How hard is it to get into the University of Chicago as a computer science major?

It is very hard to get into the University of Chicago, and applying with an interest in computer science should still be treated as highly selective. UChicago’s overall admit rate is typically in the very low range, and strong applicants across all intended majors are turned away every year. The school does not have a separate engineering college and generally does not admit students strictly by major in the way some large public universities do, so CS is not usually a formal higher-bar major on the application.

That said, computer science is one of the most popular academic interests at UChicago, so a lot of very strong applicants are drawn to it. In practice, that can make the applicant pool around CS especially competitive, even if the admissions office is evaluating you more as a whole student than as a seat-filling CS applicant. UChicago is also known for valuing intellectual curiosity, strong writing, and fit with its academic culture, not just technical accomplishments.

For college-list purposes, you should treat UChicago as a reach for almost everyone, including students with top grades and scores. If your profile is strong for selective schools, being interested in CS does not automatically make UChicago dramatically harder than UChicago already is, but it also does not give you any easier path in.

A smart way to think about it is this: your chances depend more on whether you look like a strong UChicago applicant overall than on whether you checked CS. Rigorous coursework, excellent grades, standout essays, and a clear academic voice matter a lot there. If you have meaningful CS involvement, present it well, but do not assume you need to look like a research-level coder just to be viable.