Median ACT
35
Middle half 34 to 36
Median weighted GPA
4.54
Middle half 4.37 to 4.71
Results posted: 324 admitted, 401 rejected, 413 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate; the official rate is in Carnegie Mellon’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.98 | 3.92 |
| SAT | 1,550 | 1,520 |
| ACT | 35 | 35 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What Carnegie Mellon admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service65%
- STEM club/competition51%
- Athletics48%
- Research47%
- Tutoring/Teaching42%
- Music36%
- Internship33%
- Work/Job32%
Held a leadership role
89%
Founded something
42%
National or intl. award
77%
Did research
47%
Early vs. regular decision at Carnegie Mellon
- Early (92 results)23%
- Regular (477 results)31%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of Carnegie Mellon admits
- Computer Science28%
- Engineering25%
- Business6%
- Math5%
- Art/Design4%
- Data Science4%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 10% first-generation, 13% low income, 15% underrepresented minority, 10% legacy, 1% recruited athlete and 10% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 31% chose Carnegie Mellon.
Three recent Carnegie Mellon admits
2026 cycle · RD · Business
Teen entrepreneur who built a STEM business and app and mentors middle schoolers.
GPA 3.97 UW · SAT 1570 · Original post
2026 cycle · Computer Science
CS researcher with ISEF-placing ML work, robotics, cybersecurity research at UCLA, and suicide-prevention volunteering.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
2026 cycle · Engineering
Refinery-town environmental activist and electrochemistry researcher with city commission work and science fair awards.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
Where else Carnegie Mellon admits got in
Carnegie Mellon admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into Carnegie Mellon?
- Among 324 applicants who posted a Carnegie Mellon admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.98 and the middle half reported 3.90 to 4.00 (262 reported a GPA). Carnegie Mellon sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon?
- Among 324 applicants who posted a Carnegie Mellon admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,523 to 1,570 (226 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
- Does applying early help at Carnegie Mellon?
- In these posts, 23% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (21 of 92), against 31% in regular decision (150 of 477). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do Carnegie Mellon admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (65%), stem club/competition (51%), athletics (48%), research (47%). 89% held at least one leadership role and 77% listed a national or international award.
- What is the Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by Carnegie Mellon in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to Carnegie Mellon?
A Specialist who got into a school like Carnegie Mellon can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2026 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with Carnegie Mellon. All colleges