With about 25,000 undergrads, the University of Colorado at Boulder is a tier one research university that heavily encourages research at the undergraduate level – not just in the sciences, but also in the humanities. Boulder has a strong, hands-on engineering programs with project-based learning, as well as work experience through co-ops.
Despite its size, the largest class you’ll have at Boulder is about 350 students – and then, only in introductory-level courses. By the time you get past those, classes are significantly smaller – almost half of the classes offered on this campus have fewer than 20 students.
Boulder has several interesting academic programs:
- ATLAS—Alliance for Technology, Learning, & Society is an interdisciplinary program within the College of Engineering that blends technology with arts and sciences, and humanities disciplines.
- CMCI – the College of Media, Communication and Information is a collaborative and cross-disciplinary program for students interested in film, media, journalism and other communications-based areas of study.
- The Program in Environmental Design is a pre-professional program that prepares students for different varieties of planning,, with a focus on sustainable design.
- Boulder’s music and theatre programs are audition-based. They have a strong percussion program and the School of Theatre and Dance hosts the annual Colorado Shakespeare Festival.
- CU Boulder’s teacher training program is dual concurrent licensure, so students earn their Colorado teaching credential while they earn their Bachelor’s Degree.
- The Leeds College of Business immerses students in a team-based program, in a growing technology and entrepreneurship hub, with a high percentage of students getting paid internships during their undergraduate experience.
Boulder’s campus is very large, and the quads are well-laid out, with dorms clustered. However, only about a third of students live on campus, with the rest living nearby, or within range of the campus shuttle. (If you apply, and you decide to attend, put down a housing deposit EARLY to have a better chance at getting on-campus housing).California students are well-represented among the student body at this fun, spirited PAC-12 university. You’ll get to know Boulder’s live mascot Ralphie (the buffalo) in your time here – she has her own Facebook page!
Students who want to learn their admission decision by December should not only submit their applications by November 15, but ensure that all materials – transcripts, test scores, teacher recommendations, and the application – are received by that deadline. Boulder does not participate in WUE and offers a few small merit scholarship opportunities for out-of-state students.
You can scroll through all of our photos from our visit to the beautiful Boulder campus below.