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Summary
University of Colorado--Boulder is a public institution that was founded in 1876. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,433, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 600 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Colorado--Boulder's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 94. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,152 (2011-12); out-of-state tuition and fees are $29,480 (2011-12).
The University of Colorado at Boulder, called CU--Boulder for short, lays against the majestic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Boulder is a lively college town with more than 80 miles of biking and walking trails. In the evenings, students can travel anywhere within the city limits for free in CU NightRide shuttles, which run until 1:15 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 12:15 a.m. all other nights. On campus, there are more than 300 student clubs and organizations, and close to 40 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen must live on campus. The Colorado Buffaloes will compete in the NCAA Division I Pac-12 Conference starting in the fall of 2011, after a long stint in the Big 12 Conference. The student athletes, called Buffs for short, are supported by two buffalo mascots: a costumed student called Chip and a live animal named Ralphie IV. The university stresses its commitment to volunteer efforts like Better Boulder Better World, a day of community service in the surrounding neighborhoods. For trips off campus, there are 11 ski slopes within 3 hours of campus, and Rocky Mountain National Park is 45 miles away. A bit closer is Denver, the state capital, where students can catch professional sports matches or concerts in the unique outdoor concert hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
CU--Boulder is the only school in the Rocky Mountain Region to make it into the Association of American Universities, an elite group of 34 research universities. The university has highly ranked graduate programs through the College of Engineering and Applied Science and School of Education. Its Law School stresses experiential learning through clinics, externships, competitions, and mandatory pro bono work. CU--Boulder graduates are immediately inducted into the dues-free alumni association, Forever Buffs, whose particularly distinguished members include South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and ESPN sportscasters Chris Fowler and Jim Gray.
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The University of Colorado Boulder (CU-Boulder), a major research and teaching university, is a dynamic community of scholars and learners situated on a beautiful campus at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. CU-Boulder is one of 35 U.S. public institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region. While it is a major research university and Colorado's flagship university, the campus maintains an intimate college atmosphere with many small academic communities and 87% of classes enrolling fewer than 50 students. The university has a proud academic tradition, with 4 Nobel laureates, 7 MacArthur 'genius grant' recipients, and 105 Fulbright scholars since 1982. CU-Boulder was ranked the top green university in the nation in Sierra magazine's 2009 listing of greenest colleges, and was one of only three U.S. colleges and universities to receive a 2007 Presidential Award for General Community Service. CU-Boulder produced 117 Peace Corps volunteers in 2010, the most among all U.S. colleges and universities. The university received more than $454 million in sponsored research funding during the 2010 fiscal year. Faculty members bring their research into the classroom in areas such as physics, space sciences, and the American West. CU-Boulder offers more than 3,600 courses in approximately 150 areas of study and 80 majors at the bachelor's level. Undergraduates apply to the following colleges and schools: Architecture & Planning, Arts & Sciences, Leeds School of Business, Engineering & Applied Science, Music, Journalism & Mass Communication, and Education. University facilities include an observatory, planetarium, mountain research station, a hands-on teaching and learning laboratory for engineering, and the futuristic Alliance for Teaching, Learning, & Society Center, a structure that offers the university community groundbreaking instructional technology and learning opportunities. Outstanding departments and programs include aerospace engineering, astrophysical & planetary sciences, biochemistry, biology, chemistry, engineering, English, entrepreneurial business, geography, integrative physiology, law, music, physics, and psychology. Undergraduate specialty programs in aerospace engineering and business entrepreneurship ranked in the top 20 nationally in U.S. News & World Report's 2011 Americas Best Colleges issue. Talented undergraduate students participate in a variety of enrichment opportunities on campus, including honors programs, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and 12 residential academic programs that offer specialized living and learning communities featuring top faculty and small-class environments. Students come from every state in the nation and about 100 countries. Many ethnic, religious, and social backgrounds are represented, fostering a multicultural community that enriches each student's educational experience. Students from diverse backgrounds may receive academic, personal, and financial support through one of the CU-Lead (leadership, excellence, achievement, and diversity) alliance programs housed in various colleges and departments. The Study Abroad Office administers 335 CU-Boulder-sponsored programs in 70 countries around the world with more than 1,000 students participating annually. CU-Boulder competes in 14 intercollegiate sports at the Division I level, is a member of the Pac 12 Conference, and maintains one of the nation's largest club sports programs, supporting more than 30 intercollegiate teams in sports such as ice hockey, triathlon, and ultimate Frisbee. The campus offers art galleries, a natural history museum, theaters, concert halls, and an extensive calendar of social and cultural events, highlighted by the annual Conference on World Affairs, musical performances by the Grammy Award-winning Takacs Quartet, and the world-renowned Colorado Shakespeare Festival. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1876 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | urban |
| 2010 Endowment | $330,600,000 |
Applying
When applying to University of Colorado--Boulder, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early action deadline is December 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 15. The application fee at University of Colorado--Boulder is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 82.9 percent and an early acceptance rate of 88.6 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2010 acceptance rate | 83% |
| Application deadline | January 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of Colorado--Boulder is 18:1, and the school has 38.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Colorado--Boulder include: Social Sciences; Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Engineering; and Psychology. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 83.8 percent.
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| Student-faculty ratio | 18:1 | ||||||||||
| 4-year graduation rate | 41% - Medium | ||||||||||
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Student Life
University of Colorado--Boulder has a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,433, with a gender distribution of 52.9 percent male students and 47.1 percent female students. 24.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 76.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Colorado--Boulder is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at University of Colorado--Boulder.
| Total enrollment | 32,378 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
University of Colorado--Boulder offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, day care, health service, and health insurance. University of Colorado--Boulder 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). Of the students at University of Colorado--Boulder, 12 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of Colorado--Boulder.
| Students who have cars on campus | 12% - Low |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At University of Colorado--Boulder, 36.1 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $7,873.
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 | $9,152 (2011-12) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $29,480 (2011-12) |
| Room and board | $11,278 (2011-12) - High |
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* Overview details based on 2010 data
