Is a research university right for me?–

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students. Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines. Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel. Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well. Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Is an online college right for me?–

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available. Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online. Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college. Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands. Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain. Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving. If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc. The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors. Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions. If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

Best Research Universities in Colorado 2026

Q: Is a liberal arts college right for me?–

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students. Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom). Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers. Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Badge for BEST IN COLORADO RESEARCH UNIVERSITIES

By Dr. James Barham

Updated: Apr 3, 2026

Interested in attending a STEM school in Colorado? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.

10 Best Research Universities in Colorado 2026

University of Colorado Boulder
University of Denver
Colorado State University
Colorado School of Mines
University of Colorado Denver
University of Northern Colorado
Regis University
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Technical University

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Colorado

Fans of the outdoors will feel right at home in Colorado. With the Rocky Mountains, Colorado River, and even part of the Great Plains, you’re sure to find adventure in The Centennial State. Students looking to balance outdoor adventure with higher education can choose from over 40 colleges and universities offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees for an average in-state tuition of $10,800.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Colorado’s 28 public institutes include junior colleges, universities, the United States Air Force Academy, and the Colorado School of Mines, a research university that specializes in science, technology, engineering, and math.

Tuition for Colorado’s public schools ranges from $3,000 to $19,000, with many of the colleges and junior colleges starting at $4,000 and the universities at $8,000. Several of public colleges in Colorado enroll a large number of online students, including Colorado State University

Colorado’s private institutions boast smaller class sizes and student populations. This category includes five religiously affiliated campuses. Private colleges in Colorado tend to be more expensive, ranging from $4,000 to $55,000 in tuition. There are several online colleges in Colorado that are categorized as private schools.

The University of Colorado, Boulder, a notable research institute, is ranked as the number one school in the state and has a student population of just over 32,000. Students can earn degrees in computer science and physics both through in-person courses and online learning. Influential Boulder alumni include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Academy Award-winning actor and director Robert Redford.

Prospective art students can check out Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design, and those desiring a career in the medical field can look into the Institute of Business and Medical Careers.

To learn more, check out the best brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Colorado.

What are Colorado’s Colleges & Universities?

Colorado’s Best Overall

How do we determine Colorado's best colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. We’ve identified 9 research universities in Colorado. To be included in our ranking, schools must be a fully accredited universities and must must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Best Research Universities in Colorado 2023

Last Year’s Ranking:
1. University of Colorado Boulder
2. University of Denver
3. Colorado State University
4. Colorado School of Mines
5. University of Colorado Denver
6. University of Northern Colorado
7. Regis University
8. University of Colorado Colorado Springs
9. Colorado Technical University
#1
University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder , CO
#1 Best Colleges in Colorado 2026 #1 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026 #1 Best Public Colleges in Colorado 2026 #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2026
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
74%
Student body
47K
Median SAT/ACT
1335/31
Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Boulder
Cost of Degree: $15,556
Expenses: $21,254
Starting Salary: $77,574
Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Colorado Boulder known for?

University of Colorado Boulder’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Earth Sciences
Physics
Computer Science
Biology
Mathematics
Philosophy
Chemistry
Psychology
Anthropology
Engineering

Most Influential Alumni

Alan Kay
George Gaylord Simpson
Sidney Altman
Scott Carpenter
Jeffrey Beall
Jack Williamson
Steven M. Wise
Marc Bekoff
Kenneth R. Miller
Terrence Deacon
Theodore Maiman
Eugene Myers
Compare school
#2
University of Denver
Denver , CO
#1 Best Private Colleges in Colorado 2026 #1 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2026 #2 Best Colleges in Colorado 2026 #2 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026
Tuition + fees
$63K
Acceptance
78%
Graduation
74%
Student body
16K
Median SAT/ACT
1325/30
Career Outlook for degree at University of Denver
Cost of Degree: $59,340
Expenses: $21,196
Starting Salary: $77,205
Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Denver known for?

University of Denver’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Political Science
Social Work
Law
Psychology
Business
Economics
Anthropology
History
Education
Religious Studies

Most Influential Alumni

Huston Smith
Mohammad Javad Zarif
Dean Baker
Robert Gilpin
Margaret Singer
Bruce Hoffman
Katherine Anne Porter
Condoleezza Rice
Henry T. Lynch
John L. Horn
Njabulo Ndebele
Ted Shawn
Compare school
#3
Colorado State University
Fort Collins , CO
#2 Best Public Colleges in Colorado 2026 #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2026 #3 Best Colleges in Colorado 2026 #3 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026
Tuition + fees
$14K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
68%
Student body
37K
Career Outlook for degree at Colorado State University
Cost of Degree: $13,009
Expenses: $19,543
Starting Salary: $66,947
Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is Colorado State University known for?

