University of Colorado Boulder
University of Colorado Boulder at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
University of Colorado Boulder Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Research Universities in Colorado 2026
- #1 Best Colleges in Colorado
- #1 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026
- #1 Best Public Colleges in Colorado
- #1 Best Online Communications PhD Degree Programs
- #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado
- #1 Colorado's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #1 Colorado's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #10 Earn a Master's Without a Bachelor's
- #16 The Most Influential Colleges in Track & Field Today
- #37 Best Public Grad Schools
About University of Colorado Boulder
According to Wikipedia, The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado, United States. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado system. CU Boulder is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified among R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity.
University of Colorado Boulder Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56,069 | 78% | 90% | 74% | 1335 | 31 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does University of Colorado Boulder Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $17,513 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $13,403 |
| 30K - 48K | $13,558 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,684 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,719 |
| 110K+ | $34,026 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do University of Colorado Boulder Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of Colorado Boulder students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $77,574 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
University of Colorado Boulder's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 46,985 | 35,164 | 11,821 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of Colorado Boulder?
University of Colorado Boulder is located at Regent Drive at Broadway, Boulder, CO 80309-0017.
How Safe is University of Colorado Boulder?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, University of Colorado Boulder publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, University of Colorado Boulder has a violent crime rate of 0.29% and a property crime rate of 0.09%. Boulder has a violent crime rate of 0.33% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 2.79%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is University of Colorado Boulder Known For?
University of Colorado Boulder is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- Political Science
- Sociology
- History
- Communications
- Education
- Business
- Law
- Economics
- Literature
- Medical
- Religious Studies
University of Colorado Boulder's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Colorado Boulder's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
University of Colorado Boulder ranks #26 in the U.S. and #104 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #44 in the U.S. and #157 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #61 in the U.S. and #169 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #63 in the U.S. and #177 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #68 in the U.S. and #275 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #68 in the U.S. and #225 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #77 in the U.S. and #323 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #87 in the U.S. and #170 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #88 in the U.S. and #235 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #94 in the U.S. and #356 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #102 in the U.S. and #341 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #120 in the U.S. and #391 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #125 in the U.S. and #331 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #135 in the U.S. and #452 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #140 in the U.S. and #534 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #144 in the U.S. and #419 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #144 in the U.S. and #421 worldwide for influence in Law.
University of Colorado Boulder ranks #150 in the U.S. and #660 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #171 in the U.S. and #483 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #175 in the U.S. and #564 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of Colorado Boulder ranks #324 in the U.S. and #1401 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are University of Colorado Boulder's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Colorado Boulder's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Earth Sciences, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of University of Colorado Boulder's most famous alumni:
- Alan Kay
- An American computer scientist .
- George Gaylord Simpson
- An American paleontologist .
- Sidney Altman
- A Canadian American molecular biologist .
- Scott Carpenter
- An American test pilot, astronaut and aquanaut .
- Jeffrey Beall
- An American librarian.
- Jack Williamson
- An American science fiction writer .
- Steven M. Wise
- An American legal scholar.
- Marc Bekoff
- An American biologist.
- Kenneth R. Miller
- An American biologist.
- Terrence Deacon
- An American anthropologist.
- Theodore Maiman
- An American physicist/Inventor of first working laser.
- Eugene Myers
- An American computer scientist.
Who Are University of Colorado Boulder's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Colorado Boulder's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Earth Sciences, Psychology, and Criminal Justice. Here are some of University of Colorado Boulder's most famous faculty:
- Benjamin R. Teitelbaum
- An American ethnographer.
- Stephen Graham Jones
- A Blackfeet Native American author of experimental fiction, horror fiction, crime fiction, and science fiction.
- Alice F. Healy
- An American psychologist and academic.
- Tor Wager
- An American psychologist.
- Bernard Haisch
- An American astrophysicist.
- Ana Maria Rey
- A Colombian physicist.
- Alex Zunger
- An American physicist.
- Rob Knight
- A New Zealand computational microbiologist.
- Jackson Crawford
- An American professor and historical linguist.
- Aaron Clauset
- A Researcher.
- Nikolaus Correll
- A German roboticist and researcher.
- Mark Embree
- An American mathematician.
