School Overview
The University of Colorado Boulder (also known as CU-Boulder, CU, or Boulder) is the flagship, research university of the University of Colorado system and is located in Boulder, Colorado. The University of Colorado system was founded only five months prior to Colorado’s admission to the union in 1876.
Programs Offerings, Academic Colleges, and Rankings
CU-Boulder offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in 150 disciplines to nearly 30,000 students each year. These 150 disciplines are administered through the University’s nine academic colleges. The University’s College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the nine colleges and schools. These schools include the College of Engineering and Applied Science; Graduate School; School of Education; College of Music; School of Law; and Leeds School of Business. U.S. News and World Report has ranked CU-Boulder’ engineering programs as 19th among national programs.
Research
Owing to its programs’ rankings and its robust research budget of over $450 million, CU-Boulder has been recognized as one of thirty “Public Ivy League” higher education institutions in the United States.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
CU-Boulder offers scholarships, loans, student employment, grants and veterans benefits to help students defray the cost of attendance. All applicants must complete the Free Application for Financial Student Aid (FAFSA).
Library System
CU-Boulder’s main library is the Norlin Library which houses the humanities and social sciences collections, special collections, periodicals, and many more specialized units along with a number of non-library departments including the Writing Center, Center for Asian Studies, Faculty Teaching Excellence Program, and Honors offices. There are also five branch libraries: William M. White Business Library; Jerry Crail Johnson Earth Sciences and Map Library; Leonard H. Gemmill Engineering, Mathematics & Physics Library; Howard B. Waltz Music Library; and the William A. Wise Law Library.
Athletics
CU has garnered national championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country, football and skiing. The CU football team plays an annual “Rocky Mountain Showdown” against in-state rival Colorado State Rams; this is played at the neutral location of the Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
Student Housing
On-campus residence halls at CU are Aden Hall, Andrews Hall, Arnett Hall, Brackett Hall, Buckingham Hall, Cheyenne Arapaho Hall, Cockerell Hall, Crosman Hall, Darley North/South Halls, Farrand Hall, Hallett Hall, Kittredge Central, Kitteredge West, Libby Hall, Reed Hall, Sewall Hall, Smith Hall, Stearns East/West, Willard Hall and Williams Village North Hall. Apartment options are Athens Court, Athens North, Bear Creek, Faculty Court, Marine Court, Newton Court and Smiley Court.
University of Colorado Boulder Highlights
School Information
| Phone Number: | (303) 492-1411 |
| Website: | www.colorado.edu |
| Type of School: | 4-year, Public |
| Apply Online: | www.colorado.edu/admissions/undergraduate/apply |
| Address: | Regent Drive at Broadway, Boulder, CO 80309-0017 |
| Setting: | City: Midsize |
| Campus Housing: | Yes |
Students & Programs
| Student Population: | 37,883 |
| 6-yr Graduation Rate (Bachelor's): | 69% |
| Student-to-faculty Ratio: | 18 to 1 |
| Distance Learning Programs: | Yes |
| Distance Learning Students*: | 33,683 (89% of total students) |
| Degree Levels Offered: | Bachelor's, Master's, Doctorate |
* Students taking at least 1 distance learning course
Tuition & Financial Aid*
| In-state Tuition: | $12,500 |
| Out-of-state Tuition: | $38,318 |
| % of Students Receiving Financial Aid: | 66% |
| Avg. Amount of Grant or Scholarship Aid Awarded: | $9,315 |
* Full-time beginning undergraduate students. Financial aid is available to those who qualify.
