What SAT or ACT score do you need for Carnegie Mellon?

As of November 2026: Carnegie Mellon requires a test score from most high school seniors applying for fall 2027 entry under its test flexible rule, and the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT scored 1500 to 1570. The College of Fine Arts stays test optional, and the School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT specifically.

Carnegie Mellon's testing rule, the SAT and ACT bands of enrolled first-years who sent a score, the admit rates and the costs, with our advice for families.

By Nick Standlea, Test Prep Gurus. Figures may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.

The SAT band is 1500 to 1570 The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Carnegie Mellon scored between 1500 and 1570 in the fall 2023 class.

The ACT band is 34 to 35 The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT scored 34 or 35. That is a very tight band near the top of the scale.

Early decision admitted 20.63 percent For fall 2025 entrants, Carnegie Mellon admitted 20.63 percent of early decision applicants, against 11.07 percent of all applicants.

Does Carnegie Mellon require the SAT or ACT?

Carnegie Mellon's testing rule as its admissions page states it.

College	Policy	Applies to	In the college's words	Source
Carnegie Mellon University	required	fall 2026 applicants and beyond (covers fall 2027); College of Fine Arts remains test optional	Test flexible means that students are required to submit test scores in order to complete their application, however, they may choose which type of test(s) they prefer to submit.	Source

Optional means the college reads a score if one is sent. Required means a score must be sent.

Carnegie Mellon: score bands, who sends a score, how many get in, what it costs

Bands describe enrolled first-years who sent that test in the fall 2023 class. Prices come from the College Scorecard.

Measure	Value
applicants, fall 2023	33707
admits, fall 2023	3843
admit rate, percent	11.4
SAT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	1500
SAT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	1570
ACT 25th percentile, enrolled submitters	34
ACT 75th percentile, enrolled submitters	35
share of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT, percent	51
share who sent an ACT, percent	17
application fee, dollars	75
full price of a year, dollars	83654
average net price after aid, dollars	31944

The bands describe enrolled first-years who sent a score, not every admitted student.

Carnegie Mellon: early decision versus the overall rate

Early decision and overall admission counts for fall 2025 entrants, from the college's Common Data Set.

Cycle	Early decision applicants	Early decision admits	Early decision rate, percent	All applicants	All admits	Overall rate, percent	Source
fall 2025 entrants (CDS 2025-26)	2,680	553	20.63	34,867	3,859	11.07	Source

All applicants includes the early decision applicants.

Does Carnegie Mellon require the SAT or ACT?

Yes, for most of the university: Carnegie Mellon is test flexible for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027, which means a test score is required to finish the application.

The college puts it this way: "Test flexible means that students are required to submit test scores in order to complete their application, however, they may choose which type of test(s) they prefer to submit." In plain terms, your child must send a score, but your child picks which accepted exam to send.

Some parts of the university follow their own rule. The School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT specifically, so another exam will not fill that slot. The College of Fine Arts stays test optional, which means a score is read if your child sends one and is not needed if your child does not.

We tell families to read the testing page for the exact college your child plans to apply to inside Carnegie Mellon. That way you plan for the right test from the start.

What SAT score do enrolled first-years at Carnegie Mellon have?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Carnegie Mellon scored between 1500 and 1570.

These scores come from the fall 2023 entering class, the latest federal count. They describe students who enrolled and chose to send an SAT. They do not describe every student who was admitted, and they are not a cutoff. Some enrolled students scored below 1500, and some scored above 1570.

Still, this is a high band. We tell families to treat 1500 as the point where an SAT starts to look like the scores most enrolled senders carried.

What ACT score do enrolled first-years at Carnegie Mellon have?

The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT to Carnegie Mellon scored 34 or 35.

That is a narrow band, and it sits near the top of the ACT scale. It comes from the same fall 2023 class. It describes enrolled first-years who sent an ACT, not every admitted student.

Because the band is so tight, a small change in your child's ACT score can move them in or out of it. Our students who are close often find that steady practice on timing makes the difference.

How many Carnegie Mellon students send an SAT or ACT score?

