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MAJOR GUIDE
Best colleges for data science majors. MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, and 15+ programs compared by curriculum, research, and tech placement rates.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · 3.9% acceptance rate · Private
SAT: 1530-1580 · GPA: 3.96 · 4,640 undergrads
Stanford University
Stanford, CA · 3.7% acceptance rate · Private
SAT: 1500-1570 · GPA: 3.96 · 7,760 undergrads
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA · 11.4% acceptance rate · Public
SAT: 1330-1530 · GPA: 3.91 · 32,830 undergrads
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · 11.3% acceptance rate · Private
SAT: 1490-1560 · GPA: 3.86 · 7,650 undergrads
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI · 17.7% acceptance rate · Public
SAT: 1340-1530 · GPA: 3.9 · 32,600 undergrads
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA · 16% acceptance rate · Public
SAT: 1390-1540 · GPA: 4.07 · 18,790 undergrads
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · 44% acceptance rate · Public
SAT: 1310-1490 · GPA: 3.79 · 35,000 undergrads
Columbia University
New York, NY · 3.9% acceptance rate · Private
SAT: 1480-1570 · GPA: 4.13 · 8,800 undergrads
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA · 3.2% acceptance rate · Private
SAT: 1510-1580 · GPA: 3.95 · 7,178 undergrads
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY · 7.5% acceptance rate · Private
SAT: 1470-1560 · GPA: 4.07 · 15,740 undergrads
Data Scientist
Machine Learning Engineer
Analytics Manager
Business Intelligence Analyst
Quantitative Researcher
CS gives broader fundamentals; data science is more specialized. If you know you want analytics or ML, data science is direct. If unsure, CS keeps more doors open.
Written by AdmitPath team
Rankings based on IPEDS data, program reputation, and career outcome metrics. Last updated August 2026.
Use the Major Exploration Map worksheet to match your interests to the best programs.