You're paying $80K a year. Here's what that actually gets you.
Most students never use half of this. 48 verified resources worth $49,531/year — everything from Bloomberg Terminals to free Pittsburgh transit. Stop leaving money on the table.
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 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 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 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 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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.