In the fall 2023 class, 51 percent of enrolled first-years sent an SAT and 17 percent sent an ACT.

Among those students, the SAT was the more common choice. These shares describe the fall 2023 class. For high school seniors applying now, the rule is the one above: most applicants must send a score.

We do not read much into which test is more common. The right test for your child is the one where your child scores higher.

Should my child send a score to Carnegie Mellon?

If your child has an SAT of 1500 or higher, or an ACT of 34 or higher, our rule is simple: send it.

A score inside or above the band matches what the middle half of enrolled first-years who sent a score carried. That is a score we tell families to send with confidence.

If the score is below the band, think hard. For most of Carnegie Mellon a score must be sent, so the real choice is whether to test again or to send a different accepted exam where your child is stronger. For the School of Computer Science the score must be an SAT or ACT, so our advice there is usually to test again. For the College of Fine Arts the score is optional, and a score below the band is one we tell families to think hard about before sending.

How hard is it to get into Carnegie Mellon?

Carnegie Mellon admitted 11.4 percent of applicants for fall 2023, with 3,843 admits from 33,707 applicants.

The college's own count for fall 2025 entrants is close to that: 3,859 admits from 34,867 applicants, an overall rate of 11.07 percent.

Early decision looked different. For fall 2025 entrants, 553 of 2,680 early decision applicants were admitted, a rate of 20.63 percent.

We tell families not to treat the early rate as a shortcut. Our rule is to apply early decision only when Carnegie Mellon is your child's clear first choice and the family has looked hard at the cost.

What does it cost to apply to and attend Carnegie Mellon?

The application fee at Carnegie Mellon is $75, and the full price of a year is $83,654.

The average net price after aid is $31,944. That is the average amount families paid once grants and scholarships were taken off. Your own price can be higher or lower.

The college publishes a net price calculator, as every US college must. We tell families to run it with your child before applying early decision, so the cost is clear before any promise is made.

What should we do this month?

Sit a free mock SAT and a free mock ACT with Test Prep Gurus this month, then compare each score with Carnegie Mellon's bands of 1500 to 1570 on the SAT and 34 to 35 on the ACT.

A full-length practice test under real timing tells you where your child stands today. It also shows which test fits your child better. Book both by calling 949.229.5359 or by going to https://www.prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step.

Then plan 6 to 12 weeks of prep before a test date that counts. Our rule is to prepare for the whole test every sitting, not only the section that went worst last time. That steady approach is how our students build scores they are proud to send.

If your child is applying to the School of Computer Science, keep the focus on the SAT or ACT, since another exam will not count there.

Questions parents ask

Does Carnegie Mellon require the SAT or ACT?
Yes, for most of the university: Carnegie Mellon is test flexible for high school seniors in the 2026-27 school year, who start college in fall 2027, which means a test score is required to finish the application.

What SAT score should my child aim for at Carnegie Mellon?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an SAT to Carnegie Mellon scored between 1500 and 1570.

What ACT score do Carnegie Mellon students have?
The middle half of enrolled first-years who sent an ACT to Carnegie Mellon scored 34 or 35.

Can my child send a different test to the School of Computer Science?
The School of Computer Science requires the SAT or ACT specifically, so another exam will not fill that slot.

What is the early decision admit rate at Carnegie Mellon?
For fall 2025 entrants, 553 of 2,680 early decision applicants were admitted, a rate of 20.63 percent.

What do families pay on average at Carnegie Mellon?
The average net price after aid is $31,944.

Ready to plan the next test date? Free mock SAT and free mock ACT at Test Prep Gurus, then a plan built on the result: prepgurus.com/take-the-next-step or 949.229.5359.

Method and sources: The testing policy is Carnegie Mellon's own admissions page, and it applies to students who start college in fall 2027. The SAT and ACT bands describe enrolled first-years in the fall 2023 class who sent that test, which is the latest federal count, and they do not describe every admitted student. The early decision figures come from the college's Common Data Set for fall 2025 entrants, and prices come from the College Scorecard.