Carnegie Mellon University

Which dining plan is best for you?

Your dining plan gives you access to diverse, delicious, and healthy options at over 35 dining locations on campus. Our dining plans are designed so that you can choose when, where, and what you want to eat in a way that best fits your schedule and dining needs. Your dining plan and DineXtra dollars, our declining balance program, are encoded on your Carnegie Mellon ID card, so you have easy access to your account wherever you go.  

All first-year students are required to select a Traditional Dining Plan. Our Traditional Dining Plans give students the flexibility to eat a different number of meals each day depending on their preferences.

All undergraduate students (after their first year), graduate students, faculty, and staff members have the option to choose either a Traditional Dining Plan or a Community Dining Plan.

Traditional Dining Plans


Green Plan

First-Year: $7,868 per year / $3,934 per semester

Undergraduate/Graduate:
$7,674 per year / $3,837 per semester

  • 292 block meals per semester (approx. 18 meals per week)
  • $270 flexible dollars per semester
  • 2 guest meals per semester

Blue Plan

First-Year: $7,454 per year / $3,727 per semester

Undergraduate/Graduate: $7,262 per year / $3,631 per semester

  • 252 block meals per semester (approx. 16 meals per week)
  • $520 flexible dollars per semester
  • 2 guest meals per semester

Red Plan

First-Year: $7,068 per year / $3,534 per semester

Undergraduate/Graduate: $6,878 per year / $3,439 per semester

  • 205 block meals per semester (approx. 13 meals per week)
  • $850 flexible dollars per semester
  • 2 guest meals per semester

Yellow Plan

First-Year: $3,546 per year / $1,773 per semester*

Undergraduate/Graduate: $3,352 per year / $1,676 per semester

  • 125 block meals per semester (approx. 8 meals per week)
  • $190 flexible dollars per semester
    *Available to residents of the Residence on Fifth and Clyde House.

Community Dining Plans


Tartan Flex

$6,000 per year / $3,000 per semester

  • 170 block meals per semester (approx. 10 meals per week)
  • $880 flexible dollars

Scotty's Choice

$3,430 per year / $1,715 per semester

  • 85 block meals per semester (approx. 5 meals per week)
  • $630 flexible dollars

Whitfield's Favor

$2,344 per year / $1,172 per semester

  • 54 block meals per semester (approx. 3 meals per week)
  • $480 flexible dollars

Piper Select

$1,520 per year / $760 per semester

  • 32 block meals per semester (approx. 2 meals per week)
  • $340 flexible dollars

Terms to know as you select your dining plan:

meal block icon Blocks/Meals

Meal blocks consist of an entrée, drink, and side(s) all for one price. Meal blocks are offered at every location on campus and offer value as compared to purchasing each item a la carte. Up to two meal blocks can be used during each meal period.

flexible dollars icon FLEXible Dollars

FLEXible dollars or FLEX comes as a part of the dining plan you purchase and can be used to upgrade your meal or purchase a la carte items at all campus dining locations. Flexible dollars expire on the last active day of the dining plan in the fall and spring semesters.

dinextra icon DineXtra

DineXtra can be purchased in addition to a dining plan or as DineXtra alone, and it offers a 1% bonus per $100 deposit, up to 10%. DineXtra purchased during the academic year is available through the last active date of the dining plan in the spring semester. Any unused funds expire at that time.

dinextra icon Guest Meals  

Two guest meals are included in the green, blue, and red Traditional Plans each semester. They are not included with the community plans. You can use your guest meals on visitors or as an additional meal during one block. Guest meals can be redeemed at any time during the semester.