Carnegie Mellon students and alumni pay for way more than they use. This is everything you already have access to — 53 verified resources across software, news, libraries, outdoor gear, career services, and more.
Most perks need your Carnegie Mellon login. Each card shows who's eligible.
Free access to Microsoft 365 apps including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Teams, Forms, and Copilot through the CMU Microsoft Office Portal at no cost.
CMU does not use Microsoft email/calendar, so some apps behave differently. Project, Visio, and Visual Studio are not included free.
Free, ad-free cloud suite including Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Gemini, and NotebookLM, accessed with your Andrew account.
FERPA-compliant core services under CMU's contract. Student Andrew email expires 90 days after graduation.
Free licensed Zoom account with professional features including screen sharing, polling, meeting recording, and unlimited meeting time.
Students limited to 300 participants per meeting; faculty/staff get larger meetings and live transcription.
Free Enterprise Box account with 1 TB of secure cloud storage plus browser-based collaboration tools, accessible from any device.
Avoid storing highly sensitive data such as SSNs or credit card numbers.
Free VPN client that securely connects you to the CMU network to reach campus resources, library databases, and network drives from off-campus.
Formerly Cisco AnyConnect; requires DUO two-factor authentication.
Free access to MATLAB, Simulink, and add-on products under CMU's Campus-Wide License, installable on personal and university computers plus MATLAB Online in a browser.
For teaching, research, and learning use. Requires linking a MathWorks account to the institutional license.
Free Wolfram Mathematica for technical computing, available natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux as well as in the cloud via web browser.
Licensed for academic, non-commercial use only; remove all copies when affiliation with CMU ends.
Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere, and more) is free to use on campus computer labs and Virtual Andrew lab machines.
Free in computer labs and virtual labs; a take-home named-user license costs faculty/staff about $250/year.
Free Adobe Express for quick graphics, social posts, and document design, available to all students through a web browser.
Use free in-browser or request a free license; licensed for educational use only.
Free access to hundreds of licensed research databases and eResources including JSTOR, Web of Science, ProQuest, and IEEE. Available to current CMU affiliates with an Andrew ID login.
eResources accessed with Andrew ID; off-campus access via library proxy.
Free unlimited access to thousands of top-rated IT, computing, technology, and business ebooks and learning content for all CMU students, faculty, and staff.
Formerly Safari Books Online. Limited concurrent access; log off after use. Standalone retails ~$499/year.
Free licensed access to scholarly journals and major newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Financial Times, The Guardian, and Bloomberg, on and off campus.
Combined individual digital subscriptions to these outlets would easily exceed $500/year.
Free service to request books, articles, chapters, and theses CMU does not own from other institutions, via single sign-on.
EZBorrow books typically arrive in 3–5 business days; ILLiad turnaround varies.
Free one-on-one consultations and workshops for R, Python, and data-science tools, plus access to learning platforms like Dataquest and Sage Campus.
Book in-person or virtual appointments; some platforms require registering with a CMU email.
Free short-term borrowing of devices such as iPads, calculators, charging cables, headphones, and adapters with a CMU ID card.
iPads loan for 7 days; smaller items for 6 hours.
Free borrowing of audio/video, photographic, and sound-recording gear such as digital cameras, video recorders, microphones, and projectors for anyone on the Pittsburgh campus.
Hunt Library basement, room A29. Standard loan is two overnight periods; present CMU ID.
Free reservations for seats and group study rooms at Hunt and Sorrells Libraries through the Libraries' booking system.
Reservations are held 15 minutes past start time before opening to walk-ins.
Free platform for CMU researchers to deposit and openly publish datasets, papers, and theses, each receiving a DOI and long-term open access.
Built on Figshare for Institutions; deposit with Andrew credentials, anyone can access published items.
Free public access to over 350,000 digitized documents and images from CMU's archives and special collections, including the Posner Collection and Andrew Carnegie Collections.
Freely browsable online.
Free public search interface for the University Archives and Special Collections, by creator, subject, date, or identifier.
Some physical materials may have access restrictions; contact the archives for procedures.
Free one-on-one career coaching and advising appointments (in-person or virtual) with CPDC consultants covering major selection, job search, and career exploration.
Advising Center, West Wing 2nd Floor; appointments booked via Handshake.
