How $3B donation to Carnegie Mellon will be used in Pittsburgh
How $3B donation to Carnegie Mellon will be used in Pittsburgh
Sarah Perkel and Finch Walker, USA TODAY NETWORKThu, October 1, 2026 at 3:58 PM UTC
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With a $3 billion donation from hedge-fund billionaire, Carnegie Mellon University is expanding its footprint and putting funds toward its Pittsburgh campus' most important needs.
Ken Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel, announced that he's making the donation to Carnegie Mellon, with the school describing it in a press release as the largest gift by an individual in the history of higher education.
The money will go toward building a new campus based in Miami, as well as toward supporting the school's Pittsburgh campus.
Here's what we know.
$1 billion supports Carnegie Mellon's Pittsburgh campus
The $1 billion gift from Griffin will be split evenly between "flexible support for the university's highest priorities" and a $500 million investment in the university's School of Computer Science, which is set to be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science.
Carnegie Mellon's undergraduate computer science program was recently named the No. 1 in America by U.S. News & World Report.
When will construction, enrollment start at Carnegie Mellon Miami?
Carnegie Mellon's Miami campus is set to enroll more than 3,500 undergraduate, master's and Ph.D. students while employing nearly 300 faculty members and more than 600 staff members, according to the university. Construction will kick off in 2027, and students are scheduled to begin enrolling in 2028.
The campus' program offerings will focus on "challenge areas" across human health and biological discovery; national security and strategic capabilities; energy and climate resilience; and advanced manufacturing and industrial transformation. The campus is set to include space for industry research labs and venture studios, serving as a "living laboratory for new ideas" university officials said.
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Where is Carnegie Mellon's Pittsburgh campus?
Carnegie Mellon University's main campus is located in Pittsburgh, at 5000 Forbes Avenue. The campus spans about 90 acres, according to the university's website.
Where will Carnegie Mellon's Miami campus be located?
The university said its Miami campus will be built at 318 NW 23rd St. in Miami's Wynwood neighborhood, just a few miles north of Brickell neighborhood, where Griffin's hedge fund Citadel is headquartered, according to Refresh Miami. It will span more than 35 acres, according to the university.
Where are Carnegie Mellon's international campuses?
Carnegie Mellon also has international campuses located in Kigali, Rwanda; Lisbon, Portugal; and Ar-Rayyan, Qatar.
The university has additional locations, instructional sites and university exchanges in the United States in California, Pennsylvania and New York. International locations can be found in Mexico, Chile, Australia, Japan, China, Singapore, Israel and Switzerland.
Who is Ken Griffin?
Ken Griffin is the founder and CEO of Citadel, a Miami-based hedge fund that was founded in 1990. He's given more than $5.7 billion to education and related initiatives, according to Carnegie Mellon.
Natalie Neysa Alund contributed to this report.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Florida Connect team.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How $3B donation to Carnegie Mellon will be used in Pittsburgh
Source: “AOL Money”
