University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Public · Moderately Selective · CO

Photo: Xnatedawgx (CC BY-SA 3.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationCO · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads8,697

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.2%

6-yr grad rate46.9%

Drop-out rate31.7%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$10k

Out-of-state tuition$24k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity41%

Gender diversity52.8%

International0.8%

Identity—

Overview

UCCS is a University of Colorado campus set in the foothills of Colorado Springs, with Pikes Peak visible from much of campus. Its identity is closely tied to the city's dense concentration of military bases and aerospace and defense contractors, and military-affiliated students, including many veterans and active-duty service members, make up a substantial part of the community. The campus has grown quickly in recent decades from a smaller commuter school into a fuller four-year university experience.

Academics

Cybersecurity and engineering are clear strengths, drawing on the region's defense and aerospace industry connections for internships, research partnerships, and hiring pipelines, and the university holds recognized status as a cybersecurity center of academic excellence. Sport management and sports medicine benefit directly from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee's headquarters and training center being based in the city, giving students unusually direct access to elite athletic training and sport-science research. The Beth-El College of Nursing also carries a solid regional reputation.

Campus & student life

The mountain setting offers outdoor recreation right at the campus's doorstep, from hiking and climbing to skiing within a reasonable drive, and the city's military bases and Olympic Training Center presence shape much of student life and campus culture. Many students are veterans, active-duty, or military family members, giving the campus a notably mature, service-connected feel compared to a typical undergraduate population, and the Ent Center for the Arts anchors a growing cultural calendar on campus.

Getting in

Admissions are moderately selective, with particular attention paid to applicants interested in cybersecurity, engineering, or sport-related fields given the university's regional strengths in those areas. Military-affiliated applicants find well-established support systems built directly into the admissions and enrollment process, including credit for military training and flexible scheduling for those still serving.

After graduation

Engineering and cybersecurity graduates move directly into the region's dense concentration of defense contractors and aerospace firms, many of which recruit on campus specifically because of that proximity. Sport-science and sport-management graduates have an unusual pipeline into Olympic and Paralympic-affiliated organizations given the training center's presence in the city.

Worth knowing

UCCS's ties to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the region's aerospace and defense sector give sport science and cybersecurity students access to industry connections that are unusual for a campus of its size. The large military-affiliated student population also means robust support services, credit-transfer policies, and scheduling flexibility for veterans and active-duty students that isn't universal at every public university.

uccs.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate97.4%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1010–1220 · ACT 20–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying