Address: Regent Drive at Broadway, 80309 Boulder, Colorado, United States
Aerospace Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Physics
The University of Colorado was founded in Boulder in 1876, the year Colorado gained statehood on 1 August, after the territorial legislature had called for a university in Boulder in 1861. Its first building, Old Main, was completed on 18 April 1876, and instruction began in 1877. Mary Rippon joined in January 1878 as its first female professor. Boulder is now the main campus of the University of Colorado system and houses its School of Law.
In fall 2022 the campus enrolled 39,585 students, of whom 31,034 were undergraduates and 8,551 postgraduates, according to federal IPEDS data. Charles Klauder’s architectural designs, put into effect from 1917 under President George Norlin, gave the campus its characteristic look. Research units include the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, the Natural Resources Law Center and the Sommers-Bausch Observatory.
CU Boulder is a member of the Association of American Universities and an R1 institution, and the National Science Foundation ranked it 52nd among US universities for R&D expenditure in fiscal year 2023, at about $652 million. The university counts five Nobel laureates; Thomas Cech, its first faculty member to win, and Sidney Altman shared the 1989 Chemistry prize. It reports 18 affiliated astronauts and says it is the only university to have sent space instruments to every planet in the solar system. Ralphie, a live buffalo, has been the mascot since 1966.
Domains taught:
Aerospace, Astroscience, Ecology and Sustainability, Engineering, Geotechnics, Life Sciences, Physics
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Flagship of CU System. Strong ties with federal research labs (e.g., NIST, NOAA, National Center for Atmospheric Research – NCAR, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics – LASP). Partnerships with aerospace industry and renewable energy sector. Member of AAU.
Research:
A leading research university with significant contributions in aerospace science (LASP), earth and climate sciences, atomic and optical physics, renewable energy, and astrobiology. Numerous astronaut alumni.
Famous Alumnis:
Kalpana Chawla, Scott Carpenter, Robert Redford (attended briefly), Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Hale Irwin
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
7100
Current students***:
37200
Foreign students***:
10%
Cumulative former students***:
305000
Pros
Top-ranked aerospace and environmental science programs, beautiful campus in a scenic mountain setting (Boulder is consistently ranked a top college town), strong research in physical sciences, active outdoor culture.
Cons
Large student population, Boulder can be an expensive city with a competitive housing market, some programs highly competitive.
Best For
Students passionate about aerospace, earth sciences, physics, or environmental studies, seeking a research-intensive environment in a vibrant city nestled in the Rocky Mountains with a strong outdoor lifestyle.
Colorado State University in Fort Collins is a public university with agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine and environmental science, overlapping with Boulder's environmental side within the same state.
University of Arizona, public and based in Tucson, lists astronomy and planetary sciences, optics and hydrology among its main fields, a close match for Boulder's space and earth sciences.
United States Air Force Academy in Colorado is a public service academy with aerospace engineering at the centre of its offer, so it suits readers interested in the aerospace side.
University of California, Santa Barbara is a public university working in physics, materials, engineering, and environmental and marine science.
Utah State University in Logan combines aerospace engineering, agriculture and water resources engineering in a public setting.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Universität Bern in Switzerland is a public university where space research, climate science and biomedical science are main fields, close to Boulder's space and climate emphasis.
University of Leicester, a public university in the United Kingdom, is known in this directory for space science, archaeology and genetics.
Luleå University of Technology in Sweden is public, with mining and metallurgical engineering, space science and wood technology as main fields.
University of Tromsø – The Arctic University of Norway is public and works on Arctic research, marine biology and space physics.
Universiteit Utrecht in the Netherlands is a public university with earth sciences, life sciences and chemistry, a match for Boulder's earth science profile.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How and when was the University of Colorado established in Boulder?
The territorial legislature called for a university in Boulder in 1861, and the institution was founded in 1876, when Colorado became a state. Old Main was completed on 18 April 1876, and instruction began in 1877.
Who was Mary Rippon?
She became CU's first female professor in January 1878 and taught for more than 30 years. In 1936 the university dedicated the Mary Rippon Outdoor Theatre in her honour.
What shaped the look of the campus?
Charles Klauder's architectural designs were put into effect under President George Norlin, who took office in 1917. The university's own history timeline calls them iconic.
How big is the student body?
Fall 2022 enrolment was 39,585, with 31,034 undergraduates and 8,551 postgraduates, according to federal IPEDS data. Admission rules, tuition and deadlines for each college are published on colorado.edu.
Which research institutes work at CU Boulder?
They include the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, the Natural Resources Law Center and the Sommers-Bausch Observatory.
What link does the university have with space exploration?
CU Boulder reports 18 affiliated astronauts, among them Kalpana Chawla, who earned her doctorate in aerospace engineering there. It also says it is the only university to have sent space instruments to every planet in the solar system.
Which Nobel prizes are associated with it?
The university counts five Nobel laureates. Thomas Cech became its first faculty member to win, and he and Sidney Altman, a Colorado graduate, shared the 1989 Chemistry prize.
Aerospace, Climate Change, Environmental Engineering, Physics, Renewable Energy, Space
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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