First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline | Decision by |
|---|---|---|
| Early decision Apply early, hear early, and you must enroll if admitted. Binding. | November 2, 2026 | December 15, 2026 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | January 4, 2027 | April 1, 2027 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: cmu.edu · checked September 30, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, all students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | Carnegie Mellon University course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 4 | 21-111, Calculus (for Dietrich College, CFA…21-111, Calculus (for Dietrich College, CFA, Information Systems Program and Bachelors of | 10 credits |
| Calculus BC | 5 | 21-120, Differential and Integral Calculus and…21-120, Differential and Integral Calculus and 21-122, Integrations, Differential Equations 10 & 10 | 10 & 10 |
| Biology | 4 | 03-011, AP Biology. Students can elect to take an…03-011, AP Biology. Students can elect to take an attainment exam during Orientation week. | 9 credits |
| Chemistry | 5 | 09-105, Introduction to Modern Chemistry I | 10 credits |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 76-011, AP English (must take 76-101 or two of…76-011, AP English (must take 76-101 or two of the following half-semester mini courses at | 9 credits |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 76-012, AP English Lit & Comp (must take 76-101…76-012, AP English Lit & Comp (must take 76-101 or two of the following half-semester | 9 credits |
| United States History | 5 | 79-012, AP United States History | 9 credits |
| Psychology | 4 | 85-011, AP Psychology | 9 credits |
Show all 38 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 4 | 21-111, Calculus (for Dietrich College, CFA…21-111, Calculus (for Dietrich College, CFA, Information Systems Program and Bachelors of | 10 credits |
| Calculus BC | 5 | 21-120, Differential and Integral Calculus and…21-120, Differential and Integral Calculus and 21-122, Integrations, Differential Equations 10 & 10 | 10 & 10 |
| Biology | 4 | 03-011, AP Biology. Students can elect to take an…03-011, AP Biology. Students can elect to take an attainment exam during Orientation week. | 9 credits |
| Biology | 5 | 03-110, AP Biology. Students can elect to take an…03-110, AP Biology. Students can elect to take an attainment exam during Orientation week. | 9 credits |
| Chemistry | 5 | 09-105, Introduction to Modern Chemistry I | 10 credits |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 76-011, AP English (must take 76-101 or two of…76-011, AP English (must take 76-101 or two of the following half-semester mini courses at | 9 credits |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 76-012, AP English Lit & Comp (must take 76-101…76-012, AP English Lit & Comp (must take 76-101 or two of the following half-semester | 9 credits |
| United States History | 5 | 79-012, AP United States History | 9 credits |
| Psychology | 4 | 85-011, AP Psychology | 9 credits |
| Statistics | 5 | 36-200, Reasoning with Data (for Tepper students…36-200, Reasoning with Data (for Tepper students, this credit will fulfill the degree | 9 credits |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 15-110, Principles of Computing | 10 credits |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 15-112, Fundamentals of Programming | 12 credits |
| Macroeconomics | 4 | 73-012, AP Economics-Macro | 9 credits |
| Microeconomics | 4 | 73-011, AP Economics (students should enroll in 73-104) | 9 credits |
| World History: Modern | 5 | 79-015, AP World History: Modern | 9 credits |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 38-012, AP Environmental Science | 9 credits |
| European History | 5 | 79-011, AP European History | 9 credits |
| Human Geography | 4 | 66-011, AP Human Geography | 9 credits |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 82-021 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue…82-021 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue their study of Spanish must take the | 9 credits |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 82-022 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue…82-022 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue their study of Spanish must take the | 9 credits |
| United States Government and Politics | 4 | 84-012, AP Government & Politics: US | 9 credits |
| Art History | 5 | 60-011, AP Art History | 9 credits |
| Music Theory | 4 | 57-012, AP Music Theory | 9 credits |
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 51-011, AP 2-D Art and Design | 9 credits |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 51-012, AP 3-D Art and Design | 9 credits |
| African American Studies | 5 | 79-017, AP African American Studies | 9 credits |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 5 | 21-120, Differential and Integral Calculus | 10 credits |
| Capstone Junior Seminar | 5 | 99-004, AP Capstone Junior Seminar…99-004, AP Capstone Junior Seminar 9&9 | 9&9 |
| Capstone Senior Research Project | 4 | 99-005, AP Capstone Senior Research Project | 9 credits |
| Capstone Senior Research Project | 5 | 99-005, AP Capstone Senior Research Project | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 82-011 AP Chinese (students who wish to continue…82-011 AP Chinese (students who wish to continue their study of Chinese must take the | 12 credits |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 82-012 AP Chinese (students who wish to continue…82-012 AP Chinese (students who wish to continue their study of Chinese must take the | 12 credits |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 4 | 84-011, AP Government & Politics: Comparative | 9 credits |
| Drawing | 4 | 60-012, AP Drawing | 9 credits |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 82-013 AP French (students who wish to continue…82-013 AP French (students who wish to continue their study of French must take the | 9 credits |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 82-014 AP French (students who wish to continue…82-014 AP French (students who wish to continue their study of French must take the | 9 credits |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 82-015 AP German (students who wish to continue…82-015 AP German (students who wish to continue their study of German must take the | 9 credits |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 82-016 AP German (students who wish to continue…82-016 AP German (students who wish to continue their study of German must take the | 9 credits |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 82-017 AP Italian (students who wish to continue…82-017 AP Italian (students who wish to continue their study of Italian must take the | 9 credits |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 82-018 AP Italian (students who wish to continue…82-018 AP Italian (students who wish to continue their study of Italian must take the | 9 credits |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 82-019 AP Japanese (students who wish to continue…82-019 AP Japanese (students who wish to continue their study of Japanese must take the | 12 credits |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 82-020 AP Japanese (students who wish to continue…82-020 AP Japanese (students who wish to continue their study of Japanese must take the | 12 credits |