CMU's official recruiting platform for finding and applying to jobs and internships and connecting with employers. Free to students and alumni.
Log in at cmu.joinhandshake.com with Andrew ID; alumni login available.
Unlimited free access to over 10,000 expert-led courses in business, creative, and technology topics. Log in with your Andrew userID.
Provided through CMU Computing Services.
Free library of resume and cover-letter samples, quick-tip guides, interviewing and salary-negotiation resources, and career-exploration content by college and industry.
Free in-person access to Bloomberg Terminals with real-time and historical data on millions of bonds, equities, commodities, currencies, and funds.
Terminals at Tepper School, Hunt Library, and Sorrells Library; on-site only, first-come. Tepper terminals prioritized for Tepper users.
Free academic access to major financial research databases — WRDS (Compustat, CRSP, OptionMetrics, TRACE) and S&P Capital IQ valuation and market data — through the CMU Libraries finance guide.
Register with a CMU email for WRDS; Capital IQ terminals are in Tepper Quad, TCS Hall, Hunt and Sorrells Libraries (Pittsburgh campus, academic use only).
Free, confidential short-term individual and group therapy, psychiatric care, and crisis support for enrolled Pittsburgh-campus students.
No additional cost to enrolled students. In the Highmark Center; same-day urgent and 24/7 on-call options. Call 412-268-2922.
Free, informal drop-in consultations with a CaPS counselor — no appointment needed — for quick support or guidance to campus resources.
First-come, first-served; about 20–25 minutes. Not a substitute for ongoing therapy.
Free 24/7 virtual mental and physical health support, including on-demand TalkNow emotional support, up to 12 scheduled counseling sessions a year, and health coaching.
No cost to enrolled US-based students; register at timelycare.com/CMU with an andrew.cmu.edu email.
Two-floor, 10,000 sq ft fitness center with 60+ cardio machines plus selectorized, Olympic, and free weights, free to the campus community with a valid CMU ID.
Valid Carnegie Mellon ID required.
An 8-lane, 25-yard pool with a separate diving well, free for recreational and lap swimming by the campus community with a valid CMU ID.
Recreational swim access included with CMU recreation facilities; check posted hours.
30–35 weekly group fitness classes including Zumba, HIIT, cycling, yoga, kettlebell, and strength, free for undergraduate and graduate students.
Held in the Cohon Center studio spaces.
Year-round recreational leagues and tournaments (flag football, soccer, basketball, softball, and more) open to the campus community across all skill levels.
Open to full-time students, faculty/staff, and spouses/partners. Register teams or join as a free agent online.
A free, drop-in space to rest, breathe, and relax with yoga mats, meditation cushions, anti-gravity seating, and a craft corner, open to all CMU community members.
Ground floor of West Wing; open 24 hours during fall and spring semesters.
A free full Headspace subscription with 1,000+ hours of meditation, sleep, movement, and focus content, redeemable by current CMU community members.
Log in with an andrew.cmu.edu email to redeem; family plan adds up to five members.
On-campus student health clinic providing medical appointments, sexual and reproductive health care, allergy injections, telehealth, and after-hours nurse advice.
Highmark Center, 100 Tech Street. Many services covered by the student health fee or insurance; some carry fees. Call 412-268-2157.
Enrolled CMU students get free general admission to eight Pittsburgh cultural venues just by showing their student ID, including all four Carnegie Museums.
Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Carnegie Science Center, The Andy Warhol Museum, Mattress Factory, National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory, and Heinz History Center. Present valid CMU ID at the door.
CMU's contemporary art institute presents free exhibitions and public programming in the Purnell Center for the Arts on campus.
No admission fee. Gallery is periodically closed between exhibitions, so check the site for hours.
A non-profit, student-run art gallery at CMU showcasing student work, with free exhibitions and openings open to the public.
Corner of Margaret Morrison Street and Forbes Avenue. Openings are free with refreshments.
The School of Drama's Studio Series and Impulse Festival productions are free to attend; reservations open online at noon the day before each show.
Studio Series and Impulse Festival shows are free with very limited seating. Subscription Series productions are ticketed with student/faculty/staff/alumni discounts.
The School of Music hosts 250+ events a year, including many free student recitals, chamber music, and the free Carnegie Mellon Chamber Series at Kresge Theatre.
