Georgia Institute of Technology's Computer Science programs, delivered through its College of Computing, sit among the most sought-after CS credentials in the US for a specific reason: Georgia Tech pairs top-10 US engineering and computing rankings with a cost of attendance meaningfully lower than private research universities of similar caliber, plus a large-scale Online Master of Science in Computer Science (OMSCS) that has become one of the most widely recognized affordable graduate CS options internationally. For applicants weighing Georgia Tech CS against private peers, the pitch is comparable technical rigor and Atlanta-tech-corridor recruiting strength at a fraction of the sticker price.
This guide walks through what it takes to get into Georgia Tech's BS in Computer Science and its MS in Computer Science (including OMSCS): acceptance realities, cost, requirements, English-test rules, and what graduates go on to do.
Acceptance Rate
Georgia Tech does not publish a separate acceptance rate specifically for Computer Science at either the undergraduate or graduate level. What's actually published, and what it implies for CS specifically:
- Undergraduate, university-wide: Georgia Tech's overall admit rate for the Fall 2026 first-year class was about 12.8% (more than 8,700 admitted from nearly 68,000 applicants). This is a university-wide figure, not a Computer Science-specific one.
- Undergraduate, nonresident/international: Georgia Tech has separately reported a considerably lower nonresident admit rate around 9% and an international-specific rate closer to 8% in recent cycles, meaning international applicants should expect meaningfully longer odds than the 12.8% headline figure suggests.
- Within that pool, Computer Science and Computer Engineering receive disproportionately more applications relative to available seats than the university-wide average, so CS specifically is very likely more selective than even the 8-9% international figure, though no exact CS-specific number is published.
- Graduate: Georgia Tech does not publish an aggregate graduate acceptance rate at all, since admission is fully decentralized by department. Computer Science's MS programs (including the large on-campus program and OMSCS) draw an enormous applicant pool, and department-level selectivity for the on-campus MS is understood to be considerably tighter than OMSCS, which admits at much higher volume by design.
Bottom line: treat any specific CS-only percentage you see cited elsewhere as an unverified estimate. Approach on-campus CS admission, undergraduate or graduate, as meaningfully more competitive than Georgia Tech's already-selective institution-wide figures.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Undergraduate (most recently published official figures, international/out-of-state):
| Cost Item | Amount (USD/year) |
|---|---|
| Tuition (international/out-of-state) | $34,484 |
| Living expenses (Atlanta) | $20,828 |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | $55,312 |
Across a four-year BS in Computer Science, this puts total undergraduate cost at roughly $220,000 before any scholarships (most of Georgia Tech's merit scholarship pool skews toward domestic applicants, so international undergraduates should not assume significant automatic aid).
Graduate: Georgia Tech does not publish a single institute-wide graduate cost-of-attendance figure the way it does for undergraduates. Most funded MS/PhD students (via research or teaching assistantships) have tuition waived and receive a stipend rather than paying sticker tuition, so a blended "graduate cost" figure would conflate funded and self-funded students misleadingly. Self-funded on-campus MS in Computer Science students should budget close to the undergraduate international tuition rate plus Atlanta living costs; OMSCS is dramatically cheaper, historically priced at a small fraction of the on-campus program's per-credit cost, since it's designed as a high-volume, lower-cost online alternative.
The application fee is $85.
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate BS in Computer Science, via the Common Application:
- Common Application, Secondary School Report, and official transcript
- Counselor recommendation
- Georgia Tech-specific short-answer questions
- SAT or ACT scores (test-optional policy in effect; confirm current cycle status)
- English proficiency test scores for applicants whose secondary education was not conducted in English, per University System of Georgia (USG) policy
- $85 application fee or fee waiver
- Georgia Tech does not publish a minimum GPA, but the middle 50% of admits scored SAT 1400-1550 / ACT 32-35
MS in Computer Science (on-campus or OMSCS):
- Statement of Purpose, official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Three letters of recommendation
- Resume/CV
- TOEFL or IELTS scores (required unless exempt)
- GRE generally not required for most engineering/computing MS programs (confirm with the specific department, since this has shifted across cycles industry-wide)
- $85 application fee or fee waiver
- Deadlines vary by department, generally December through March, with rolling decisions 6-10 weeks after a complete application
How to Get Into Georgia Tech's Computer Science Program
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Target Computer Science's genuinely higher informal bar, not the university-wide average. Because CS and Computer Engineering receive disproportionately more applications than Georgia Tech's other majors, a profile that would be competitive for the university overall may not be competitive specifically for CS.
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Use test-optional status strategically. If your SAT/ACT falls below the 1400-1550 / 32-35 middle-50% range, consider whether omitting the score altogether strengthens your application more than a below-range submission would, given the test-optional policy currently in effect.
