Carnegie Mellon Acceptance Rate: Class of 2030 Admissions Statistics

Carnegie Mellon University admitted 3,859 students out of 34,867 applicants to the Class of 2029, for an overall acceptance rate of 11.07%.

For the Class of 2030, Early Decision (ED) results were released in December 2025, with Regular Decision (RD) expected in April 2026. However, Carnegie Mellon typically doesn’t publish detailed admissions statistics right away, so we’ll only know the full numbers once they’re released through the university’s institutional research reports later in the year.

In this blog, we’ll cover Carnegie Mellon’s latest available acceptance rates, including overall, ED, RD, waitlist, and transfer, and how they’ve trended over time.

• Carnegie Mellon Acceptance Rates
• Carnegie Mellon Early Decision Acceptance Rate
• Carnegie Mellon Regular Decision Acceptance Rate
• Carnegie Mellon Transfer Acceptance Rate
• Carnegie Mellon Waitlist Acceptance Rate
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Takeaways

Carnegie Mellon Acceptance Rates

For the Class of 2029, Carnegie Mellon received 34,867 applications and admitted 3,859 students, for an acceptance rate of 11.07%. That’s a dip from the Class of 2028, which had an 11.66% acceptance rate with 33,941 applications and 3,959 admits. The difference isn’t large, but more students applied in 2029, and fewer were admitted, which lowered the rate slightly.

Carnegie Mellon’s overall acceptance rate has declined sharply over the past decade, falling from over 20% to just over 11% in recent years. Here’s the full picture:

Note: All data has been compiled from Carnegie Mellon’s Common Data Set.

Application numbers have surged over the past decade, growing from 20,497 in 2021 to a record 34,867 for the Class of 2029. A notable jump happened between 2024 and 2025, largely driven by Carnegie Mellon going test-optional, which brought in a wave of new applicants. Since then, application numbers have stayed consistently in the 33,000–34,000 range.

Meanwhile, the number of admitted students hasn’t kept pace. Admits hovered around 4,000 through the early classes before dipping to 3,873 for the Class of 2026—the point where the acceptance rate first fell to 11.30%. It’s stayed in the 11% range since, meaning more students are competing for roughly the same number of spots.

Carnegie Mellon Early Decision Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2029, Carnegie Mellon admitted 553 students out of 2,680 ED applicants, putting the ED acceptance rate at 20.63%. That’s noticeably higher than the Class of 2028’s 13.84%.

As mentioned earlier, Carnegie Mellon doesn’t typically release detailed ED statistics right after decisions are announced. Official admissions figures for the Class of 2030 will be published later this year through federal government submissions and institutional reports.

Carnegie Mellon Early Decision acceptance rate trends

Carnegie Mellon’s ED acceptance rate has trended downward over the years, before jumping back to 20.63% for the Class of 2029. Here’s the full breakdown:

Note: All data has been compiled from Carnegie Mellon’s Common Data Set.

Carnegie Mellon’s ED acceptance rate dropped sharply from 19.92% for the Class of 2025 to 12.52% for the Class of 2026 as ED applications surged from 2,972 to 4,528, while the number of admitted students barely kept pace. The rate held steady in the 12-13% range through the Class of 2028 before jumping to 20.63% for the Class of 2029.

However, the Class of 2028 had 4,423 ED applications, significantly more than the following year, so the higher rate in 2029 is largely a reflection of the smaller ED pool. Still, applying ED gives you slightly better chances of admission than RD, which we’ll touch on next.

Carnegie Mellon Regular Decision Acceptance Rate

For the Class of 2029, Carnegie Mellon received 32,187 RD applications and admitted 3,306 students, resulting in a RD acceptance rate of 10.27%. That’s a slight dip from the Class of 2028’s 11.34% RD rate.

RD notifications for the Class of 2030 are expected in April 2026, but detailed figures won’t be available right away. Like its ED data, Carnegie Mellon typically releases official RD statistics later in the year through institutional reports.

Carnegie Mellon Regular Decision acceptance rate trends

Carnegie Mellon’s RD acceptance rate has steadily declined over the years, with the Class of 2029 hitting a new low of 10.27%. Here’s a closer look at the numbers:

Note: RD figures are estimates derived by subtracting ED data from overall totals in Carnegie Mellon’s Common Data Set.

