List of colleges and universities in Colorado

A map showing the location of the U.S. State of Colorado.
The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America.

This is a list of colleges and universities in the U.S. State of Colorado which range in age and focus of programs.[1] This list also includes other educational institutions providing higher education, meaning tertiary, quaternary, and, in some cases, post-secondary education. State commission data is also provided.

Colorado Commission on Higher Education[edit]

This table includes Locations, Governance, Institution Focus(es), The Enrollment Head count (the sum of undergraduate and graduate students), the number of Full-time equivalent students, and the percentage of these students which qualify as residents of the State.

Institution Location Institution focus(es) Fall 2020 enrollment head count[2] 2008 full-time equivalent students Full-time residency percentage[2] Part-time residency percentage[2] Public/private 2-year/4-year
Adams State University Alamosa A general baccalaureate institution with moderately selective admission standards 3352 1919 57 43 Public 4-Year
Aims Community College Greeley, Loveland, Fort Lupton, Windsor A two-year college with open admission standards 5981 1009 98 2 Public 2-Year
Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction A comprehensive graduate university with moderately selective admission standards 9110 5058 86 14 Public 4-Year
Colorado Mountain College Glenwood Springs A two‐year local district college with open admission standards 5315 2766[1] 94 6 Public 2-Year
Colorado School of Mines Golden A specialized baccalaureate and graduate research institution with high admission standards; first public institution of higher education to open doors in Colorado (in 1874)[1] 6744 4325[1] 58 42 Public 4-Year
Colorado State University Fort Collins A comprehensive graduate research university with selective admission standards; one of 68 land‐grant institutions founded by the Morrill Act of 1862[1] 27838 22312[1] 69 31 Public 4-Year
Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo A regional, comprehensive institution with moderately selective admission standards 3460 3806[1] 86 14 Public 4-Year
Fort Lewis College Durango A public liberal arts institution with selective admission standards 3469 3530[1] 45 55 Public 4-Year
Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver A comprehensive baccalaureate institution with modified open admission standards 18074 16165[1] 96 4 Public 4-Year
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder A comprehensive graduate research university with selective admission standards 35433 26815[1] 60 40 Public 4-Year
University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs A comprehensive university with selective admission standards 11723 6606[1] 87 13 Public 4-Year
University of Colorado Denver Denver and Aurora An urban comprehensive undergraduate and graduate research university with selective admission standards 19885 13217[1] 84 16 Public 4-Year
University of Northern Colorado Greeley A comprehensive baccalaureate and specialized graduate research university with selective admission standards 8387 9691[1] 86 14 Public 4-Year
Western Colorado University Gunnison A general baccalaureate institution with moderately selective admission standards 2766 1875[1] 79 21 Public 4-Year
Colorado Community College System A state system of 13 community and technical colleges with open admission standards[1] 71825[1] 48004[1] 33[1] 67[1] Public 2-Year

Four-year institutions[edit]

School Location Control Carnegie Classification Enrollment

(2019)[3]

Founded[4]
Adams State University Alamosa Public Doctoral University 3,055 1921
Colorado Mesa University Grand Junction Public Doctoral University 9,492 1925
Colorado School of Mines Golden Public Doctoral University 6,268 1874
Fort Lewis College Durango Public Masters University 3,320 1911
Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver Public Masters University 20,192 1965
University of Northern Colorado Greeley Public Doctoral University 12,862 1889
Western Colorado University Gunnison Public Masters University 3,039 1901
Colorado State University Fort Collins Public Doctoral University 33,694 1870
Colorado State University Pueblo Pueblo Public Doctoral University 6,736 1870
Colorado State University Global Greenwood Village Public Doctoral University 1870
University of Colorado Boulder Public Doctoral University 36,548 1876
University of Colorado Colorado Springs Public Doctoral University 12,435 1876
University of Colorado Denver, Aurora Public Doctoral University 25,545 1876
United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs Public Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges 4,336 1954
Colorado Christian University Lakewood Private (Not For Profit) Masters University 6,677 1914
Colorado College Colorado Springs Private (Not For Profit) Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges 2,144 1874
Columbia College of Missouri Centennial Private (Not For Profit) Masters University 4,469 1851
Nazarene Bible College Colorado Springs Private (Not For Profit) Faith-related Institution 731 1967
Naropa University Boulder Private (Not For Profit) Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges 953 1974
Regis University Denver Private (Not For Profit) Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges 7,907 1877
University of Denver Denver Private (Not For Profit) Doctoral University 11,952 1864
Colorado Technical University Aurora, Colorado Springs Private (For Profit) Doctoral University 26,184 1965
DeVry University Westminster Private (For Profit) Masters University 17,364 1931
Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design Denver Private (For Profit) Masters University 1,054 1963
William Howard Taft University Denver Private (For Profit) Doctoral University 1976

Defunct private colleges and universities[edit]

School Location Control Carnegie Classification Founded[4] Defunct
Colorado Heights University Denver Private (Not For Profit) Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges 1989 2016
Johnson & Wales University Denver Private (Not For Profit) Masters University 2000 2021
Jones International University Centennial Private (For Profit) Masters University 1993 2015
National American University Centennial, Colorado Springs, Denver Private (For Profit) Masters University 1941 2018
CollegeAmerica Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs Private (Not For Profit) Baccalaureate / Associates Colleges 123 2020

State institutions[edit]

Two-year institutions[edit]

Two-year, for-profit institutions[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Colorado Higher Education Overview (Report). CCHE Annual Retreat: Colorado Department of Higher Education. August 6–7, 2009. pp. 1–18.
  2. ^ a b c "Search Data". Colorado Department of Higher Education. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  3. ^ Enrollment is the total enrollment as reported by IPEDS for fall 2016.
  4. ^ a b U.S. News & World Report. "America's Best Colleges 2008". Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  5. ^ a b "An act concerning removing the word "junior" from the name of certain colleges". Act of May 18, 2021 (PDF). Colorado General Assembly.
  6. ^ "LincolnEdu".

External links[edit]


38°59′50″N 105°32′52″W / 38.9972°N 105.5478°W / 38.9972; -105.5478 (State of Colorado)