CMU vs Columbia University: admit rates, GPA and how Taiwanese applicants choose
OfferLand users have reported 176 application results for CMU and 115 for Columbia University; 39 applicants applied to both. The table puts admit rates, admitted applicants’ scores, top fields and programs side by side.
Self-reported sample from OfferLand users, not official school data; figures based on fewer than 5 results are not shown. Data as of 2026-10-22.
Side by side
Admit rate = (admitted + enrolled) ÷ (admitted + enrolled + rejected); waitlisted and pending results are left out. Median GPA and TOEFL count each admitted applicant once. Figures based on fewer than 5 results are not shown.
| Metric | CMU | Columbia University |
|---|---|---|
| Country | United States | United States |
| QS ranking (2027) | #55 | #43 |
| US News ranking (2027) | #14 | #12 |
| Application results | 176 | 115 |
| Applicants | 138 | 112 |
| Admit rate | 59.8% | 71.1% |
| Median GPA (admitted) | 3.76 | 3.80 |
| Median TOEFL (admitted) | 105 | 103 |
| Most-reported fields | Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (69),Information Technology (30),General Engineering (18),Biology/Ecology (13) | Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (38),Business Analytics (16),General Engineering (12),Business Administration (MBA/MiM) (9) |
Most-reported programs
Programs with at least 5 results, by number of results.
CMU
| Program | Results | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical & Computer Engineering (Master's) | 26 | 73.1% |
| Computer Science (Master's) | 17 | 29.4% |
| Information Systems Management (Master's) | 15 | 26.7% |
| Computational Biology (Master's) | 13 | 53.8% |
| Information Networking Institute (Master's) | 10 | 90.0% |
Columbia University
| Program | Results | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|
| MS in Computer Science (Master's) | 32 | 71.9% |
| MS in Applied Analytics (Master's) | 9 | 77.8% |
| MS in Mechanical Engineering (Master's) | 7 | 85.7% |
| M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) (Master's) | 7 | 71.4% |
| MS in Electrical Engineering (Master's) | 6 | 66.7% |
Applicants to both schools
39 applicants reported results at both schools: 29 were admitted to CMU, 29 to Columbia University, and 25 to both.
Of those admitted to both who reported a final choice, 1 chose CMU and 4 chose Columbia University. A small sample; treat it as a hint only.
AI summary (from OfferLand data and posts on the site, 2026-10-21)
In OfferLand's data, CMU admitted 59.8% of applicants (138 applicants) and Columbia 71.1% (112), with median admit GPAs of 3.76 and 3.80 and median TOEFL scores of 105 and 103. EECS is the top field at both, but CMU's CS master's admitted 29.4% while Columbia's MS in Computer Science admitted 71.9%; Columbia also draws many business analytics applicants. Of the 39 people who applied to both, 25 were admitted to both; of the 5 who reported a decision, 4 chose Columbia and 1 chose CMU, a small sample.
- An NTU electrical engineering graduate with a TOEFL of 105 was not admitted to CMU's MCDS or MSE programs or to Columbia's MSCS, and ended up at Cornell Tech.Source: 2023 Fall CS 申請心得
- CMU ISM's recorded video interview gives 90 seconds to prepare and 90 to answer, with three attempts; one applicant prepared 40 past questions and all three questions asked were among them.Source: CMU Information Systems Management 面試心得
- Columbia's MSBA also uses a Kira video interview; one applicant found the questions easy but said fitting three answers into 180 seconds made time management the real challenge.Source: Columbia M.S. in Business Analytics (MSBA) 面試心得
Written by AI from the data on this page and the cited posts and interview reports. It may contain mistakes and is neither official school information nor application advice; check the original posts and the schools’ own announcements.
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When citing these figures, please credit OfferLand. How the data is collected: About the data.