University of Colorado Denver
University of Colorado Denver 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 Denver Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Online MBAs Colorado
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Colorado
- #4 Colorado's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #4 Colorado's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #5 Best Research Universities in Colorado 2026
- #5 Best Grad Schools in Colorado 2026
- #5 Best Public Colleges in Colorado
- #8 Best Colleges in Colorado
- #17 Most Affordable Online PhD of Education Degree Programs
About University of Colorado Denver
Featured Alumnus
Daniel Gilbert ranks among our Top Influential Psychologists Today.
According to Wikipedia, The University of Colorado Denver is a public research university located in downtown Denver, Colorado. It is part of the University of Colorado system. Established in 1912 as an extension of the University of Colorado Boulder, CU Denver attained university status and became an independent institution in 1973. CU Denver is the largest research university in Colorado, and is classified among R1: Doctoral Universities - Very High Research Activity. The university's graduate programs award more master's degrees than any other institution in the state, serving roughly 5,000 students annually.
University of Colorado Denver Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14,569 | 75% | 73% | 49% | 1100 | 27 |
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 Denver Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $10,835 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $7,543 |
| 30K - 48K | $7,378 |
| 48K - 75K | $7,908 |
| 75K - 110K | $11,237 |
| 110K+ | $19,820 |
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 Denver Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of Colorado Denver students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $69,387 a year, and 91% 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 Denver's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 29,066 | 17,718 | 11,348 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of Colorado Denver?
University of Colorado Denver is located at 1380 Lawrence Street, Lawrence Street Center, Suite 1400, Denver, CO 80217-3364.
How Safe is University of Colorado Denver?
Relative to its enrollment, University of Colorado Denver has a violent crime rate of 0.10% and a property crime rate of 0.48%. Denver has a violent crime rate of 1.00% and a property crime rate of 4.78%. 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 Denver Known For?
University of Colorado Denver is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Medical
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Engineering
- Physics
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Political Science
- Economics
- Education
- Business
- Philosophy
- History
- Literature
- Social Work
- Communications
University of Colorado Denver's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of Colorado Denver'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 Denver ranks #199 in the U.S. and #517 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #224 in the U.S. and #780 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #224 in the U.S. and #798 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #256 in the U.S. and #457 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #261 in the U.S. and #1542 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #288 in the U.S. and #1248 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #315 in the U.S. and #1339 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #319 in the U.S. and #1257 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #327 in the U.S. and #989 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #343 in the U.S. and #862 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #400 in the U.S. and #2036 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #418 in the U.S. and #1457 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #425 in the U.S. and #1714 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #448 in the U.S. and #2699 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #460 in the U.S. and #2029 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #464 in the U.S. and #1672 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #480 in the U.S. and #1577 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #628 in the U.S. and #1869 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #636 in the U.S. and #1916 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #809 in the U.S. and #1965 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesUniversity of Colorado Denver ranks #946 in the U.S. and #3547 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWho Are University of Colorado Denver's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Colorado Denver's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Medical. Here are some of University of Colorado Denver's most famous alumni:
- Daniel Gilbert
- An American psychologist and writer.
- Chauncey Billups
- An American basketball player and coach.
- Herman Aguinis
- A Business theorist.
- Louie Croft Boyd
- An American nurse, instructor and writer, first licensed nurse in Colorado.
- Meredith Hay
- An American academic.
- Rosemarie Allen
- An American academic.
- Illenium
- An American DJ and music producer.
- Mark A. Heckler
- An American academic administrator, president of Valparaiso University.
- Richard C. Willson
- A Researcher.
- Richard Weingardt
- An American engineer .
- Adam Boehlke
- A Researcher ORCID ID = 0000-0003-4980-431X.
Who Are University of Colorado Denver's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Colorado Denver's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and Medical. Here are some of University of Colorado Denver's most famous faculty:
