The Fence. Like Northwestern’s rock and Tufts’ cannon, Carnegie Mellon also boasts a commonly painted object in the middle of campus: the Fence. Except cooler. Why? Because the original wooden fence, before it’s collapse in 1993, was considered the “world’s most painted object” by the Guinness Book of World Records.

Buggy Sweepstakes. A Spring Carnival highlight, students race “buggies,” often reaching up to 35 mph. Student groups design and build the aerodynamic cylinders — “pushmobiles,” as they were called when the tradition started in 1920.

Other Traditions. Read more.

Mathematical genius John Forbes Nash, the man in which A Beautiful Mind is based on, was a 1948 graduate of Carnegie Mellon (then called the Carnegie Institute of Technology) and initially majored in Chemical Engineering!

Carnegie Mellon alum Aron Ralston, who is famous for hiking through the Blue John Canyon in Utah, when a boulder became dislodged and crushed his right hand against a canyon wall. He was stuck there for almost a week and finally survived after a self-performed amputation of his forearm.  Yes, this is the James Franco film.

• Color: Cardinal and White
• Mascot: Scotty the Scottie Dog
• Acceptance Rate by College/Program (Class of 2022). Read more