Colorado State University

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Quick Stats
1062 Campus Delivery

Fort Collins, CO 80523

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Phone: (970) 491-1101
2010-2011 Tuition
$6,986
in-state
$23,096
out-of-state
Students
22,979
enrolled
49%
male /
51%
female
Admissions
Feb. 1
application deadline
80.5%
accepted

More Information

_

U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category
U.S. News rank Category Name
#128 National Universities

More About U.S. News Rankings

Summary

Colorado State University is a public institution that was founded in 1870. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 22,979, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 582 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Colorado State University's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 128. Its in-state tuition and fees are $6,986 (2010-11); out-of-state tuition and fees are $23,096 (2010-11).

Colorado State University is located in Fort Collins, a midsize city at the base of the Rocky Mountains, less than an hour north of Denver. Colorado State, also known as CSU, offers more than 150 degrees in eight colleges, with graduate programs in the schools of business, engineering, and education and the renowned College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. CSU is considered one of the leading research universities, and faculty and students work together to explore fields such as atmospheric science, infectious diseases, clean energy technologies, and environmental science.

Outside the classroom and research lab, students can get involved with the more than 350 campus organizations, including about 35 fraternities and sororities. Student athletes can find sports at the recreational, club, and varsity level, with the CSU mascot and colors reflecting the school’s past. CSU began as an agricultural school, and so the sports teams were called the Aggies, which were green and gold to represent farming. The school held onto the colors, but the more than 15 varsity sports teams are now called the Rams, which compete in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference.

School mission (as provided by the school):

Colorado State University is one of the premier teaching and research institutions in the United States. Founded in 1870 and established as a land-grant institution, Colorado State is a fully accredited public university recognized for its excellence in academic programs from the baccalaureate to the postgraduate level. Our land-grant mission of teaching, research, and outreach means that we're dedicated to service - serving you, our students, first. Colorado State offers more than 150 programs of study within eight colleges allowing you to shape a course of study that best meets your personal and professional goals. The University emphasizes the importance of active learning providing opportunities for field experience, laboratory research, internships, and study abroad. As a student at Colorado State, you will learn side by side with faculty mentors who are recognized internationally as leaders in their fields. Colorado State University is located in the center of Fort Collins, a city of about 144,000 people. Fort Collins, Money Magazine's 2010 6th Best Place to Live, provides a unique blend of big city advantages and small town friendliness. You'll find everything you want - several shopping malls, hundreds of restaurants, multiple movie complexes, a regional cultural center, natural areas, and miles of bike trails. Close to campus are world-famous Rocky Mountain National Park, the Poudre River, and Horsetooth Reservoir. These recreation areas, as well as many others close by, offer endless opportunities for outdoor activities - such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, white-water rafting, and boating. And the city's agreeable climate of 300 days of sunshine a year enables you to take year-round advantage of the spectacular surroundings.

General Information

School type public, coed college
Year founded 1870
Religious affiliation N/A
Academic calendar semester
Setting urban
2010 Endowment $189,780,869

Applying

When applying to Colorado State University, it's important to note the application deadline is February 1, and the early action deadline is December 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due July 1. The application fee at Colorado State University is $50. It is selective, with an acceptance rate of 80.5 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate 81%
Application deadline February 1
SAT/ACT scores must be received by July 1

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at Colorado State University is 18:1, and the school has 34.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Colorado State University include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Social Sciences; and Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 82.8 percent.

Class sizes
Class sizes
Student-faculty ratio 18:1
4-year graduation rate 37% - Medium
Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 13%
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences 9%
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 8%
Social Sciences 8%
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields 7%

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Student Life

Colorado State University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 22,979, with a gender distribution of 48.8 percent male students and 51.2 percent female students. 25.6 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 74.4 percent of students live off campus. Colorado State University is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at Colorado State University.

Total enrollment 29,932
Student gender distribution
Student gender distribution
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
Collegiate athletic association NCAA I

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Campus Info & Services

Colorado State University offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. Colorado State University also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, student patrols, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Colorado State University.

Students who have cars on campus N/A
Health insurance offered Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer No

More About Campus Info & Services

Paying for School

At Colorado State University, 46.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $6,626.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

In-state tuition and fees $6,986 (2010-11)
Out-of-state tuition and fees $23,096 (2010-11)
Room and board $8,324 (2010-11) - Medium
Financial aid statistics
Financial aid statistics

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Student Reviews

CUS has a great campus, and it is getting better every year. The school could be downsized a bit due to the lack of 'personal' interaction you could be getting at a smaller school. I spend the majority of my time in my dorm room or in the library. The largest controversy I have seen on campus this year was when our local newspaper (the Collegian) put *** BUSH as the healine. That raised all hell. There really is a lot of school pride, which is suprising because it isn't that amazing of a school. You don't come across a lot of complaints up here.

Alyssa Freshman

So far I have really enjoyed CSU. The campus is nice but parking is death and only continues to get worse! The buildings are not the most aesthetically pleasing but I am not really at school for the aesthetics of the campus. If I could change one thing, it would not be about the school, it would be about the weather. I feel like it is ALWAYS windy in Fort Collins. This makes it very unenjoyable walking or biking to class.

Brittani Sophomore

I feel like CSU is too large of a university for people to feel like they are making any substantial changes in their life. Since I have been here, I feel like I have not grown as a person, made any true long lasting friendships or gotten very deeply involved in my subjects. CSU being a large university has contributed to this because a lot of times I feel like it's easy to just sit back and do nothing and not put any effort into anything because no one is watching.

Annette Freshman

More student reviews

* Overview details based on 2010 data

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