Carnegie Mellon University facts for kids
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Former names
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Carnegie Technical Schools (1900–1912) Carnegie Institute of Technology (1912–1967) Mellon Institute of Industrial Research (1913–1967) |
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| Motto | "My heart is in the work" - Andrew Carnegie |
| Type | Private research university |
| Established | November 15, 1900 |
| Founders | |
| Accreditation | MSCHE |
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Academic affiliations
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| Endowment | $3.0 billion (2022) |
| President | Farnam Jahanian |
| Provost | James Garrett |
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Academic staff
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1,483 |
| Students | 16,335 (2023) |
| Undergraduates | 7,604 (2023) |
| Postgraduates | 8,542 (2023) |
| Location |
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United States
40°26′33″N 79°56′36″W / 40.44250°N 79.94333°W |
| Campus | Large city, 157.2 acres (63.6 ha) |
| Other campuses |
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| Newspaper | The Tartan |
| Colors | Red, black, steel gray, and iron gray |
| Nickname | Tartans |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Scotty the Scottish Terrier |
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Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was started in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools. The school later became the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1912, offering four-year college degrees. In 1967, it merged with the Mellon Institute of Industrial Research to become Carnegie Mellon University. The Mellon Institute was founded in 1913 by Andrew Mellon and Richard B. Mellon.
CMU has seven main colleges, including the College of Engineering and the School of Computer Science. Its main campus is in Pittsburgh, but it also has locations in other countries like Qatar and Kigali, Rwanda. Over 15,000 students from many countries attend Carnegie Mellon. The university also has more than 1,400 teachers.
Carnegie Mellon is famous for its research and for creating new fields of study. It was one of the first to have departments for machine learning, robotics, and computational biology. It also pioneered the field of management science and had the first drama program in the United States. CMU is known for being a university with "Very High Research Activity."
The university's sports teams are called the Tartans. They compete in NCAA Division III athletics. Many people who have studied or taught at Carnegie Mellon have won important awards. These include 20 Nobel Prize winners, 13 Turing Award winners, and many Emmy Awards, Tony Awards, and Academy Awards.
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How Carnegie Mellon Started
The Carnegie Technical Schools were founded in 1900. They were started by Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish-American businessman. He wanted to create a school for the children of working-class families in Pittsburgh. Many of these families worked in his factories. Carnegie was inspired by the Pratt Institute in New York.
In 1912, the school changed its name to Carnegie Institute of Technology (CIT). It started offering four-year degrees. During this time, CIT had four schools: Fine and Applied Arts, Apprentices and Journeymen, Science and Technology, and the Margaret Morrison Carnegie School for Women.
The Mellon Institute of Industrial Research was founded in 1913. It was started by brothers Andrew Mellon and Richard B. Mellon. They were bankers and industrialists. The Institute focused on research for government and businesses. It was first part of the University of Pittsburgh. In 1927, it became its own non-profit organization.
In 1967, the Carnegie Institute of Technology and the Mellon Institute merged. This created Carnegie Mellon University. Later, in 1973, the Margaret Morrison Carnegie College for women joined the rest of the university's programs.
Exploring the Campus
Campus Overview
Carnegie Mellon's main campus is about 157 acres. It is located five miles from downtown Pittsburgh. The campus is next to Schenley Park and near the neighborhoods of Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and Oakland. The University of Pittsburgh campus is right next door. Carnegie Mellon owns 81 buildings in these areas.
For many years, the main student building was Skibo Hall. It was built in the 1950s. In 1994, it was replaced by a new building called the University Center. This new center has Wi-Fi. In 2014, it was renamed the Cohon University Center.
A large grassy area called "The Cut" runs through the campus. Another grassy area, "The Mall," crosses it. "The Cut" was made by filling in a valley with soil. This soil came from a nearby hill that was leveled to build the College of Fine Arts building.
Carnegie Mellon has been using 100% renewable energy for its electricity since 2011.
Campus Buildings and Design
The first buildings on campus were designed in the Beaux-Arts architecture style. This style was chosen in a competition in 1904. Not much changed on campus between World War I and World War II.
