GPA for MS in CS

Graduate School
#1

<p>What GPA would I need to be competitive for the best CS schools?</p>

#2

<p>probably >3.85</p>

#3

<p>if (gpa>=3.8) {
System.out.println("Top 5");
}
else {
System.out.println("Others");
}</p>

#4

<p>I am interested in this question too. What GPA would be needed for top 10, top 20, and top 30 CS schools? I was luckily admitted into UC Irvine (Ranked 31 US News) with a 3.25 gpa.</p>

#5

<p>When you say Top 5 that's US News top 5?</p>

#6

<p>Sorry, I am not sure if US News is the best provider for school rankings, but I use it to get a general idea. Here's the link: Rankings</a> - Computer Science - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report</p>

#7

<p>If GPA > 3.8 for MS program, then I assume you need even higher GPA (>3.9) for PhD program? I thought it's more like GPA > 3.5 for top MS CS program.....</p>

#8

<p>There are always exceptions though. My friend got into a top 5 with a 2.98 GPA for their PhD program.</p>

#9

<p>@ambiance, of course, I know there are always exceptions, but we are more or less talking about in general cases.</p>

#10

<p>The average gpa for harvard phd is 3.80</p>

#11

<p>Do top CS programs really want a high overall GPA or GPA in-major?</p>

#12

<p>The want a high overall and in major.</p>

#13

<p>In-major is more important since that is most relevant to your productivity and potential in grad school.</p>

<p>@ccpsux: Yup. I talked with one professor in the Admission Committee at Berkeley. He said out of 400 applying for his group, they accepted 5. They all have 3.9+ GPA with publications.</p>

#14

<p>What about for people in related majors? How much CS experience would be necessary to be competitive?</p>

#15

<p>Probably a lot. If you are not CS major, you should take the CS Subject Test.</p>

#16

<p>If your aim is top 10 or top 5 schools, then you should definitely have above a 3.5. The higher the better, however, this idea that you must have a 3.8 or 3.9 is a bunch of bs. There is no magic number.</p>

#17

<p>Depends if your interests and the PI’s interests align.
If there is money.</p>

<p>DS, 3.8gpa, dual major ME + HCI, 1st tier tech colllege, research work 3 years, non CS major. Accepted 1 of 4, but on full scholarship and stipend at a world university. What he wanted was more exploration into computer usage not necessary strict computer science. </p>

<p>His criteria then 2006, was to garner a scholarship, else the opportunity cost between going into the workforce vs continuing college on his savings/loans, would be huge; That such a financial difference that could never be recovered on a engineer’s pay.</p>

<p>WIW, YMMV</p>

#18