We’re visiting friends in Denver this summer and I’d like to try to see a few colleges. D21 has mentioned going to school in Colorado, even though she’s never been there and we’re on the east coast. Possibly interested in engineering, but it’s too early to say. Many interests (music, tech, softball?), very social, liberal, wants lgbtq friendly. Probably will have a- gpa with good rigor, not sure about testing yet. Will be looking for merit or need based aid or both. Any suggestions? We will have a car. Bonus points for combining vacation activities with a college!
What a great area! We went there a few years ago on a drive from the Northwest to Southwest. My oldest was just starting to think about colleges. We stopped and peeked at several of the schools. Several really good ones are right around the Denver area. Definitely check out the University of Colorado in Boulder. It’s stunning. Maybe try to check out Pearl Street, which is an older part of town that they’ve turned into a pedestrian mall with restaurants, shops, etc. You can google that. CU has engineering.
The Colorado School of Mines is a very good engineering school down Rt. 93 from Boulder, in Golden, west of Denver. It’s a cool area as well.
We came down through Fort Collins, which is about 90 minutes north of Denver. Colorado State (also has engineering there) is in Fort Collins and that’s a neat area. Beautiful town and campus. There’s a nice old town area near campus.
Colorado College is a terrific LAC in Colorado Springs. It’s unique in that students take one class at a time. The Air Force Academy is also down there.
And in Denver, you might research the University of Denver. It’s a very good school. We didn’t make it into Denver (skirted Denver to the west from Fort Collins to Boulder to Golden and around, staying off the interstate), so did not visit there. Have fun!
Thanks! I need to research so much! Is university of Denver public?
U Denver is private.
The University of Denver is a private university with < 6K undergrads.
It has undergraduate programs in electrical and mechanical engineering.
International Studies and Business seem to be among its strongest undergraduate programs.
About 31% of DU undergrads major in business/marketing.
I think it’s fair to say that Colorado School of Mines (public) and the University of Colorado - Boulder (public) have the broadest, most robust engineering programs in the area (or the entire state). CU-Boulder covers a broader variety of other programs (arts & sciences etc.) Most students probably would find Boulder a more attractive college town than Golden … but go see for yourself.
Colorado College is a small private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, which is also on the Rocky Mt. front range, but about a 90 minute drive south of Denver. CC is probably the most selective school in Colorado or neighboring Rocky Mountain states, with the highest sticker price. It claims to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need. In addition to the Rocky Mountain location, its most distinctive feature is its one-course-at-a-time “block plan” (https://www.coloradocollege.edu/basics/blockplan/). The college is liberal and LGBT friendly but the surrounding city is quite conservative.
While I think she would do well at a small school, I feel that she will need a bigger place and one with options if engineering isn’t the thing. She’s in robotics and is good with tools, but has so many interests.
@mom2cats…I wouldn’t recommend Col School of Mines if she wants more options.
Thanks @bopper!
If you are from the northeast, then the following comparisons may be helpful:
U Colorado-Boulder: big happy liberal state university in happy liberal college town, combining to form large bubble. Think University of Vermont, but much larger, more research-oriented, fewer out-of-staters. Very good engineering,
U of Denver: smaller, more selective, preppier, and more urban than Boulder. The closest thing to an Ivy League university in the Mountain Time Zone. Not yet at an Ivy level in terms of selectivity, but very competitive in terms of lacrosse. Some engineering, but (as at Ivies) it’s not their strongest point.
Colorado College: The top (maybe the only) private liberal arts college in the Mountain Time Zone. Outdoorsy like Middlebury, but more urban location in Colorado Springs. Unlike northeastern LACs: block plan, town (not campus) is noted for religious conservatism. No engineering (as at most LACs).
Colorado School of Mines: small, selective, nerdy state university specializing in engineering and earth sciences. Imagine RPI, but public and in the mountains. As with most tech schools, gender ratio tilts heavily male. Very good engineering, probably smaller classes and more undergraduate focus than at Boulder, but much more limited for alternatives if you decide that you don’t like engineering.
U Denver has terrific music via The Lamont School of Music, in which a student can major or minor.
https://www.du.edu/ahss/lamont/areas-study/undergraduate/index.html
They also have a wide array of interesting majors, including many tech-oriented and dual degree options.
https://www.du.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs.html
To me, the best fit sounds like Boulder. However, Boulder isn’t known for generous out-of-state financial aid. It’s one of the most attractive and popular public universities in the western US (along with schools like UCLA, Berkeley, UCSD, UCSB, U of Washington). Schools like this can charge high out-of-state tuition, yet still get tons of well-qualified out-of-state applicants that are prepared to pay full sticker. So they don’t have much incentive to discount.
University of Denver isn’t ANYWHERE NEAR Ivy level. Its acceptance rate is over 75%. The average SAT scores of its freshman students aren’t terribly impressive.
The most popular Colorado schools for out of state students, in no particular order:
CU Boulder (public) CSU (public) in Fort Collins, Denver University (private) Colorado College (private) Colorado Springs, University of Northern Colorado (public) in Greeley, Fort Lewis College (public) in Durango.
There are also satellite campuses of the University of Colorado – in downtown Denver and Colorado Springs. These tend to be commuter schools, but do offer dorms and are increasingly popular.
Except in comparison to other schools in the Rocky Mountain region, which was the specified frame of reference:
The Ivies are secular, selective, private universities in the Northeastern US that do preppy things, like lacrosse. If you want a secular, selective, private university in the Rocky Mountain area that does preppy things like lacrosse, then your best bet is DU.
Admittedly, DU is not nearly as selective as any Ivy, but that point was previously acknowledged:
I just wanted to make it clear that DU has a very, very long way to go before it’s anything like Ivy-caliber. I know of what I speak - I’ve worked there, my husband taught and served in upper management there. 35 years ago, DU nearly closed. And up to 15 years ago it was mostly a school for “rich dumb kids.” (Yes, some referred to themselves that way. Jokingly, but still.) All that only started changing when a billionaire became its president, started building on campus, plugged the school into the nearby business community, and started getting smart local kids by offering them near free rides.
Frankly, with the exception of lacrosse – the closest to an Ivy is Colorado College. That is truly a school that attracts intellectual students who thrive in an academically ambitious setting.
DU is a great school for slightly-above-average kids with money who are interested in business. Its only other noteworthy department is its excellent school of music; in the past it also had a respected IR program run by the father of Madeleine Albright where Condoleeza Rice studied.
The percentage of out-of-state students is a rough proxy for national appeal. The schools in Colorado with the highest by % of out-of-state students, from College Navigator:
87% Colorado College
67% U of Denver
52% Fort Lewis College
47% CU-Boulder
47% Colorado Mines
46% Regis U
Regis, which hasn’t previously been mentioned, is a Catholic (Jesuit) school in Denver. Fort Lewis College, a small state college, is an outlier; they happen to be located near the New Mexico state line, and are actually closer to the major cities of NM, like Albuquerque and Santa Fe, than to the major cities of CO. So they have a lot of out-of-staters, but I don’t think this really reflects a broad national appeal.
Other state universities in Colorado, like CSU, UNC, or the branch CU campuses, have relatively low out-of-state enrollment (around 10-25%). They offer discounted out-of-state tuition to residents of other western states through the WUE program.
CC is more selective than DU, so it is closer to the Ivies in that respect. However, CC is a liberal arts college with an enrollment that is smaller than many high schools – not a university like the Ivies. To me, CC’s northeastern peers are LACs like Middlebury or Colby, not Ivies.
Since you note your daughter is 21, is it safe to assume she’s a transfer? What are her stats? It is really hard to offer suggestions without knowing them.
A few scattered thoughts -
Generally, there’s not much aid for OOS transfers at most schools so, you might want run net price calculators before getting her hopes up about a school you can’t afford.
Co State and U of Co both offer good educations in supportive, student friendly environments.
With an admit rate around 16%. I would think Colorado College would be as close to an 'Ivy" as you’ll find in the Rockies. As noted above though, its a LAC so, you won’t find engineering programs.
Co School of Mines is eclectic - but has outstanding Engineering programs.
Since you are from the East, you should know Colorado is much larger that it looks on a map. Denver to Durango, for example, is about 6 hours by car.
Speaking of Durango, Ft Lewis was mentioned above. It is beautiful, small, not very selective but, is also a LAC and doesn’t have much of an Engineering program (23 time national mtn bike champs though). If you go to Durango, check out Mesa Verde National park’s cliff dwellings - really a spectacular site. Another cool side trip would be Moab, home to Arches and Canyonlands - both spectacular in their own way.
Have a great trip!
@mom2cats – it sounds like bigger schools would be a better match.
Do keep in mind that there is little financial aid for OOS students. Colorado ranks near the bottom of per-student-spending on the college level. There simply aren’t the resources to offer much to out of state students.
I’m assuming the “21” refers to year of high school graduation but I might be wrong.
Yes, 2021 graduate. She’s only 15 now.
Thank you all. That’s a great starting point. I appreciate the comments on cost and atmosphere. I do think she’d like an urban setting.