In the 1950s and 60s, the campus grew a lot. New buildings were needed as the university became more famous. These new buildings used modern architectural styles. This allowed the university to expand quickly and affordably. Each new building had its own unique look.
During the 1970s and 1980s, the university's research budget grew a lot. Researchers in new fields like robotics and software engineering helped CMU become even more well-known. One big project was the "Andrew" computing network in the mid-1980s. This project connected all computers on campus. It set a new standard for university computing. On April 24, 1985, cmu.edu became one of the first six .edu internet domain names.
Campus Since the 1990s
Since the 1990s, Carnegie Mellon has continued to grow. It often ranks among the top universities in the world. CMU is known for its interdisciplinary approach. This means different subjects work together. For example, they combine computer science with design or business.
In recent decades, new buildings have been added. These include the Cohon University Center, a theater building, a business school, and dorms. Older buildings have also been updated.
In 2006, a tall sculpture called Walking to the Sky was placed on campus. It's 80 feet tall!
The Gates Hillman Complex opened in 2009. It houses the School of Computer Science. This complex has many offices, labs, and classrooms. It was built with big gifts from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Henry L. Hillman Foundation. The Gates Hillman Complex is connected to the Purnell Center for the Arts by the Randy Pausch Memorial Footbridge.
CMU has also opened campuses in other countries. In 2006, a campus of the Heinz College opened in Adelaide, Australia. In 2012, Carnegie Mellon helped create the Center for Urban Science and Progress (CUSP) in New York City. This center focuses on applied science research for cities.
In 2013, David Tepper donated $67 million to develop the Tepper Quadrangle. This area includes a new building for the Tepper School of Business. In 2020, TCS Hall, an innovation center, was completed. CMU also plans to build a new mechanical engineering building, an athletics center, and a Science Futures Building in the coming years.
In 2022, Carnegie Mellon partnered with the Mastercard Foundation. They invested $275.7 million to support Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Kigali, Rwanda. This campus offers graduate degrees in engineering and artificial intelligence.
What Students Learn
Top Programs
Carnegie Mellon is known for its excellent programs. U.S. News & World Report often ranks CMU among the top universities in the United States. Many of its graduate programs are also highly ranked. For example, in 2022, 23 of its graduate programs were in the Top 10 nationwide. Three programs were even ranked first: Artificial Intelligence, Programming Languages, and Information and Technology Management.
The CMU School of Computer Science is consistently ranked as one of the best in the country. It is often tied with other top schools like MIT and Stanford.
Globally, Carnegie Mellon is also highly ranked by Times Higher Education and QS World University Rankings. Newsweek even called Carnegie Mellon one of the "New Ivies".
Getting In
Getting into Carnegie Mellon is very competitive. For the class of 2026, about 11% of applicants were accepted. The acceptance rates can vary a lot between different colleges within CMU. For example, the Carnegie Mellon School of Architecture accepts about 30% of applicants, while the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama accepts only about 3%.
Students who get into CMU usually have very high test scores. The university tries to meet the financial needs of accepted students from the U.S.
Research at CMU
Carnegie Mellon is known for its "Very High Research Activity." In 2021, the university spent $402 million on research. A lot of this money came from the U.S. government. The School of Computer Science and the Software Engineering Institute receive a large portion of this funding.
The Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC) is a joint project. It involves Carnegie Mellon, the University of Pittsburgh, and Westinghouse Electric Company. PSC was started in 1986. It is a major partner in the TeraGrid, which is a program for advanced computing.
The Neuroscience Institute (NI) was founded in 2018. It brings together research in computer science, engineering, machine learning, and neuroscience. The goal is to improve human health. Devices developed here help patients with conditions like Parkinson's disease. They also improve brain imaging using artificial intelligence.
The Robotics Institute (RI) is a top center for robotics research. Its Field Robotics Center (FRC) has created many important robots. These include Sandstorm and H1ghlander, which did well in the DARPA Grand Challenge. Their robot, Boss, won the DARPA Urban Challenge. The RI is also working on a robot called Andy to explore the moon.