University of Colorado Boulder Programs
See the degree programs that are offered at University of Colorado Boulder.
| Degree Name | Cert | Assoc | Bach | Mast | Doct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architecture and Related Services | 1 | ||||
| Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies | 5 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences | 5 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 1 | 9 | 1 | ||
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs | 6 | 6 | 2 | ||
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Education | 2 | 6 | 5 | ||
| Engineering | 11 | 10 | 9 | ||
| English Language and Literature/Letters | 1 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 8 | 7 | 7 | ||
| Health Professions and Related Programs | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| History | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Legal Professions and Studies | 2 | ||||
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 1 | ||||
| Mathematics and Statistics | 3 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 2 | 3 | 2 | ||
| Natural Resources and Conservation | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | 3 | 2 | 1 | ||
| Physical Sciences | 5 | 5 | 7 | ||
| Psychology | 1 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Public Administration and Social Service Professions | 1 | ||||
| Social Sciences | 5 | 5 | 5 | ||
| Visual and Performing Arts | 7 | 6 | 6 | ||
| Grand total | 73 | 78 | 61 |
* Based on programs that produced 2019-2020 graduates
Tuition & Financial Aid
See what it costs to enroll at University of Colorado Boulder and how many students are receiving scholarships, grants, or loans as financial aid to help cover the costs of tuition.
Undergraduate Student Tuition
Average tuition and fees for academic year:
| Tuition and Fees | 2019-2020 |
|---|---|
| In-state | $12,500 |
| Out-of-state | $38,318 |
| Books and supplies | $1,200 |
Graduate Student Tuition
Average tuition and fees for academic year:
| Tuition and Fees | 2019-2020 |
|---|---|
| In-state | $13,556 |
| Out-of-state | $33,014 |
Undergraduate Student Financial Aid, 2018-2019
Full-time Beginning Undergraduate Students
| Type of Aid | Number Receiving Aid | % Receiving Aid | Avg. Amt. of Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Any student financial aid | 4,339 | 66% | – |
| Grant or scholarship aid | 3,477 | 53% | $9,315 |
| Student loan aid | 2,007 | 30% | $9,106 |
All Undergraduate Students
| Type of Aid | Number Receiving Aid | % Receiving Aid | Avg. Amt. of Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid | 14,520 | 48% | $11,198 |
| Federal student loans | 8,173 | 27% | $6,244 |
Admissions & Enrollment
See the admission requirements for University of Colorado Boulder. Find out how many students apply and how many are accepted. View a graphical breakdown of the gender, age, and ethnicity of currently enrolled University of Colorado Boulder students.
Undergraduate Admissions, Fall 2020
| Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of applicants | 40,677 | 20,160 | 20,517 | Percent admitted | 100% | 76% | 80% |
| Percent admitted who enrolled | 17% | 18% | 17% |
Admissions Considerations
| Required | Recommended | Optional | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary school GPA | |||
| Secondary school rank | |||
| Secondary school record | |||
| Completion of college-preparatory program | |||
| Recommendations | |||
| Formal demonstration of competencies | |||
| Admission test scores | |||
| Other Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.) | |||
| TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language |
University of Colorado Boulder Enrollment, Fall 2020
| Total Enrollment | 37,883 |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate enrollment | 31,098 |
| Graduate enrollment | 6,785 |
Undergraduate Attendance
Undergraduate Gender
Undergraduate Age
Undergraduate Race/Ethnicity
Undergraduate Distance Education
Undergraduates taking 100%, Some, or No Distance Education
Graduate Distance Education
Graduate students taking 100%, Some, or No Distance Education
University of Colorado Boulder Accreditation
This institution is accredited by Higher Learning Commission
Specialized institution accreditations:
- American Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar
- Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation
- Clinical Psychology (CLPSY) - PhD Doctoral programs
- Professional Psychology (IPSY) - Predoctoral internship programs
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
- Audiology (AUD) - Graduate degree programs
- Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Clinical doctoral program in Audiology
- Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
- English Language
- National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation
- Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- Teacher Education (TED) - Baccalaureate and graduate programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional personnel for elementary and secondary schools
*General information for this school has been gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) database, a service provided by the U.S. Department of Education. CollegeAtlas.org does not guarantee the accuracy of information on this page. All information is subject to change. You should confirm all information with a college admissions officer.
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