Colorado State University--Pueblo

With an enrollment of more than 5,200 students, CSU-Pueblo is a fully accredited, regional comprehensive state university that provides social, educational, and cultural opportunities to its constituents. The 275-acre campus, which overlooks the Front Range of south central Colorado, is located in Pueblo, one of the more culturally dynamic regions of the country. Pueblo County, an ethnically and culturally diverse population of more than 150,000 people, offers numerous art and cultural attractions as well as recreational options for the outdoor enthusiast.
With a minority student population of nearly 40 percent, CSU-Pueblo provides relevant professional coursework, hands-on undergraduate research experiences and superior instruction with a small faculty to student ratio, and state-of-the-art technology through 28 undergraduate and eight graduate programs offered by four schools: the College of Science and Mathematics, the College of Education, Engineering and Professional Studies, the Hasan School of Business, and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. In addition to the Pueblo campus, the Division of Continuing Education offers classes in several majors to meet the needs of working adults and military personnel in Colorado Springs at the University's Citadel Center and Fort Carson. CSU-Pueblo has earned a national ranking from Military Times EDGE magazine for its commitment to helping military veterans further their education.
The Pueblo campus landscape has changed dramatically in the last five years with renovations to its athletic and academic facility ($12 million) and University Library ($22 million) and construction of a new Student Recreation Center, Student Recreation Field, the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl football and track stadium, and a three-part residence hall complex. As a result of its stellar facilities and the tremendous University/community partnership, CSU-Pueblo was chosen as the site of three NCAA Division II Championship events over the next few years, including the 2012 Division II Wrestling championships, March 8-9, 2012, and the 2012 and 2013 National Outdoor Track and Field Championships, March 23-24, 2012 and March 24-25, 2013.
Among its unique features, CSU-Pueblo is one of only seven schools in the nation to offer a degree in mechatronics, which combines electrical and mechanical engineering. The Malik and Seeme Hasan School of Business ranks among the top 15 percent of all business schools internationally due to the accreditation of its graduate and undergraduate programs in business administration by the AACSB International Board of Directors. Intercollegiate football returned to campus in 2008 (after being eliminated in 1985), and in only its fourth year, the ThunderWolves finished the regular season with an 11-0 record and a #1 NCAA Division II ranking. The CSU-Pueblo Nursing Department is the lone pilot site in the United States for cutting edge simulation equipment produced by an Australian-based company, Mask ED, which uses "Hollywood style" masks to create characters used in nurse education. The Mass Communications Department and Center for New Media is the only program in the state that offers on-campus experiences with a public television station, student-operated radio station, and on-line and print publications. A recent 10-year compilation of crime statistics on 10 Colorado college campuses shows CSU-Pueblo to be among the safest in the state thanks in part to a relationship with the Pueblo County Sheriff's Department, which provides law enforcement services through a community-oriented policing strategy.