The Software Engineering Institute (SEI) is funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. It is run by Carnegie Mellon. The SEI publishes books on software engineering. It is also home to CERT/CC, a computer security organization. CERT/CC helps make computer systems secure and protects against cyberattacks.
The Human–Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) studies how people use computers. It combines computer science, design, and social science. The Language Technologies Institute (LTI) focuses on language technologies. This includes machine translation and speech recognition.
The Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department uses computing to help biomedical research. Carnegie Mellon also has the Carnegie School of management and economics. This group studies how people make decisions in business.
CMU works with many companies on research. Apple Inc., Intel, Google, Microsoft, and Disney all have offices or labs near campus.
Around the World
Besides its Pittsburgh campus, Carnegie Mellon has other locations. It has a campus in Qatar that offers undergraduate degrees. It also has graduate campuses in Mountain View, California (Silicon Valley) and Kigali, Rwanda.
The Tepper School of Business has a center in Manhattan, New York. The Heinz College has one in Adelaide, Australia. Carnegie Mellon also has centers in Washington, D.C. for politics and public policy.
CMU's Information Networking Institute offers graduate programs in Athens, Greece and Kobe, Japan. The Entertainment Technology Center has programs in Portugal, Japan, and Singapore. The College of Engineering has a location in Kigali, Rwanda.
Schools and Departments
Carnegie Mellon has several colleges and schools:
- The College of Engineering has seven departments. These include Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.
- The College of Fine Arts is one of the oldest in the U.S. It includes schools for Architecture, Music, Design, Drama, and Art.
- The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences focuses on human studies. It has departments like English, History, Psychology, and Statistics.
- The H. John Heinz III College of Information Systems and Public Policy offers master's degrees. These include Public Policy and Information Systems.
- The Mellon College of Science has four departments: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics.
- The School of Computer Science is a world leader. It includes departments like the Computer Science Department, Robotics Institute, and Human–Computer Interaction Institute.
- The Tepper School of Business offers degrees in Business Administration and Economics. It also has master's degrees like MBA.
CMU also has the Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology (IDeATe) Network. This program lets students from any college take minors in areas like Game Design or Animation. IDeATe also manages the Entertainment Technology Center (ETC).
The university also runs summer programs for high school students. These include the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences and the Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS).
Libraries
Carnegie Mellon has several libraries. The largest is Hunt Library. Other libraries include the Roger Sorrells Engineering & Science Library and the Mellon Institute Library. They also have special collections like the Andrew Carnegie Collection. Students can also use the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and some University of Pittsburgh libraries.
Working with the University of Pittsburgh
Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh are close neighbors. Their campuses are even mixed together in some places. This helps them work together on many projects. These include the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center and the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition. Professors sometimes teach at both universities. Students can also take classes at the other university.
Cool Discoveries and Inventions
Science Discoveries
- Electron diffraction: Clinton Davisson won a Nobel Prize in 1937 for showing that electrons can act like waves. This was a big step in quantum mechanics.
- Kevlar: This super-strong material was developed by Stephanie Kwolek in 1965. It's used in things like bulletproof vests and racing tires. It's five times stronger than steel!
- Spectroscopy: John L. Hall won a Nobel Prize in 2005 for his work with lasers. This helped make very precise measurements.
- Neutron scattering: Clifford G. Shull won a Nobel Prize in 1994. He found a way to see where atoms are inside materials.
Computer and Tech Inventions
- Alice (software): A free programming language that helps students learn to code by making 3D animations.
- Andrew Project: A big computer network developed at CMU in 1982. It connected all the computers on campus.
- Artificial intelligence: Some of the very first AI programs were created at Carnegie Mellon.
- Self-driving cars: CMU developed Navlab, one of the first self-driving car programs. Their vehicles have won major competitions like the DARPA Urban Challenge.
- DRAM: In 1966, Robert H. Dennard invented the basic part of today's computer memory.
- MEMS: Harvey C. Nathanson invented the first tiny mechanical devices (MEMS). They are now in smartphones and cars.
