CMU CS Academy
CMU CS Academy is a Carnegie Mellon University non-profit providing free graphics-based Python curricula for K-12 classrooms. It serves over 6,000 teachers and 611,000 students across 50 US states and 71 countries, with a paid 3CS college-credit program as its only tuition-based offering.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersPittsburgh, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What CMU CS Academy does
CMU CS Academy is a non-profit educational outreach project within Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, founded in 2018 by Teaching Professors David Kosbie and Mark Stehlik in response to requests from Pittsburgh Public Schools teachers. The organization provides a free, browser-based graphics-driven Python curriculum for K-12 classrooms, built primarily by CMU students under faculty oversight. Its product portfolio includes Exploring Programming with Python (40 hours, middle school), CS1: Introduction to Programming with Python (180 hours, flagship high school course), 15-111 College Programming and Computer Science (180-hour honors course with optional $200 transcripted credit exam), and an AP CSP alternative developed in consultation with Code.org. The proprietary CMU Graphics package, paired with the Sandbox browser IDE and an offline Desktop version (supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux), enables students to create visual programs while learning text-based Python.
The go-to-market is community-led: teachers self-register for free accounts, attend asynchronous and synchronous professional development workshops, and bring the curriculum into their classrooms, with word-of-mouth fueling adoption. Distribution is digitally native — a self-serve web platform with no installation required — supplemented by a Code.org AP CSP partnership and outreach channels including teacher discussion forums, biannual Creative Task Challenge events, and educational conference presence. The platform serves 6,000+ teachers across all 50 US states and 71 countries, reaching 611,000+ students globally. The team of 17 includes student staff and senior program leadership, with named individuals holding academic credentials from CMU, Harvard, and Duquesne University.
Revenue mechanics operate on a freemium-non-profit hybrid. The core curricula, autograded exercises, professional development, and 24/7 support are entirely free, sustained by corporate donors (Amazon Future Engineer), Pennsylvania state programs (PA Smart), regional partners (Remake Learning), AWS Educate, and a long tail of individual donations. Two paid extensions exist: the 3CS instructor-led virtual program ($2,750 tuition for 30 weeks of college-credit-bearing instruction, Fall 2026 cohort) and the $200 optional final exam yielding CMU transcripted credits. As a wholly CMU-controlled 501(c)(3), the entity has no venture funding, no equity, and no acquisition pathway — its trajectory is tied to CMU's institutional mission and donor support.
CMU CS Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CMU CS Academy
- Legal name
- Carnegie Mellon Computer Science Academy
- Website
- https://academy.cs.cmu.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CMU CS Academy is a Carnegie Mellon University non-profit providing free graphics-based Python curricula for K-12 classrooms. It serves over 6,000 teachers and 611,000 students across 50 US states and 71 countries, with a paid 3CS college-credit program as its only tuition-based offering.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CMU CS Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Computer Science Education
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AP/IB Computer Science Coursework Support (AP CSP/AP CSA/IB CS) (EDAMACAJ), Gifted, Advanced & Acceleration Centers (Honors/AP/IB Enrichment) (EDANAHAL)
Keywords
Where CMU CS Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Pittsburgh
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CMU CS Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Free Curriculum and Platform Access: CMU CS Academy provides its complete curriculum, professional development, and platform access entirely free of charge to all schools and teachers. The organization is a non-profit project at Carnegie Mellon University's School of Computer Science, funded through donations and supporter contributions rather than product revenue.
- 3CS Paid College Credit Program: The 3CS (CMU CS Academy College Computer Science) program charges $2,750 for a 30-week instructor-led virtual program that allows high school students to earn 12 Carnegie Mellon University transcripted credits (4 college credit equivalent). This paid program includes live instruction, recitations, homework help, and the final exam registration.
- Donations and Support: CMU CS Academy operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization at CMU, supported by corporate donors, organizations, and individual supporters through donations. The website promotes individual donations ($500 supports a classroom in need) and corporate partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free Core Curriculum - Full access to all curricula including CS1, Exploring Programming, AP CSP, College Programming and Computer Science, and Hour of Code |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 3CS College Credit Program - Virtual instructor-led program with CMU faculty for high school students to earn college credit |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Optional College Credit Exam - Final exam for transcripted CMU credits in College Programming and Computer Science course |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
CMU CS Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CMU CS Academy provides a free, graphics-based Python computer science curriculum for K-12 schools and teachers, paired with a browser-based learning platform (Sandbox) and teacher portal that include autograded exercises, student tracking and pacing controls. The portfolio spans a one-hour Hour of Code, a 40-hour middle-school Exploring Programming course, a 180-hour CS1 introductory course, a 180-hour honors-level 15-111 college programming course, an AP CSP track co-developed with Code.org, and a paid 3CS instructor-led virtual program awarding Carnegie Mellon transcripted credits. All core curricula, professional development workshops, and 24/7 teacher support are provided at no cost to schools.
Product overview
CMU CS Academy is an educational technology platform offering a suite of free graphics-based Python curricula for K-12 and college-preparatory computer science education. The core portfolio includes CS1 (flagship 180-hour introduction), Exploring Programming (40-hour middle school version), College Programming and Computer Science CPCS (180-hour honors course), and AP CSP curriculum developed with Code.org. The 3CS paid program ($2,750) provides instructor-led virtual college coursework for high school students earning CMU credits. Supporting products include the CMU Graphics library (available online via Sandbox and offline as Desktop version), Professional Development training, Teacher Portal with autograding and student tracking, Creative Task Challenge competitions, and Homeschool/Club access programs. The platform serves 6,000+ teachers across 50 US states and 71 countries, reaching 611,000+ students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- 3CS: Instructor-led virtual college computer science program allowing high school students to earn Carnegie Mellon University transcripted credits from home.
