Carnegie Mellon University Bringing New Campus to Miami With $3 Billion Gift From Citadel CEO

Carnegie Mellon Expands to Miami With $3B Gift

Carnegie Mellon University is bringing a major new academic and research presence to Miami after Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin announced a $3 billion gift to the university. The donation, announced September 30, 2026, is the largest individual gift in the history of higher education, according to Carnegie Mellon. The funding will be split between the university’s existing Pittsburgh campus and a new Carnegie Mellon University Miami campus planned for Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood.

$2 Billion Will Fund Miami Campus

Approximately $2 billion of Griffin’s gift will support the creation of the new Miami campus. Carnegie Mellon said the planned campus will cover more than 35 acres in Wynwood, an area that has become a major center for technology, business, arts and development in Miami. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, pending regulatory approvals, with the university currently planning to enroll its first students in 2028. Once fully developed, the campus is expected to serve more than 3,500 undergraduate, master’s and Ph.D. students, along with nearly 300 faculty members and more than 600 staff members. The university says CMU Miami will take a different approach from the traditional university structure. Rather than organizing the campus primarily around academic majors and departments, its education and research programs will be built around major societal challenges. Those areas are expected to include human health and biological discovery, national security and strategic capabilities, energy and climate resilience, and advanced manufacturing and industrial transformation.

A Technology Focus

Carnegie Mellon has long been recognized for its work in computer science, artificial intelligence, robotics, engineering and other technology-focused fields. University officials say the Miami campus will build on those strengths while bringing together students, researchers, companies and government partners. Plans call for industry research laboratories and venture studios on the campus, creating opportunities for students and faculty to work directly with businesses and other organizations. The university also described the Miami location as an opportunity to develop new approaches to teaching, research and hands-on learning.

$1 Billion Will Stay in Pittsburgh

The remaining $1 billion from Griffin’s donation will support Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh campus. Half of that amount, or $500 million, will be invested in the university’s School of Computer Science, which will be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science. The other $500 million will provide flexible funding for what Carnegie Mellon describes as its highest priorities. The university has said those resources can support areas including academic and institutional priorities. Griffin will also join Carnegie Mellon’s Board of Trustees as part of the investment.

Griffin’s Growing Miami Footprint

The announcement further expands Griffin’s longstanding investment in South Florida. Citadel moved its headquarters from Chicago to Miami in 2022, and Griffin has continued investing in education, health care, research and other initiatives in the region. Griffin said bringing Carnegie Mellon to Miami represents an opportunity to create a major new center for research and intellectual activity while attracting students, faculty and researchers from around the world. Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian said the university intends for the Miami campus to complement its Pittsburgh operations rather than simply replicate them.

A Major Expansion for Miami

The planned campus would make Carnegie Mellon one of the latest major universities to establish a significant presence in South Florida as Miami continues to attract technology companies, financial institutions, entrepreneurs and research organizations. For Carnegie Mellon, the Miami project represents more than the construction of another satellite location. The university says CMU Miami will be designed from the beginning as a comprehensive campus where education and research operate together. If the current timeline moves forward, construction would begin in 2027 and students could begin arriving the following year, subject to required approvals. The $3 billion commitment gives Carnegie Mellon an unprecedented financial investment while creating a new academic institution in the heart of Miami. For South Florida, the project could add another major research and education anchor to a region increasingly positioning itself as a destination for technology, finance and innovation.