- Xerox PARC: Founded by George Pake, this research center was key to many computer inventions. These include laser printing, Ethernet, and the first personal computer with a graphical screen.
- BLISS: A programming language developed at CMU around 1970.
- Emoticon: The first emoticon (like :-) ) was created by Scott Fahlman at CMU in 1982.
- Hashtag: In 2007, Chris Messina suggested using hashtags on Twitter to group messages.
- Java: A popular programming language developed by James Gosling.
- Mach (kernel): A core part of operating systems like macOS and iOS was developed at CMU.
- Wi-Fi network: Alex Hills created the first Wi-Fi network on the Carnegie Mellon campus in 1993.
Companies Started by CMU People
The Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship helps students and alumni start new companies. Many famous companies have been founded by people from Carnegie Mellon:
- Activision Blizzard (video games)
- Adobe Systems (software like Photoshop)
- Sun Microsystems (computers)
- IDEO (design firm)
- Red Hat (software)
- Cognizant (IT services)
- Juniper Networks (networking equipment)
- Astrobotic Technology (space robotics)
- Google X (Google's research lab)
- Nest (smart home devices)
- Duolingo (language learning app)
- Coursera (online courses)
- Argo AI (self-driving technology)
- Nuro (robotics)
- Aurora Innovation (self-driving technology)
Student Life at CMU
Carnegie Mellon has over 400 student groups. There are also art galleries and unique traditions. Students can join clubs for social events, service, media, academics, sports, and more. The university has a strong Scottish theme. This is because of Andrew Carnegie's Scottish background. Examples include Scotty the Scottish Terrier mascot and The Tartan student newspaper.
Traditions
One of CMU's most famous traditions is painting "The Fence." Long ago, there was a bridge connecting two parts of the campus. When the bridge was removed, a wooden fence was put up. Students started painting it as a prank. Now, it's a tradition. Students guard the fence 24 hours a day. If two students are guarding it, no one else can "take" the fence. The group that has it can paint it between midnight and 6 AM. They can only use hand brushes, no spray paint. The old paint is never removed, so the fence gets thicker and thicker. The original wooden fence collapsed in the 1990s from all the paint! It was replaced with a concrete one. Today, it's called "the world's most painted object" by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Where Students Live
Carnegie Mellon offers many housing options. Students can live in traditional dorms, semi-suites, suites, or apartments. Traditional dorms have rooms along a hallway with a shared bathroom. Semi-suites and suites offer more privacy with shared bathrooms and living areas. Apartments have bedrooms, a bathroom, living room, and kitchen. Older students have even more choices, including townhouses. There are 27 residential buildings on campus.
First-year students live in special dorms like Morewood E-Tower and Stever House. About one-third of older students choose to keep living in university housing.
Fraternities and Sororities
Greek life at Carnegie Mellon started over 100 years ago. The first fraternity, Theta Xi, was founded in 1912. There are many fraternities and sororities on campus today.
These groups participate in campus traditions like Buggy and Booth. They also hold an annual fundraiser called Greek Sing. This event raises money for charity. Each group performs a short musical show. In 2010, Greek Sing raised over $42,000 for St. Jude Children's Research.
Special Living Communities
Welch House offers a special Queer community. This allows students to live with any other student, regardless of gender identity. Stever House also has an all-gender floor. Spirit House is a community for members of the SPIRIT student organization. This group supports Black students at CMU.
Sports at CMU
The Carnegie Mellon Tartans are part of the NCAA Division III. Before World War II, CMU's teams played against what are now NCAA Division I teams. In 1936, the riflery team won a national championship.
CMU has varsity teams for basketball, track, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming, volleyball, tennis, and softball. There are also club teams for sports like ultimate frisbee, rowing, and hockey. CMU has a popular intramural sports system. Students can play sports like wiffle ball, dodgeball, and flag football.
Football
On November 28, 1926, the Carnegie Technical Institute football team beat the undefeated Notre Dame Fighting Irish 19–0. This was a huge upset! The Notre Dame coach was so sure his team would win that he skipped the game. ESPN called this game the fourth-greatest upset in college football history.