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Write Georgia Tech-specific short answers that show genuine engagement with Atlanta's tech ecosystem, Georgia Tech's specific research strengths, or the College of Computing's threads system (Georgia Tech structures its CS major into specialization "threads"), rather than a generic "I love coding" narrative.
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For graduate applicants, decide between the on-campus MS and OMSCS deliberately, not by default. OMSCS is dramatically cheaper and more scalable in admission volume, but the on-campus MS offers in-person research access, assistantship funding opportunities, and a different visa/OPT profile; choose based on your specific career goals, not just cost.
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Clear the TOEFL/IELTS Institute minimum with room to spare, especially for Speaking, if you're pursuing a funded on-campus assistantship position, since most funded roles involve direct interaction with faculty and undergraduates.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Georgia Tech has not published a dedicated IELTS or TOEFL requirement article or general guide for Gabble to link to, so here are the numbers directly from Georgia Tech's own published policy:
Undergraduate: Georgia Tech's own dedicated international English-language-requirements page was not retrievable at the time this data was compiled, and University System of Georgia (USG) policy does not publish one identical numeric minimum across all its institutions. Confirm the current specific threshold directly with Georgia Tech undergraduate admission before testing, rather than relying on a generic "USG standard" figure or a third-party estimate.
Graduate:
- IELTS: Institute minimum 7.0 overall, with Reading, Listening, and Speaking each at least 6.5 and Writing at least 5.5
- TOEFL: Institute minimum 90 total, with at least 19 in each of the four sections. Georgia Tech does not accept ETS "MyBest Scores" (superscoring across test dates); a single sitting must meet the minimum
- Waiver: available for applicants holding a prior degree from an institution where English is the official language of instruction, subject to department approval
- Individual departments, including Computer Science, may set a higher bar than this Institute-wide floor, so confirm with the specific program
Career Outcomes
Georgia Tech does not publish graduation-rate, employment-rate, or salary figures broken out specifically for Computer Science, but its published recruiter data (undergraduate and graduate, university-wide) gives a strong directional picture, since CS is one of Georgia Tech's most heavily recruited majors:
- Top recruiters (undergraduate, university-wide): NASA, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Delta Air Lines, The Home Depot, Georgia Pacific
- Top recruiters (graduate, university-wide): Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Lockheed Martin, NASA, McKinsey & Company
- Georgia Tech's Atlanta location, walking distance from Midtown's tech and business corridor, gives CS graduates direct proximity to a growing Fortune 500 and startup recruiting pipeline, on top of the university-wide recruiter list above (which skews toward tech and engineering employers specifically for CS and adjacent majors).
- Notable CS-adjacent alumnus: Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, earned an MS in Computer Science from Georgia Tech.
FAQ
Does Georgia Tech publish a separate acceptance rate for Computer Science? No. Georgia Tech's published rates (12.8% overall undergraduate, roughly 8-9% for nonresident/international applicants) are university-wide, not CS-specific. CS receives disproportionately more applications than the university average, so it's reasonably understood to be more selective than these headline figures, though no exact number is published.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need for Georgia Tech graduate Computer Science? The Institute-wide minimum is TOEFL iBT 90 (at least 19 per section) or IELTS 7.0 overall (Reading/Listening/Speaking at least 6.5, Writing at least 5.5). Individual departments, including Computer Science, may require more.
Is the GRE required for Georgia Tech's MS in Computer Science? Most engineering and computing MS programs, including CS, do not require the GRE in recent cycles, but this has shifted industry-wide across cycles, so confirm current departmental policy before applying.
How much does Georgia Tech's Computer Science program cost? Undergraduate international tuition is $34,484/year, with total cost of attendance around $55,312/year. Graduate cost varies enormously by funding status: funded on-campus MS/PhD students generally have tuition waived plus a stipend, while OMSCS is priced dramatically lower than the on-campus program by design.
What is OMSCS, and how is it different from Georgia Tech's on-campus MS in Computer Science? OMSCS (Online Master of Science in Computer Science) is Georgia Tech's large-scale, lower-cost online CS master's, admitting at much higher volume than the on-campus program. It's a genuinely respected credential internationally, but applicants prioritizing in-person research access, assistantship funding, or a US-based OPT/visa timeline should weigh the on-campus MS instead.
Is Georgia Tech CS harder to get into than MIT or Stanford CS? All three are extremely competitive, and none publishes an exact CS-specific rate for direct comparison. Georgia Tech's overall figures are less selective than MIT's or Stanford's university-wide rates, but Georgia Tech's specific CS/Computer Engineering pool is understood to run considerably tighter than the university average, so treat all three as reach programs.