- 15-111: College Programming and Computer Science
- CS1
- CMU Graphics
Products and services
- CS1: Introduction to Programming with Python
- Exploring Programming with Python
- 15-111: College Programming and Computer Science (CPCS)
- AP CSP (Code.org + CMU CS Academy)
- 3CS (CMU College Computer Science)
- Desktop CMU Graphics
- Sandbox
- Professional Development
- Creative Task Challenge
- Homeschool & Club Programs
- Hour of Code
Companies that use CMU CS Academy
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CMU CS Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
CMU CS Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Code.orgmajorCMU CS Academy developed, in consultation with Code.org, an alternative option for Code.org's AP CSP course. Teachers using this option teach using Code.org's materials for non-programming units while using CMU CS Academy's Python programming units (Units 3, 4, 6, and 7) with JavaScript replaced by Python.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CMU CS Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Code.org: Code.org provides free K-12 computer science curriculum and is the dominant non-profit in the space. Despite being a partner rather than a pure competitor, Code.org serves the same teacher and student audience with overlapping CS curriculum offerings and is the de facto alternative for schools choosing a free CS curriculum.
- Scratch (MIT Media Lab): Scratch is a free block-based programming platform from MIT Media Lab widely used in K-8 CS education. It serves the same introductory CS curriculum market as CMU CS Academy's Exploring Programming and Hour of Code offerings, often as the entry point before students transition to text-based Python.
- CodeHS: CodeHS provides K-12 computer science curriculum, professional development, and a teacher platform with a similar integrated approach (lessons, autograding, tracking). It is a paid commercial alternative that directly competes with CMU CS Academy in the same teacher and district buyer segment.
- Bootstrap: Bootstrap provides free, standards-aligned computer science curriculum for K-12 classrooms, with a focus on algebraic and data-oriented programming. It competes directly with CMU CS Academy for adoption in math and CS-integrated classrooms and offers free professional development.
- Tynker: Tynker offers K-12 coding curriculum with both free and paid tiers, professional development, and a teacher platform. It targets the same middle and elementary school segments as CMU CS Academy's Exploring Programming curriculum and competes for district-level adoption.
Broad incumbents
- pltw (Project Lead the Way): PLTW provides K-12 STEM and computer science curriculum with associated professional development and is widely adopted in US schools. It competes at the district level for CS curriculum budgets and adoption slots, overlapping with CMU CS Academy's CS1 and AP CSP offerings.
- Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a major free educational platform offering computer programming courses alongside a much broader K-12 curriculum. While not specialized in CS, it competes for teacher adoption and student attention in the same K-12 CS space and offers free Python and JavaScript learning content.
- Codecademy: Codecademy provides interactive coding education primarily to adult and higher-ed learners, but increasingly targets K-12 as an alternative free platform. Its focus on text-based programming languages (Python, JavaScript) overlaps with CMU CS Academy's curriculum philosophy.
- NVIDIA's K-12 AI/CS Programs: NVIDIA has invested in K-12 AI and CS education programs and partnerships (e.g., through its AI for K-12 initiative). As AI literacy becomes a CS curriculum priority, NVIDIA's resources and brand could compete with CMU CS Academy for district-level CS/AI curriculum adoption.
Emerging players
- CS50 (Harvard): CS50 is Harvard's introductory computer science course, which has expanded to include a high school AP CS curriculum track. Like CMU CS Academy, it leverages a top-tier university brand to provide CS education and is an emerging competitor in K-12 CS curriculum delivery.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CMU CS Academy social profiles
Digital presenceCMU CS Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CMU CS Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
CMU CS Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CMU CS Academy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CMU CS Academy
What does CMU CS Academy do?
CMU CS Academy provides a free, graphics-based Python computer science curriculum for K-12 schools and teachers, paired with a browser-based learning platform (Sandbox) and teacher portal that include autograded exercises, student tracking and pacing controls. The portfolio spans a one-hour Hour of Code, a 40-hour middle-school Exploring Programming course, a 180-hour CS1 introductory course, a 180-hour honors-level 15-111 college programming course, an AP CSP track co-developed with Code.org, and a paid 3CS instructor-led virtual program awarding Carnegie Mellon transcripted credits. All core curricula, professional development workshops, and 24/7 teacher support are provided at no cost to schools.
Is CMU CS Academy a public or private company?
CMU CS Academy is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CMU CS Academy founded?
CMU CS Academy was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CMU CS Academy based?
CMU CS Academy is headquartered in Pittsburgh, United States, in the North America region.
How does CMU CS Academy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Free Curriculum and Platform Access are the primary driver. The others are 3CS Paid College Credit Program and donations and Support.
Who are CMU CS Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Code.org, Scratch (MIT Media Lab), CodeHS, Bootstrap and Tynker. Broad incumbents are pltw (Project Lead the Way), Khan Academy, Codecademy and NVIDIA's K-12 AI/CS Programs. CS50 (Harvard) is listed as an emerging player.
Does CMU CS Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for CMU CS Academy.
What industry is CMU CS Academy in?
CMU CS Academy's product category is K-12 Computer Science Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMACAB, Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++), with a secondary code of EDAMACAJ, AP/IB Computer Science Coursework Support (AP CSP/AP CSA/IB CS). Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.