Since 2014, the Tartans play in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. The football team recently had a 17-game winning streak. This was the longest winning streak across all NCAA divisions at the time.
Track and Cross Country
The men's cross country team has done very well recently. They have finished in the top 15 nationally for the last three years. Many individual athletes have also won "All-American" honors. Carolyn Lowe is the only track athlete to win an NCAA Division III championship (in 1992).
Famous Alumni and Teachers
More than 117,000 people have graduated from Carnegie Mellon. Many alumni and current/former teachers have achieved great things. This includes 20 Nobel laureates and 13 Turing Award winners. They have also won many Emmy Awards, Academy Awards, and Tony Awards.
Famous alumni in the arts include artist Andy Warhol, actors Holly Hunter and Zachary Quinto, and musical theater composer Stephen Schwartz.
In science and technology, alumni include Charles Geschke, co-founder of Adobe Systems; Stephanie Kwolek, inventor of Kevlar; and James Gosling, creator of the Java programming language. Scott Fahlman created the emoticon, and Chris Messina created the hashtag. Astronauts Edgar Mitchell and Judith Resnik also attended CMU. John Forbes Nash, a Nobel Prize winner, was the subject of the movie A Beautiful Mind.
In politics, alumni include U.S. Representatives Susie Lee and Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
Images for kids
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Charles Wilson (BS 1909), former US Secretary of Defense
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Mao Yisheng (PhD 1919), Chinese engineer and architect
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Stephanie Kwolek (BS 1946), inventor of Kevlar
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John Forbes Nash (BS 1948, MS 1948), winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics
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Andy Warhol (BFA 1949), pop artist
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Edgar Mitchell (BS 1952), NASA astronaut and sixth man to walk on the Moon
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George A. Romero (BFA 1961), director of Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead
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Steven Bochco (BFA 1966), ten-time Emmy Award recipient
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Stephen Schwartz (BFA 1968), musical theater composer for Wicked, Pippin, and Godspell
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Judith Resnik (BS 1970), astronaut who perished on the Space Shuttle Challenger
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Ted Danson (BFA 1972), Emmy Award-winning actor known for Cheers and CSI
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Charles Geschke (PhD 1972), chairman and co-founder of Adobe Systems
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Andreas Bechtolsheim (MS 1975), co-founder of Sun Microsystems
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Holly Hunter (BFA 1980), Academy Award-winning actress
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David Tepper (MBA 1982), billionaire hedge fund investor and owner of the Carolina Panthers
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James Gosling (MA 1983, PhD 1983), inventor of Java
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Ming-Na Wen (BFA 1986), Annie Award-winning actress
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Randy Pausch (PhD 1988), author of The Last Lecture
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Zachary Quinto (BFA 1999), actor known for Heroes and Star Trek
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Joe Manganiello (BFA 2000), actor known for True Blood and Magic Mike
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Cote de Pablo (BFA 2000), actress known for NCIS
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Matt Bomer (BFA 2001), actor known for White Collar, Magic Mike, and The Boys in the Band
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Josh Gad (BFA 2003), actor known for The Book of Mormon, Frozen, and Beauty and the Beast
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Leslie Odom Jr. (BFA 2003), Tony and Grammy-winning actor first known for starring in Hamilton.
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Sutton Foster, Tony Award-winning actress for Thoroughly Modern Millie and Anything Goes; star of Younger (Did not graduate)
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Josh Groban, singer-songwriter and actor
(did not graduate) -
Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
(did not graduate) -
Van Dyke Parks, musician, composer, arranger, and producer
(did not graduate) -
Henry Mancini, film composer and recipient of twenty Grammy Awards
(did not graduate) -
Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat's Cradle
(did not graduate)
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See Also
In Spanish: Universidad Carnegie Mellon para niños
- Association of American Universities
- Association of Independent Technological Universities
- Astrobotic Technology
- Disney Research
- EteRNA
- IBM/Google Cloud Computing University Initiative
- List of Carnegie Mellon University people
- List of Carnegie Mellon University traditions
