Central Michigan University, located in Mt. Pleasant, was founded in 1892 as a school for teachers and business professionals. CMU became a university in 1959 and was recently classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a doctoral/research university. CMU is recognized for strong undergraduate education and a range of focused graduate and research programs in six academic colleges, the College of Graduate Studies and the Professional Education (ProfEd) department. CMU is a student-focused university with opportunities for leadership and involvement for an energetic team.

CMU's ProfEd is one of the leading and largest providers of off-campus degree programs in the United States. ProfEd operates in more than 60 locations throughout North America and offers many innovative programs, including the nation's first undergraduate bachelor's program in vehicle design and the first doctoral degree in audiology offered completely through distance learning courses.

In its annual publication of U.S. Department of Education statistics, Black Issues in Higher Education magazine ranked CMU second in the nation in the number of master's degrees awarded to African Americans and 11th in the nation in master's degrees awarded to all minority groups.

Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine lists CMU and only one other Michigan university— University of Michigan— among the top 100 U.S. universities awarding master's degrees to Hispanics during 1998.

CMU is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Among the programs holding specialized accreditation are music, accounting, sports medicine and journalism.

CMU students say the university's key strengths are its professors, programs, affordability, friendliness and size.

More than 90 percent of CMU students say CMU faculty have a positive attitude toward students, that they would recommend CMU to a friend, and that CMU has a friendly campus.

Employers value CMU graduates, and placement rates show it. Nearly 95 percent of graduates found jobs or were accepted into graduate or professional schools last year. Career placement rates were 100 percent in many individual programs and averaged 97 percent in all business administration and education programs.