How to Apply to Computer Science at the University of Pittsburgh: First-Year Admission to the School of Computing and Information, Rolling Review, and 24 Credits With a 2.75 GPA for Internal Transfer, With Requirements for Chinese and Canadian High School Students and Transfer Students

At the University of Pittsburgh, computer science is offered by the School of Computing and Information (SCI) as a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. SCI also offers undergraduate majors in data science, information science, computational biology, computational social science, digital narrative and interactive design, and physics and quantum computing. Here is what you need to know, based on SCI and Pitt tuition websites, for students at high schools in China (including A-level, IB and AP students), students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver students), and transfer students.

Note: Pitt’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid sites (admissions.pitt.edu, oafa.pitt.edu) and the Department of Computer Science site (www.cs.pitt.edu) returned block pages to automated access, and the university catalog returned an empty verification page, so this guide does not use them. Check those sites directly for English requirements, international documents, Gaokao and Canadian curriculum policies and the detailed computer science curriculum.

1. How first-year students enter Computer Science

• SCI admits first-year students: SCI says it is a four-year undergraduate school that admits first-year students through Pitt’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid (OAFA). Students who want to start at SCI should follow OAFA’s checklists, application and deadlines. The pages available to this guide do not say how to select Computer Science on the application or whether review is by major; check OAFA.
• Deadlines: the Computer Science page says Pitt uses rolling admission with no set deadline. SCI’s admissions table says first-year entry is fall only, rolling for domestic students and 1 April for international students; there is no spring or summer first-year entry.
• The pages differ: the Computer Science page lists a next start date of 11 January, while SCI’s admissions page says first-year students cannot start in spring (spring entry is for transfers). Both are given here; first-year applicants should follow SCI’s admissions page and OAFA.

2. Curriculum

• At a glance: the Computer Science page lists at least 120 credits, 4 to 6 years to complete and on-campus study, covering the theory, experimentation and engineering behind the design and use of computers.
• Areas of focus: artificial intelligence, software engineering, data science, security and high-performance systems.
• Detailed requirements: SCI links to the university catalog, which returned a verification page to automated access, so this guide has not checked required courses or credit distribution.
• BS/MS: SCI links to the department’s combined BS/MS in Computer Science page; the department site blocks automated access, so conditions were not checked.
• Careers: SCI lists top employers of graduates such as PNC Financial Services, BNY Mellon, Amazon, CGI and Deloitte, and common job titles such as software engineer, software development engineer and consultant.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Documents: SCI says international applicants must submit original or certified official secondary school records, literal translations of non-English records, and an official credential evaluation of all international documents from an approved evaluator; start 9 to 12 months before your intended enrolment.
• English: applicants whose native language is not English must take the TOEFL and submit official results. SCI refers applicants to OAFA’s international page for score requirements and exceptions, which this guide has not checked.
• Gaokao, A-levels, IB, AP: not covered on the pages available to this guide; check OAFA’s international page.

4. Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver)

• Apply as a first-year student; requirements for Canadian curricula are not on the pages available to this guide, so check with OAFA.
• International students pay out-of-state tuition.

5. Internal and external transfer

• Common requirements (for internal transfer, external transfer, second bachelor’s degrees and readmission):
  • at least 24 credits with a GPA of at least 2.75 (Pittsburgh campus) or 3.00 (regional campuses, second Pitt bachelor’s and external transfers);
  • the equivalent of SCI’s first-year curriculum, each with a C or better: one programming course (solving problems through algorithmic thinking and programming in a language such as Java, Python, C or C#; web design, office software, graphic design and CAD do not count); two quantitative courses (university mathematics such as calculus, linear algebra or theoretical mathematics, or university statistics, one of each or two from the same category); and one introductory composition course.
  • CMPINF 0010, Big Ideas in Computing and Information, is strongly recommended for Pittsburgh campus internal transfer applicants.
• No guarantee: SCI says these are eligibility requirements only, and programs may close admission once capacity is reached. Required courses must show final grades at the time of application; incomplete applications are rejected in the normal notification period.
• Deadlines:
  • Fall: early deadline 1 March (for applicants who have completed all credits and courses); late deadline 1 May for international external transfers and 15 June for domestic students;
  • Spring: 1 October; Summer: 1 February;
  • Decisions come three to four weeks after the deadline. Fall applicants who want campus housing are strongly encouraged to apply by the early deadline.
• How to apply: external transfers submit a transfer application to OAFA; current Pitt students submit a program change form through their campus records office. Internal applicants admitted before fall 2019 follow the catalog of their admit year.
• Residency: all students must earn at least 30 new credits in residence at SCI, including at least 15 in the major, and at least half of the major credits at Pitt.

6. Costs and scholarships

• Tuition: for 2026-27, out-of-state full-time tuition at SCI on the Pittsburgh campus is $49,532 for two terms ($24,766 per term).
• Mandatory fees: transportation, student activity, wellness and recreation, and computing and network services total $2,152 a year; full-time international undergraduates also pay a $500 International Services Fee in each of the fall and spring terms.
• Other estimates: the tuition site also lists estimates for housing, food, course materials, transportation and personal expenses; check it for the latest figures.
• Scholarships: SCI scholarships are posted on the PittFund$Me portal for current students, including endowed funds for undergraduates; check OAFA about university scholarships for new students.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply through Pitt’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid; international first-year applicants for fall should apply by 1 April, and early under rolling review
• Prepare certified transcripts, translations and a credential evaluation from an approved evaluator; start 9 to 12 months ahead
• Check OAFA for TOEFL and other English requirements, and how the Gaokao, A-levels, IB and AP are used

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• As above; confirm Canadian curriculum requirements with OAFA

Transfer students:

• Complete 24 credits with at least a 3.00 GPA (external) or 2.75 (Pittsburgh campus internal)
• Finish programming, two mathematics or statistics courses and composition, each with a C or better, with final grades at the time of application
• Fall early deadline 1 March; international external transfers by 1 May at the latest

Sources: University of Pittsburgh, SCI Computer Science; SCI undergraduate degrees; SCI undergraduate admissions and transfer requirements; SCI scholarships; 2026-27 Pittsburgh campus tuition; First-year students (Office of Admissions and Financial Aid); International students (Office of Admissions and Financial Aid). English requirements, international documents and policies for the Gaokao and Canadian curricula are set by Pitt’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.