If you’re looking at the University of Maryland for Computer Science, you’ve probably seen the headline number: a 44% or 45% overall acceptance rate. It sounds reasonable, right? Almost like a coin flip. But honestly, if you’re applying specifically for Computer Science (CS) at College Park in 2026, that number is a total lie.
It's a "Limited Enrollment Program" (LEP). That’s fancy academic speak for "we have way too many applicants and not enough seats in the Brendan Iribe Center."
The reality is that UMD CS has become one of the most competitive tickets in the country. We’re talking about a program ranked in the top 20 nationally—sitting right alongside places like Harvard or Cornell in specialized rankings—yet it's housed within a large state school. This creates a massive disconnect between the general admission stats and the actual difficulty of getting a seat in a coding lab.
The Brutal Reality of the UMD CS Acceptance Rate
Let’s get the math out of the way. While the university-wide acceptance rate hovers in the mid-40s, the UMD CS acceptance rate is estimated by most admissions experts to be significantly lower—likely between 10% and 15% for out-of-state students.
Why the gap? Because UMD doesn't just admit you to the university; they admit you to the major.
In the past, you could get into UMD for "Letters and Sciences" (undecided) and then just move into CS once you finished a few gateway classes. It was a guaranteed safety valve. Not anymore. Since the policy shift that took full effect recently, the "guaranteed" path is dead.
What Changed in 2024 and Beyond?
Starting with the Fall 2024 cohort, the university tightened the screws. They increased the number of freshmen admitted directly into the major to about 600, but they slashed the number of transfer spots (both internal and external) by a staggering 90%.
Basically, they went from taking 1,000 transfer students down to just 100.
If you don’t get in as a freshman, your chances of "working your way in" later have plummeted. You used to need a 2.7 GPA to transfer in. Now? You need a 3.0, a B- or better in gateway courses like CMSC131 and MATH140, and even then, it’s not guaranteed. You’re competing for a tiny handful of remaining seats.
Breaking Down the Numbers: In-State vs. Out-of-State
If you live in Maryland, you have a massive advantage. Period. The university has a mandate to serve the taxpayers of the state. While the CS major is still hard for locals, the "rubric" used to rank applicants is often more relaxed for in-state students.
- In-State Applicants: You might see an acceptance rate into the university closer to 50%, with a higher "yield" for the CS program.
- Out-of-State/International: This is where it gets scary. For the Class of 2028, the out-of-state acceptance rate for the general university was around 42%, but for CS, it’s a bloodbath. If you're coming from New Jersey, California, or India, you’re likely facing an acceptance rate closer to 10%.
The average SAT for admitted students in this major is often 1450-1550, and many have unweighted GPAs near 4.0. If you aren't bringing the heat with your stats, you need a "hook"—like significant research or a portfolio of apps that actually do something.
The "Early Action" Trap
If you apply Regular Decision (RD) to UMD, you’ve basically already lost.
Data shows that upwards of 90% of the incoming class is filled during the Early Action (EA) round (November 1st deadline). For a major like Computer Science, which is capped, applying by the EA deadline isn't just a "good idea"—it’s a requirement. By the time RD applications are read in the spring, the CS seats are usually gone.
If you apply RD for CS, don't be surprised if you get into the university but get "shunted" into Letters and Sciences. And as we discussed, once you're in Letters and Sciences, the mountain you have to climb to get back into CS is much steeper than it used to be.
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Gateway Courses: The Make-or-Break Classes
Even if you get in, the "gateways" are designed to weed people out. To stay in the major or transfer in, you have to survive:
- CMSC 131: Object-Oriented Programming I
- CMSC 132: Object-Oriented Programming II
- MATH 140: Calculus I
The university used to accept a C- in these. Now, for the LEP transfer process, you need a B- or better. If you’re a transfer student from a Maryland Community College (like Montgomery College), these requirements are non-negotiable.
Is the Competition Worth It?
Honestly, yeah. The Brendan Iribe Center for Computer Science and Engineering is a $150 million tech playground. Companies like Google, Amazon (with its HQ2 nearby), and various defense contractors in the DC-Maryland-Virginia (DMV) area recruit heavily from College Park.
The starting salaries for UMD CS grads often average over $90,000, with top-tier students easily breaking the six-figure mark. That's why the acceptance rate is so low; the Return on Investment (ROI) is objectively insane.
Practical Steps for Your Application
Don't just obsess over the umd cs acceptance rate—do something about it. Here is the play-by-play for your application:
- Hit the November 1st Deadline: No excuses. If you miss this, your chances for CS drop to near zero.
- Max Out Your Math: If your school offers AP Calculus BC, take it. UMD wants to see that you can handle the quantitative rigor.
- Show, Don't Just Tell: Don't just say you like coding. Link to a GitHub repo. Mention a specific project in your "Why UMD?" essay.
- Have a Plan B: Because the internal transfer process is so limited (only 100 spots), you need to be okay with InfoSci (Information Science) or CE (Computer Engineering) if CS doesn't work out. InfoSci is a great program, but it's not the same curriculum.
- Check Your Residency: If you’re on the border of being an in-state resident, get your paperwork in order. That residency status is the single biggest "boost" you can get.
The days of UMD being a "safety school" for CS are long gone. It’s a reach school for almost everyone now. Treat it that way.