Central Michigan University is a state university located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Approximately 19,300 students are enrolled, of which approximately 17,000 are undergraduates. This school is often referred to as CMU.

Central Michigan University offers programs and degrees at the bachelor's, master's, specialist's and doctoral levels. Undergraduate students can select from more than 150 programs, and graduate students have the choice of more than 60 programs.

The school's athletics programs are affiliated with the NCAA and compete in the Mid-American Conference. The school colors are maroon and gold, and the nickname is the Chippewas. This nickname is used with consent of the nearby Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, who has a positive relationship with the university.

The school athletics logo has changed over time, once featuring an indian spear, but is now a stylized block letter "C". Within the university this logo is often referred to as the "flying C" or the "running C". The school began using this athletic trademark in 1997.

The school was first known as the Central Michigan Normal School, which first held classes on September 13, 1892 with 31 students. It was renamed the Central State Teacher's College. In 1941, it became the Central Michigan College of Education, and then the Central Michigan College in 1955 before getting the present name in 1957.