Carnegie Mellon’s RD acceptance rate was 22.00% for the Class of 2021 before falling to the 15–16% range over the next few years as application numbers climbed. Despite the larger applicant pool, the number of admitted students remained relatively stable, generally between about 3,800 and 4,100.

Applications pushed closer to 30,000 starting with the Class of 2025, likely fueled by Carnegie Mellon going test-optional, but the number of admitted students didn’t follow. With the class size holding steady while applications kept growing, the RD rate settled in the 11% range, hitting a record low of 10.27% for the Class of 2029.

Carnegie Mellon Transfer Acceptance Rate

The most recent Carnegie Mellon transfer data is from Fall 2025, putting the acceptance rate at 8.45%. Here’s a look at the data:

Note: Fall 2025 transfer data is from Carnegie Mellon’s Common Data Set for 2025-2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

Carnegie Mellon admitted 136 students out of 1,610 transfer applicants in Fall 2025. At 8.45%, the transfer acceptance rate is actually more competitive than the overall first-year rate of 11.07%, meaning transferring into Carnegie Mellon is harder than getting in as a first-year applicant.

Carnegie Mellon Waitlist Acceptance Rate

Carnegie Mellon’s most recent waitlist acceptance rate is 0.73%, based on data from the Class of 2029. Here’s how the numbers break down:

Note: All data has been compiled from Carnegie Mellon’s Common Data Set for 2025-2026, the same reporting year that includes Class of 2029 first-year admissions data.

Out of 7,117 students placed on the waitlist, 4,937 confirmed their spot, but only 36 were ultimately admitted, resulting in a 0.73% waitlist acceptance rate.

In other words, being on Carnegie Mellon’s waitlist is not a reliable path to admission. The odds are slim, and students would be better off treating it as a long shot while committing to other options. If you’re waitlisted by Carnegie Mellon and need expert guidance, check out our comprehensive guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Carnegie Mellon’s current acceptance rate?

Carnegie Mellon’s current acceptance rate is 11.07%, with 3,859 students admitted out of 34,867 applicants for the Class of 2029.

2. Is it easier to get into Carnegie Mellon through Early Decision or Regular Decision?

Yes, applying ED generally gives you better odds. However, keep in mind that the Class of 2029’s ED rate of 20.63% (compared to RD’s 10.27%) is an outlier. ED rates in recent years have sat in the 12-13% range, with the jump largely driven by a much smaller applicant pool that year. There is an advantage, but it’s not as dramatic as the latest numbers might suggest.

3. How hard is it to transfer to Carnegie Mellon?

Pretty competitive. Carnegie Mellon’s transfer acceptance rate for Fall 2025 was 8.45%, which is lower than the overall admit rate of 11.07%, meaning transferring is harder than applying as a first-year.

4. What are my chances of getting off Carnegie Mellon’s waitlist?

Very slim. Only 36 students were admitted off the waitlist for the Class of 2029, out of 4,937 who confirmed their spot, resulting in a 0.73% waitlist acceptance rate.

5. Why is Carnegie Mellon’s acceptance rate so low?

More competition for roughly the same number of spots. Applications have surged over the past decade, from around 20,000 in 2021 to nearly 35,000 in 2029, while the admitted class size has largely stayed the same at about 4,000. Carnegie Mellon also went test-optional, which brought in even more applicants.

Takeaways

• Carnegie Mellon’s acceptance rate has fallen from 22.20% for the Class of 2021 to 11.07% for the Class of 2029 as applications nearly doubled while the admitted class size remained relatively stable.
• Applying ED does give you a statistical edge, though the Class of 2029’s 20.63% ED rate is an outlier driven by a smaller applicant pool. In recent years, ED rates have generally sat in the 12-13% range.
• Carnegie Mellon doesn’t release detailed admissions data immediately after decision dates, so official figures for the Class of 2030 are expected to be available later in the year through institutional reports.
• Both transfer and waitlist admission are highly competitive. The Fall 2025 transfer rate was 8.45%, while only 36 students were admitted off the waitlist for the Class of 2029, resulting in a 0.73% waitlist acceptance rate.
• Navigating a more selective admissions landscape can be challenging. An admissions expert can help you refine your application, highlight your strengths, and better understand what Carnegie Mellon looks for in applicants.