Colorado State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Earth Sciences
Biology
Economics
Chemistry
Engineering
Philosophy
Business
Mathematics
Physics
Medical

Most Influential Alumni

Jean Bethke Elshtain
Steve Hanke
Yusef Komunyakaa
Elaine Ingham
Mark Mattson
Rebecca Skloot
Ibrahim Abdulaziz Al-Assaf
William Tietz
James van Hoften
Jenna Ellis
Martin J. Fettman
Anwar al-Awlaki
Compare school
#4
Colorado School of Mines
Golden , CO
#15 America's 15 Most Technologically Advanced Colleges #4 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026 #4 Best Public Colleges in Colorado 2026 #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2026
Tuition + fees
$23K
Acceptance
61%
Graduation
82%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1400/31
Career Outlook for degree at Colorado School of Mines
Cost of Degree: $21,186
Expenses: $20,820
Starting Salary: $102,077
Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is Colorado School of Mines known for?

Colorado School of Mines’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Engineering
Earth Sciences
Chemistry
Physics
Mathematics
Economics
Computer Science
Business
Education
Sociology

Most Influential Alumni

George Saunders
John P. Allen
Arden L. Bement Jr.
Vance Haynes
Arthur S. Adams
Purnomo Yusgiantoro
Jan D. Miller
Roger J. Phillips
Keith A. Kvenvolden
Kennda Lynch
James Taranik
Souad Naji Al-Azzawi
Compare school
#5
University of Colorado Denver
Denver , CO
#4 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2026 #5 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026 #5 Best Public Colleges in Colorado 2026 #8 Best Colleges in Colorado 2026
Tuition + fees
$11K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
49%
Student body
29K
Median SAT/ACT
1100/27
Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Denver
Cost of Degree: $10,017
Expenses: $22,806
Starting Salary: $69,387
Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Colorado Denver known for?

University of Colorado Denver’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Medical
Biology
Criminal Justice
Engineering
Physics
Computer Science
Mathematics
Anthropology
Psychology

Most Influential Alumni

Daniel Gilbert
Chauncey Billups
Herman Aguinis
Louie Croft Boyd
Meredith Hay
Rosemarie Allen
Illenium
Mark A. Heckler
Richard C. Willson
Richard Weingardt
Adam Boehlke
Compare school
#6
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley , CO
#5 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2026 #6 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026 #6 Best Public Colleges in Colorado 2026 #9 Best Colleges in Colorado 2026
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
49%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1070/23
Career Outlook for degree at University of Northern Colorado
Cost of Degree: $11,528
Expenses: $19,668
Starting Salary: $56,980
Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Northern Colorado known for?

University of Northern Colorado’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Education
Sociology
Literature
Political Science
History
Communications
Earth Sciences
Mathematics
Business
Medical

Most Influential Alumni

Jeffrey Beall
James A. Michener
Al Jourgensen
Connie Willis
Sully Sullenberger
Lynn Lashbrook
Jc Beall
Carlotta Walls LaNier
Robert L. Scott
Sayyid Qutb
Bill Frisell
Robert Heinich
Compare school
#7
Regis University
Denver , CO
#10 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Ranked for 2026 #18 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Doctoral Degrees 2026 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Colorado 2026 #4 Best Private Colleges in Colorado 2026
Tuition + fees
$48K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
55%
Student body
6K
Career Outlook for degree at Regis University
Cost of Degree: $43,980
Expenses: $19,428
Starting Salary: $79,971
Cost Recoup Time: 14 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is Regis University known for?

Regis University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Nursing
Psychology
Computer Science
Criminal Justice
Business
Medical
Economics
Political Science
Education
Social Work

Most Influential Alumni

Bill Murray
Edwin Feulner
Michael G. Vaughn
Mary Romero
John Bell
Regis University’s Online Degrees
BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn

Required Credits: 120
Format: Fully online
Compare school
#8
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs , CO
#7 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026 #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado 2026 #9 Best Public Colleges in Colorado 2026 #7 Best Online MBA Programs in Colorado
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
97%
Graduation
46%
Student body
15K
Median SAT/ACT
1115/23
Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Cost of Degree: $10,438
Expenses: $18,478
Starting Salary: $61,386
Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
Paid back at 15% of annual salary
What is University of Colorado Colorado Springs known for?

University of Colorado Colorado Springs’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Social Work
Mathematics
Criminal Justice
Computer Science
Physics
Engineering
Psychology
Economics
Literature
Nursing

Most Influential Alumni

Yusef Komunyakaa
Jason Brown
University of Colorado Colorado Springs’s Online Degrees
BS in Business

Format: Fully online
BS in Criminal Justice

Format: Fully online
BA in Communication

Format: Fully online
BA in Philosophy

Format: Fully online
BA in Sociology

Format: Fully online
BS in Healthcare Sciences

BS in Nursing
Compare school
#9
Colorado Technical University
Colorado Springs , CO
#6 Best Private Colleges in Colorado 2026 #4 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Colorado #5 Best Online MBA Programs in Colorado #6 Fastest Accelerated Online Doctorate of Nursing Programs (PhDs)
Tuition + fees
$13K
Graduation
19%
Student body
53K
Career Outlook for degree at Colorado Technical University
Cost of Degree: $12,760
Starting Salary: $44,720
What is Colorado Technical University known for?

Colorado Technical University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

Criminal Justice
Computer Science
Engineering
Business
Medical
Nursing
Compare school

Build your own college rankings

Find the Best Research Universities in Colorado for Your Area of Interest

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Online Colleges

In pursuing a bachelor’s degree, you will need to choose between three kinds of schools: research universities, liberal arts colleges, and online colleges.

