Login Register

Carnegie Mellon University
- Facilities

RT
Currently attending or alumni?
Review this school!
Are you interested
in this school?
Yes, let this school know
Maybe, bookmark for later
No, get better matches
Saving your decision
Yes
Maybe
No

We will attempt to notify this
school of your interest.

This school has been saved to your schools list.

This school has been removed from your recommended schools list.

For your next recommendation, check out .

Jump to a section:

Grade
Quick Stats
Student Author Overview
Student Reviews
Student Polls
Facts
Take A SurveyWrite A ReviewUpload A PhotoLink Up A VideoWrite The Guide
Carnegie Mellon University - Facilities - Facilities - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Facilities

B
Where does this grade come from?View all Facilities rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Facilities Grades:

Quick Stats

Service & Maintenance Staff 127
Campus Size 144 acres
Student Centers The University Center (The UC)
Campus Library? Yes
Main Libraries
  • Hunt Library
  • Mellon Institute Library
Popular Places to Chill
  • The fence
  • Hunt Library
  • Skibo Café
  • The UC
  • The Underground
Bar on Campus None, although Panther Hollow Inn (PHI) is right down the street.
Bowling on Campus None
Coffeehouse on Campus
  • Maggie Murph Café is located on the first floor of Hunt Library. During the school week, it is open whenever the library is, which means, 24 hours a day Monday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. on Friday.
  • Skibo Café on the second floor of the University Center is more known for its personal pizzas and fro-yo than coffee. However, this is a good place to go for a quick and inexpensive espresso, chai, or even hot cocoa; they make it on the spot instead of leaving it to sit in a large container all day.
  • Tazza D'oro is on the third floor of the Gates computer science building, and has some of the best pastries and espresso on campus. While it's a tad pricey (think your average Starbucks), Tazza D'oro takes Dinextra/Flex Dollars/Plaid Ca$h for non-meal items and meal blocks for the lunch paninis and salads.
Movie Theater on Campus McConomy Auditorium in the University Center

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

While the University Center (UC) is a favorite among students, there is a general consensus that all of the academic facilities at Carnegie Mellon are exceptional. The library and all of the academic buildings are open for students all night during the school week, and almost every building has some sort of eatery. Hunt Library is another favorite, mostly for the fact that it has a café that is open whenever the building is—perfect for the all-nighters that CMU students are used to suffering through. The only academic building that is not pleasing to most students is Wean Hall, the home to a majority of the science departments. Wean's concrete walls and prison demeanor differ greatly from the attractive architecture of every other academic building on campus. Walking through this building, you are most likely to see a T-shirt on a sleep-deprived student who probably lives the CMU stereotype: "Sex kills. Come to CMU and live forever."

Outside of the academic buildings (there aren't many), CMU has the UC and Skibo Gymnasium. The UC is a favorite because it is kind of a one-stop shop. There are two fitness rooms, racquetball courts, full basketball courts, a 25-yard pool, a diving pool, a convenience store, the bookstore, and the art store. There are multiple ATMs, eating centers, and lounges. CMU students usually do nothing but rave about the UC; however, reviews about Skibo Gym are completely different. The weight room is really cramped, and nonvarsity students get kicked out when a team needs to train. The court inside the gym is well-kept; however, the other arenas and training spaces look like they probably did when the building was erected in 1924. To top it all off, the weight room closes at 10 p.m.—that's basically the "afternoon" in CMU time, so most student just stick to the UC.

See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

Carnegie Mellon Student ReviewsWhat's This?

Sort by:

Loading...

Facilities at Carnegie Mellon University

TaoistPooh

Economics '14

1.2
D

Terrible Library

The library at CMU is smaller than my high school library. I went to Phillips Exeter, where the library was one of the most renowned in the world, but CMU's library is absolutely dismal. There is hardly enough research material for anything, so we need to get things on an inter-library loan. I think this is a waste of valuable time for students!

May 25, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Facilities at Carnegie Mellon University

bobz85

Entrepreneurship '05

4.6
A

Great Technology

As a highly technical school, there were alot of new technologies to work with and to use to my advantage. Additionally i believe the entire campus has wifi.

Apr 10, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Facilities at Carnegie Mellon University

spiffystuff

Fine Arts '14

4.6
A

Pretty and Practical

I love my campus. There are computer labs all over the place with printers that usually work. If you know where things are and how they work, then there are TONS of great technological things to use. you just have to make friends with people in all majors. the University Center has awesome workout facilities as well do many dorms in the school. the library is awesome with great variety and the campus is green. i am happy because it is like living in a country campus with a good sized town in my backyard.

Mar 10, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate
Page 1 of 12
User rating for Carnegie Mellon University - Facilities is 3.5 out of 5 based on 34 user reviews.

Photos of Carnegie Mellon University's Facilities

College Students:
Register now to upload photos of YOUR school and show what it is really like!
Carnegie Mellon University - College of Fine Arts BuildingCollege of Fine Arts Building
Photo by Persage
College of Fine Arts Building
Link to this photo
Photo by Persage under Public Domain | Source
Carnegie Mellon University - Furniture in the Gates & Hillman CenterFurniture in the Gates &...
Photo by aliya_mew
Furniture in the Gates & Hillman Center Furniture in the new Gates and Hillman Centers, the home of computer science at Carnegie Mellon.
Link to this photo
Photo by aliya_mew
Carnegie Mellon University - Purnell Center for the ArtsPurnell Center for the Arts
Photo by Persage
Purnell Center for the Arts
Link to this photo
Photo by Persage under Public Domain | Source

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate the campus facilities in the following areas

How would you describe the student center/union?

Facts

"Green" Initiatives

Stever House is the first residence hall on campus to be Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) certified. It achieved a silver rating in 2003 by the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2004, another dormitory, Henderson House, was renovated to receive a silver rating, as well. Six buildings on campus have "green roofs," and every single building has both a recycling and trash center. While this may seem trivial, every light switch on campus has a "Remember to turn me off!" sticker, which actually works as a reminder!

Favorite Things To Do

While a lot of students are involved in varsity, intramural, or club sports, you'd be surprised how unimportant sports are to CMU student spectators. If you aren't playing a sport, running the track, or holed up in Hunt Library, you are most likely eating and listening to music in The Underground, or laying out on the cut if it's a nice day. On rainy weekends, you can head to the University Center to see a $1 movie or go to the Purnell Center to see one of the School of Drama's many outstanding performances.

Did You Know? It is rumored that there are steam tunnels running underneath campus that extend from one end of campus to the other. Not many students venture to check the truth, but the KGB club (no relation to the USSR intelligence agency) apparently gives tours, although they are not for the faint of heart—there is a reason these steam tunnels remain a whispered rumor.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Raina Bradford-Jennings
Hometown
Brookfield, CT
Major
Professional Writing
Grad Year
2014

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

Buy the eBook "Carnegie Mellon University 2012: Off The Record"
AmazonGoogleSmashwords
Download a FREE Printable Summary (PDF)

Find a college

Find a major

Scholarships

Reviews

Search College Prowler

Company

How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.