CU Boulder vs Colorado school of mines

I got accepted into both CU and Colorado school of mines, and I have no idea which one to choose. As a major I would probably do either mechanical engineering or computer science at Colorado school of mines, and at CU I would do either Aerospace engineering or computer science so what school has a better program for that? I know CU is more of a party school and at school of mines you have to work harder, but in your opinion what school should I go to. Thanks!

Both are very good, pick based on fit.

CU does rank higher in these fields according to US News.

If you’re interested in aerospace engineering, then CU program is well-known and students often work with Ball Aerospace and other major companies.

Visit both campuses and see which one suits you better. Mines is very good to expose you to engineering and CS and has smaller class sizes, with some very good teaching faculty. Mines also offers the tougher core program,
see this website:
https://catalog.mines.edu/undergraduate/undergraduateinformation/distributedcore/

Lockheed Martin in Littleton, hires a lot of Mines Mechanical engineers and CS majors.

CU has more majors, in case you change your mind, and more research faculty doing cutting edge work in CS
and Aerospace engineering, and LASP right near campus for research and jobs!
They do try to get undergrads involved.

(The CU Engineering students have a little lower test scores than Mines students.

Both have a good reputation. )

CU Boulder has the Lab for Atmospheric and Space Physics , LASP, near campus and aerospace students work there, if you have good grades and pursue a research option–
https://phys.org/news/2017-12-cu-boulder-solar-instruments-space.html
http://lasp.colorado.edu/home/

CU Boulder just hired 15 new computer science faculty: (some are not yet in residence).
https://www.colorado.edu/cs/2017/10/03/meet-our-15-new-faculty-members

Computer science is crowded at both schools right now and all over the country. its a good idea
to take CS classes even if you major in some other branch of engineering.

I’m jumping in this thread because my S is looking at Mines and Colorado State, but for civil engineering. Any input there?

We’re OOS and Mines is a good bit more, even with a decent aid package. Just wondering if it is worth it.

The Golden location, only 15 miles from Denver, may be a lot better for a civil engineer.
Mines programs offer harder home work sets and tests,
and more math required. I might ask both schools about placement. I volunteer up at Colorado State in EE, and their job placement rate is a little low in EE. Mines should be higher for job placement, but ask specifically about Civil engineering placement. Denver has a lot of consulting firms, so I bet Mines places over there. CSU may also
have some ties but Fort Collins is really far from civil engineering top consulting jobs. Fort Collins is about 150,000 and about 65 miles north of Denver. Golden is only 15 miles from Denver, much more tied to Denver, and on the light rail system.

Mines has teaching professors and research professors, smaller class size, and a much smaller campus.
Its almost like a private school, for a public school price. It does not have as many graduate programs as Colorado State offers. Mines also offers way less social sciences and humanities classes.

Mines has less girls overall but MORE girls in engineering than Colorado State.

Mines does offer project management and economics majors too.

Colorado State has strong health sciences, agricultural sciences, and soil sciences and biology focused programs with the vet school up there. It has some business programs as well. Colorado State built a brand new football stadium, if that matters at all. Fort Collins is a nice community and the professors care a lot up there.

Colorado State is known to have the easiest tests of the three big engineering schools in Colorado : CU Boulder, Mines and CSU.

Many students can finish at Colorado State in only three years, if they have AP credits. Mines will probably take
four years but the student gets a LOT out of the Mines education, a way of solving problems. Mines also has field work for EVERY STUDENT. So Civil engineers will go into the field and learn surveying and have a required industry field study to get a bachelors degree.

Mines requires much higher math test scores to get in, than CSU. Mines has more serious students and less drop outs, I believe, although some students find it too mathematical and transfer to CU or CSU.

@SC Anteater Also Mines faculty and students works closely with National Renewable Energy Lab, a DOE lab in Golden:
https://www.nrel.gov
Mines will be the more challenging school for Civil and Environmental Engineering, although Colorado State
may have some good policy classes, and still OK in engineering classes.

Colorado State is well tied to semiconductor and computer industries, in Fort Collins, which sometimes hire civil engineers but not so much. (Broadcom, AMD, HP etc )

@Coloradomama – thanks for the info, much appreciated.