Research universities are colleges and universities whose faculty are active in research and publishing. Research universities offer a wide array of doctoral programs, especially in the sciences. They tend to be big, with tens of thousands of students.

Do you prefer a larger university setting, such as largest public university in your state? Research universities are typically big, offering degrees in many different disciplines.

Is a big high-powered research environment the thing for you? If not, you should think about a liberal arts college. In deciding on an undergraduate institution, ask yourself what sort of environment will best help you to be happy and excel.

Consider whether you are self motivated enough to be a face in the crowd for some classes and largely unknown on campus at a large university. Of course you can find clubs and friends at a large university, but often liberal arts colleges have a more personal quality to them. If you want the community feel, a research university may not fit you well.
Are you interested in STEM fields? Research universities have that name for a reason – real research is happening there. This can create an exciting atmosphere for students interested in STEM. Attending a research university can give you a better chance of getting into better programs for graduate degrees, although a lot of that depends on your performance.

Learn more about research universities by reading about the best research universities in the US.

Often referred to as “teaching colleges” liberal arts colleges put a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. A college of liberal arts typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree.

Do you want your professors to know you? Liberal arts colleges strive to cultivate campus cultures that encourage tight bonds between professors and students.

Professors at these schools will typically conduct original research. Yet the best of these schools offer their faculty reduced teaching loads so that they can both be productive researchers and still have plenty of time for students (both in and outside the classroom).

Do you want to feel like you know everybody? One of the most enticing features of a liberal arts college is that in very little time, you can feel like you know who’s who, which can create strong friendships and make walks across campus more fun. While your sports teams may never be on ESPN, it’s more likely that you’ll know the athletes as your peers.

Beyond student and faculty relationships, it’s not unusual for the school president and other administrators to learn who you are. When faced with problems with your student account or the need to switch classes, this can be comforting during a stressful moment.

Learn more about liberal arts colleges by reading about the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

Online colleges are typically the same colleges and universities you could attend in-person, but for certain degree programs the college or unviersity has made the degree programs available to be completed online. For over 5 million students, online degree programs allow students to earn their degrees in the most flexible format available.

Online degrees are as respected as the on-campus degrees you could earn from the same schools. There’s usually no distinction between the two degrees, and your degree and transcript will not say that the degree was earned online.

Online degree programs are offered by a vast majority of colleges and universities, and the number of offering continues to grow. Whether you are searching for an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, there’s a good chance you can earn your degree online from a respectable online college.

Are you a self-driven student? Perhaps the hardest aspect of obtaining an online degree is whether you will be disciplined enough to manage your time and course demands.

Many online students report that online college made them more disciplined in all areas of their lives, but the flexible, self-paced learning that makes online colleges attractive can often be the same qualities that make it difficult. If you tend to be a procrastinator, you need to be honest with yourself. You can change your habits and propensities, or you can throw money down the drain.

Do you need the flexibility of an online degree program? Most online students study online because of time demands of balancing work and life, or because the online college affords them the chance to attend a better school without moving.

If you are serious about earning your degree for career advancement, online colleges make it possible. The most flexible options among online degrees are those that are asynchronous, meaning you don’t have scheduled times to meet with your class online. However, many students seek synchronous online degree programs so that they have some structure – set meeting times, scheduled exams, etc.

The good news is that attending an online college doesn’t mean you will miss out on getting to know your professors and classmates. In fact, many online students who have experienced both online and on-campus courses report having easier access to their professors.

Since most communication with your professor is expected to be in text – via email or your class learning management system – it makes asking your questions easier. The same students also report that they got to better know the thoughts of their classmates. While in-person course conversations can be dominated by a few extroverts, online courses that require online discussions make it so that you see all of your classmates’ thoughts and questions.

If you’re interested in an online bachelor’s degree, check out what the best online colleges offer, or search our online degrees for the exact program that interests you. In either case, you will find well respected colleges and universities that offer online degrees.

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of research universities throughout the U.S. for a look at the top research institutions in every state.

This guide highlights Colorado’s leading research universities for 2026, focusing on where sustained research activity, graduate training, and industry or community partnerships are strongest. Rather than a single metric, the institutions featured are selected for their research capacity—including graduate programs, research facilities, interdisciplinary centers, and the ability to attract external funding and collaborators. Use this overview to compare institutional strengths relevant to prospective graduate students, faculty job-seekers, and research partners, and to quickly identify which Colorado universities are best positioned for serious research engagement in 2026.

Do you have a question about this topic? Ask it here

Best Research Universities in Colorado 2026

10 Best Research Universities in Colorado 2026

Colleges and Universities in Colorado

What are Colorado’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Research Universities in Colorado 2023

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Boulder

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Denver

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado School of Mines

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Denver

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Northern Colorado

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Regis University

Most Influential Alumni

Regis University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Colorado Colorado Springs

Most Influential Alumni

University of Colorado Colorado Springs’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Colorado Technical University

Find the Best Research Universities in Colorado for Your Area of Interest