| Latin | 4 | 66-019, AP Latin | 9 credits |
| Latin | 5 | 66-019, AP Latin and 66-020, AP 5 Latin | 9&9 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 5 | 33-142, Physics II for Engineering Students | 12 credits |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 5 | 33-141, Physics I for Engineering Students | 12 credits |
| Social and Cultural Anthropology | 4 | 79-016, AP Anthropology | 9 credits |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 82-023 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue…82-023 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue their study of Spanish must take the | 9 credits |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 82-024 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue…82-024 AP Spanish (students who wish to continue their study of Spanish must take the | 9 credits |
Source: cmu.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | 218 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 192 |
| Business Administration and Management | 174 |
| Systems Science and Theory | 138 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 114 |
| Statistics | 106 |
| Chemical Engineering | 51 |
| Econometrics and Quantitative Economics | 46 |
Show the other 59 majors
| Artificial Intelligence | 45 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 44 |
| Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology | 36 |
| Design and Visual Communications | 36 |
| Materials Science | 32 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 29 |
| Chemistry | 25 |
| Mathematics | 24 |
| Computational Mathematics | 23 |
| Mathematics and Statistics, Other | 23 |
| Art/Art Studies | 21 |
| Neuroscience | 21 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 21 |
| Civil Engineering | 21 |
| Psychology | 18 |
| International Relations and Affairs | 16 |
| Architecture | 15 |
| Cognitive Science | 14 |
| Physics | 14 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | 11 |
| Computational Biology | 11 |
| Financial Mathematics | 11 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, Other | 10 |
| Voice and Opera | 10 |
| Music Performance | 7 |
| Astrophysics | 7 |
| Applied and Professional Ethics | 7 |
| General Studies | 7 |
| Theoretical and Mathematical Physics | 6 |
| Biopsychology | 6 |
| Information Technology | 6 |
| Music Technology | 5 |
| Stringed Instruments | 4 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 4 |
| Chemistry, Other | 4 |
| Mathematical Statistics and Probability | 4 |
| Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing | 4 |
| Creative Writing | 4 |
| Logic | 3 |
| Philosophy | 3 |
| Applied Engineering Technologies/Technicians | 3 |
| History, Other | 3 |
| Music Theory and Composition | 3 |
| Linguistics | 2 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 2 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other | 1 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 1 |
| Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other | 1 |
| Game and Interactive Media Design | 1 |
| Applied Economics | 1 |
| Physics, Other | 1 |
| Statistics, Other | 1 |
| Computational and Applied Mathematics | 1 |
| Biomechanics | 1 |
| Biophysics | 1 |
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Other | 1 |
| Russian Language and Literature | 1 |
| Japanese Language and Literature | 1 |
| Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where Carnegie Mellon University ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #5 for Information technologyof 50 colleges
- #5 for Writing and rhetoricof 50 colleges
- #6 for Civil engineeringof 50 colleges
- #6 for Environmental engineeringof 50 colleges
- #7 for Computer scienceof 50 colleges
- #8 for Electrical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #8 for International relationsof 50 colleges
- #8 for Materials science and engineeringof 49 colleges
Show the other 14 ranked programs
- #9 for Software engineeringof 50 colleges
- #10 for Businessof 50 colleges
- #11 for Accountingof 50 colleges
- #11 for Statisticsof 50 colleges
- #13 for Financeof 50 colleges
- #13 for Mechanical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #15 for Chemical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #17 for Neuroscienceof 50 colleges
- #18 for Biomedical engineeringof 50 colleges
- #19 for Historyof 50 colleges
- #20 for Business administration and managementof 50 colleges
- #22 for Philosophyof 50 colleges
- #25 for Economicsof 50 colleges
- #25 for Mathematicsof 50 colleges
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division III, Presidents' Athletic Conference
Basketball, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division III, Presidents' Athletic Conference
Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball
ROTC
Air Force, Army, Navy
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection
Also
Study abroad
Greek life
15% of men in fraternities · 12% of women in sororities · 13% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2023–24)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), hillel.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, large
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Pittsburgh, PA
2,429,917 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
Yes
More about the place
Nearest airport
Pittsburgh International (PIT)
Nearest hub airport
Pittsburgh International (PIT)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 13.5 of 20
Elevation
950 ft
Time zone
Eastern
January low
22°F
July high
84°F
Annual snowfall
25.0 in
Days at 90°F or higher
14 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$1,500 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus1 mi
- Chatham University1 mi
- Carlow University1 mi
- Duquesne University3 mi
- Point Park University3 mi
- La Roche University9 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Private nonprofit, city campus, NCAA Division III, similar size
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- Chapman University7,874 students
- Case Western Reserve University6,186 students
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute5,954 students