University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO · Public · Midsize city · Carnegie R1/R2 · Buffaloes · Buffalos · Buffs · CU · CU at Boulder · CU-Boulder · CUB · Colo · Colorado University · Golden Buffs · U of CO · U of Colo · U of Colorado · UCB · Univ of CO · Univ of Colo · Univ of Colorado · University of CO · University of Colo · University of Colorado · University of Colorado at Boulder
Public institution in Boulder, CO · 31,578 undergraduates · 83% acceptance rate · $69,738 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 2%Undergraduates
- Top 13%Average SAT
- Top 14%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 14%Graduation rate (4-year)
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $21,4801,226th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $16,4301,013th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $41,9431,676th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $33,4661,057th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $19,500574th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $69,738285th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $54,939349th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 75.0%293rd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 89.2%271st highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 83.3%1,017th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1353135th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 28177th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 31,57847th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 19.0:11,815th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 14.8%1,943rd highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 33 mi (DEN)
On 3 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EANov 15
- RDJan 15
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $65
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 61 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | bachelors | $73,769 | $75,921 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $73,378 | $71,255 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $73,321 | $75,204 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $67,164 | $71,957 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $65,610 | $65,937 |
| Architectural EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $65,486 | $67,324 |
| Applied MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $64,493 | $61,516 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $62,898 | $61,580 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $62,579 | $57,705 |
| Environmental/Environmental Health EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $55,964 | $54,254 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $54,309 | $54,671 |
| Biochemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $52,107 | $64,196 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1876source
- Motto: "Λαμψάτω τὸ φῶς ὑμῶν"source
- Athletic nickname: "Buffaloes"source
- Mascot: Ralphie the Buffalosource
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Campus size: about 786 acressource
- Formerly known as "University of Colorado" (1876–1965)source
- Athletic conference: FBSsource
- A Space-grant institutionsource
- 2 Nobel laureates affiliatedsource
- Fight song: ""CU Fight Song""source
- Notable alum: Ellen Johnson Sirleafsource
- Notable alum: Steve Wozniaksource
- Notable alum: Robert Redfordsource
- Notable alum: Kalpana Chawlasource
- Notable alum: Glenn Millersource
Athletics — 9 sports
NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $13,738,845 (M $7,555,171 · W $6,183,674)
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Skiing
- Soccer
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitecolorado.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 126614)
- Compare colleges in CORe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in ColoradoEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: University of Colorado Boulder vs Colorado Technical University-Colorado SpringsHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.