Many recitals and concerts are free and open to the public; check individual event listings.
Free open hours give any CMU student access to IDeATe's 3D printers, laser cutters, and wood shop in Hunt Library, even without taking an IDeATe course.
Academic year: laser cutters and 3D printers Mon–Fri 5–6pm; wood shop most Fridays 2–4pm. Hunt Library A-level.
Student-run outdoor club (since 1959) running weekly trips — hiking, climbing, backpacking, paddling — and offering members access to a shared gear room.
Open to anyone affiliated with CMU. $20/year membership includes gear-room access and subsidized group trips.
CMU degree-seeking students and benefits-eligible faculty and staff ride PRT buses, light rail, and inclines free with unlimited monthly passes, now via the Ready2Ride app.
Flagship perk. As of 2026 access is via the Ready2Ride app (set up with an @andrew.cmu.edu email), not the CMU ID.
Free late-night shuttle for CMU students and benefits-eligible faculty and staff, running campus to the Oakland, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods, 6:30 p.m.–4:15 a.m.
Formerly the evening escort shuttle. Valid CMU ID required; track buses via the TripShot app.
CMU students, faculty, and staff (18+, licensed 2+ years) can join Zipcar for a discounted $35/year membership with no application fee, and reserve cars parked on campus.
A discount, not free: $35/year membership with the application fee waived. Vehicles in the East Campus Garage.
Active CMU students, faculty, and staff with Andrew accounts get a $40 per-semester free printing quota at campus printers (~800 black-and-white pages), plus free flatbed scanning at Hunt, Sorrells, and Mellon libraries.
$40/semester (~$80/year). Unused balance is forfeited each semester; release jobs by tapping your CMU ID.
A free, supplemental food resource open to all undergraduate and graduate students, stocking fresh and frozen produce, non-perishables, and toiletry/hygiene items. Shop once per week.
Residence on Fifth, 4700 Fifth Avenue (1st floor). Bring CMU ID; schedule via the PantrySoft form.
UHS vending machines on campus dispense free health items including condoms, dental dams, pregnancy tests, Narcan nasal spray, and fentanyl/xylazine test strips, 24 hours.
Some items free; others (emergency contraception, menstrual cups) cost money. In the Highmark Center, Cohon Center, and Tepper Building.
Non-repayable emergency grant funding for enrolled CMU students facing unforeseen basic-needs expenses such as travel, moving costs, medication, and food.
Grant does not require repayment. Tuition is not eligible. Apply via the Student Emergency Support Funding Request form.
Every CMU alumnus can claim a free lifetime @alumni.cmu.edu email (G-Suite) and access the online Alumni Community — a searchable directory, event registration, and networking by location, industry, or affiliation.
Online community hosted at community.cmu.edu.
CMU alumni can book free appointments with staff career consultants for resume review, interview skills, and job-search advice, and access Handshake job postings and networking platforms.
Staff consultations are free. INI, ETC, Heinz, and Tepper grad programs have their own career centers.
CMU alumni can freely browse and use physical library collections and get complimentary guest passes for two-hour on-site access to library computers and databases.
In-person access and guest passes are free; borrowing requires a paid Special Borrower Card. No off-campus database access.
Real situations where these perks actually matter
JSTOR, Web of Science, Interlibrary Loan for research. O'Reilly for technical writing. KiltHub to share your work. Free counseling for app stress.
Bloomberg Terminals. Career coaching for life. Handshake job listings. News subscriptions. Technical skills like MATLAB and LinkedIn Learning. Build a resume that stands out.
Bloomberg Terminals in Tepper. MATLAB and Mathematica for computation. WRDS and S&P Capital IQ for finance data. CMU Libraries databases for everything else.
Adobe Creative Cloud, all apps free. IDeATe makerspace with 3D printers and laser cutters. Miller ICA exhibitions. Free School of Drama and Music shows. Professional creative tools, all included.
Free unlimited Pittsburgh transit on every bus and the incline. The CMU Arts Pass into the Carnegie Museums, Phipps, and the Warhol. Explorers Club trips and gear room.
$40/semester free printing. CMU Pantry for free food and toiletries. Free unlimited bus rides. NYT and WSJ subscriptions. Free fitness center and pool.