University of Colorado Boulder

Public · Moderately Selective · CO

Photo: Ken Lund (CC BY-SA 2.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationCO · West

SettingUrban

Undergrads31,939

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate57.4%

6-yr grad rate74.2%

Drop-out rate9.9%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$16k

Out-of-state tuition$45k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity32.7%

Gender diversity47.3%

International2.6%

Identity—

Overview

CU Boulder sits directly at the foot of the Flatirons, and the outdoor culture that setting creates is inseparable from the school's identity; the university markets itself, accurately, as a place where hiking, climbing, and skiing are treated as ordinary parts of student life rather than an occasional weekend activity. It carries the scale and research depth of a major flagship, with a national reputation in the physical and environmental sciences that rivals its reputation in more traditionally prestige-driven fields. Students who want serious academics and serious mountains in the same four years tend to end up here.

Academics

Aerospace engineering is a particular standout, with deep, decades-long ties to the aerospace and defense industry and to NASA, giving students direct research and internship pipelines uncommon at the undergraduate level. Physics and space sciences benefit from JILA, a joint research institute with the national standards laboratory that has produced multiple Nobel laureates, and from the university's broader strength in atmospheric and planetary science. The Leeds School of Business and strong programs in environmental studies and ecology round out the picture. An honors program offers smaller seminars and closer faculty contact within an otherwise large research-flagship structure.

Campus & student life

The Boulder campus is instantly recognizable for its consistent sandstone, Tuscan-vernacular architecture, deliberately unified across a century of construction, set against the Flatirons as a daily backdrop. Boulder the town is walkable, outdoors-obsessed, and notably expensive relative to much of Colorado, with a strong local tech and startup culture that spills into student life through internships. Athletics and Greek life coexist with a large contingent of students whose social calendar runs through trailheads and ski areas rather than football Saturdays alone.

Getting in

Colorado draws a large out-of-state applicant pool specifically for its outdoor-adjacent lifestyle and the strength of programs like aerospace engineering, and the admissions process weighs general academic strength alongside genuine, demonstrated interest in what the campus and region offer. Intended major carries real weight for competitive programs within engineering and business.

After graduation

Aerospace and engineering graduates move into a deep regional aerospace and defense industry, including major contractors headquartered along the Front Range, as well as national research labs nearby. Boulder's broader research profile also supports strong graduate-school placement out of the sciences, and the local startup and tech scene, itself partly grown out of the university, absorbs a steady stream of graduates who want to stay in town.

Worth knowing

Prospective out-of-state students should budget for Boulder being one of the more expensive college towns in the country to live in, a real financial consideration beyond tuition itself. The outdoor culture here is genuinely load-bearing rather than a marketing flourish, which makes CU an excellent fit for students who want that built into daily life and a poor one for students who'd rather it stay optional.

colorado.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate78.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1240–1430 · ACT 29–33

Test policyoptional

Rec letters1

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

Early actionNov 15

Regular decisionJan 15

Verified from the school’s admissions page ↗

Applying (2026-27 cycle)

Apply through Common App.

Early Action at CU Boulder is non-binding.

Supplemental essays (1)

What do you hope to study, and why, at CU Boulder? Or if you don't know quite yet, think about your studies so far, extracurricular/after-school activities, jobs, volunteering, future goals or anything else that has shaped your interests.
250 words · Required · Must be a different response than the Common App personal essay.

Verified from the school’s admissions pages ↗